Sunday, December 28, 2003
Here's a list of golf's top stories of the year.
By JOE LOGAN
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
PHILADELPHIA -- No matter how you slice it, dice it or reflect on it, 2003 was one heck of a memorable year in golf. Stroll with me now down memory lane.
UNo. 1 story of the year. As always, the tale of the Tiger.
For the first time since 1998, Tiger Woods won neither the PGA Tour money title nor a major championship. Yet, somehow, the game's most dominating and electrifying player still captured his fifth straight player of the year award and remained unchallenged as the No. 1-ranked player in the world.
Aside from a cool $28 million in endorsement money in '03, Woods pocketed $6.6 million in tournament winnings, $900,000 behind Vijay Singh.
In the majors, Woods fizzled, finishing tied for 15th in the Masters, tied for 20th in the U.S. Open, tied for fourth in the British Open, and tied for 39th at the PGA. Still, he won five of the 18 events he entered, raising his PGA Tour career total to 39, and nabbed his fifth straight Vardon Trophy for low scoring average.
Even an off-year for Woods was enough for his peers to vote him player of the year over Singh.
Away from the course, Woods scored big, too, becoming engaged to Elin Nordegren of Sweden, formerly a model and nanny to Jesper Parnevik's children.
Making history
UNo. 2: All Annika, all the time. Naysayers sneered that Annika Sorenstam, the No. 1 female player in the world, should never have been given that gender-bending sponsor's exemption into the Colonial on the PGA Tour in May. When she shot 71-74 and missed the cut by 5 shots, those same skeptics gloated that she proved their point that she -- or any woman -- could not play with the men.
Two quick points: Has women's golf -- for that matter, men's golf -- been on the front pages of newspapers since? Even if she missed the cut, Sorenstam beat 15 male players who supposedly deserved to be there.
Afterward, her steely exterior gave way to the emotion that had been welling up inside her all day.
"I've given it all I had," said a teary-eyed Sorenstam, noting that the Colonial would be her first and last foray onto the PGA Tour. "I know where I belong," she added.
Back on her home turf of the LPGA Tour, Sorenstam dominated, winning six times -- including two majors -- and completing her career Grand Slam with a victory at the Women's British Open. She capped the year with her third straight money title and player of the year award.
UNo. 3: Martha vs. Hootie. Now that the dust has settled and the headlines have ceased, it's hard to remember what all the fuss was about. But in terms of the quantity and shrillness of the news coverage, the dragged-out, front-page battle over whether Augusta National Golf Club, home to the Masters, should invite a female member was a doozy.
Narrowing the gap
UNo. 4: Vijay vaults. Without fanfare or even much notice, Singh spent '03 doggedly muscling his way from eighth in the world to No. 2, making him the most formidable and determined challenger to Woods' superiority.
UNo. 5: Watson and Edwards. At the U.S. Open, the heartstrings of the golf world were tugged when Tom Watson, at 54, shot a first-round 65, then nearly wept as he talked about the emotion of sharing the special moment with his loyal longtime caddie, Bruce Edwards, who is battling Lou Gehrig's disease, or ALS.
UNo. 6: Momentous major moments. Not only did Woods not win a major championship in '03, neither did any other player who had ever won one. For the first time since 1969, the Masters (Mike Weir), the U.S. Open (Jim Furyk), the British Open (Ben Curtis), and the PGA Championship (Shaun Micheel) were captured by first-time winners.