Tiger vs. Lefty: That’s what Golf Needs

When Rory McIlroy won the U.S. Open last summer, I thought it was exactly what his sport needed.

McIlroy has done little since his U.S. Open victory, and it became clear this weekend what golf really needs:

It was uncertain if Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson would regain their form – and rivalry – of yesteryear, but this weekend’s Pebble Beach National Pro-Am showed the rivals are back where they belong … toward the top of the leaderboard dueling it out on the final day.

And in what might be the first time in their storied rivalry, the galleries are starting to pull for Mickelson — who is now the good guy — rather than Woods following his well-publicized and heavily-scrutinized divorce and affairs.

But even when Woods is the bad guy, it’s good for the game.

Golf has rarely had a bad guy, and in sports such as the NBA (think LeBron James) or MLB (Alex Rodgriguez), the bad guys usually result in good TV ratings.

Sunday’s event in Pebble Beach was no exception. Instead of showing cutesy shots of Bill Murray playing out of woods in camo all weekend, ESPN finally had a lead-worth story at a professional golf event thanks to Tiger vs. Lefty.

And Lefty won over the golf world again when he went from a six-shot deficit to a two-shot lead in just six holes Sunday, closing with an 8-under 64 for a two-shot victory over Charlie Wi.

He also blew Woods out in the second-to-last group, beating his old foe by 11 shots and winning in Pebble Beach for the fourth time in his career. It was Mickelson’s 40th win overall.

More importantly, it was the first time occasional golf fans like myself were motivated to tune into the final round of an event.

I hadn’t watched the majority of a final round since McIlroy’s epic Augusta meltdown, followed by his runaway victory at the U.S. Open.

But Tiger vs. Lefty takes golf to a whole new level.

When McIlroy was making his run, he was dominating the competition. And watching golfers compete against themselves in the final round is a boring watch.

I’d rather be playing against myself on the local links than watching another young star roll to a five- or six-stroke victory on Sundays.

Golf needs Gene Sarazen vs. Walter Hagen. Sam Snead vs. Ben Hogan. Jack Nicklaus vs. Arnold Palmer (and Tom Watson).

And today, more than ever, golf needs Tiger vs. Lefty.