Posted by Jason Sobel
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- There are, by my count, four major story lines that have unfolded during the first two-and-a-half months of the PGA Tour season. Here's each one, how it developed at The Players Championship and what could be in store for the rest of the year:
• Tiger Woods is Tiger Woods again. The only multiple winner on tour so far this season, Woods' game looked to be rounding into top form entering this week. And then he shot uninspired rounds of 72-69-73-75, never really contended and finished T-22 in the Players.
Let's give Tiger a mulligan this time around. Rather than plotting out strategies and readying himself for the tournament in the days prior to the first round, Woods was traveling to and from California, where he needed to visit with his ailing father. I thought the trip home would encourage some profound play, but Woods just never looked comfortable with his game and noted that his father was drifting in and out of his mind during the course of action, though he wouldn't use that as an excuse.
"You're there to compete," Woods said. "If you tee it up, you tee it up and give it everything you've got. That's how I was taught to play the game and that's how I play it."
The real test of where Woods' game is comes in two weeks at The Masters, where he'll be the prohibitive favorite once again, seeking his fifth green jacket. And for those who tried to read between the lines when he said, "you never know," in reference to whether he could miss the year's first major, let's not get ahead of ourselves and cross him off the entry list just yet. That said, if Earl Woods' condition worsens, yes, there is a chance we could have a Tiger-less Masters. And no one could begrudge him anything for skipping it.
• Where are the other guys? Woods' fellow members of golf's so-called Big Five -- Vijay Singh, Retief Goosen, Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els -- have combined for exactly zero PGA Tour victories so far this season. It's not that they've failed to play well, but such elite-status golfers are measured by win totals alone.
Each of these four had a chance at the title entering the final round of the Players, but each fell short in his own way. Singh, one stroke behind eventual winner Stephen Ames before the round started, shot 77 to finish T-8; Goosen played solidly, banking a 69, one of only three final-round scores in the 60s; Mickelson entered five back, but shot an apathetic 74; and Els rallied to second place with five birdies in his first 11 holes but played the final five in 4-over to finish T-8.
Don't cry for these guys just yet, though. Each of the four can make up ground in a hurry and has certainly had an eye on Augusta for some time now. Perhaps the real question is which of these four -- if any -- will emerge as Woods' most consistent rival and which will fall from his current perch on the World Ranking.
• Rookies are making their mark. Camilo Villegas is already a fan favorite, Bubba Watson is making John Daly look like Corey Pavin, and all J.B. Holmes has done is win at the FBR Open. This year's rookie class is as talented and exciting as any in recent memory and continued it's streaky play at the Players.
With only three rookies in the field (Holmes made it based on his victory, Villegas and Nathan Green got in as first and second alternates; Watson, the third alternate, failed to get in), the fabulous freshmen made it a clean sweep in reaching the weekend.
Villegas topped the first-year trio, breaking par in his final three rounds to earn a T-3 finish. The only drawback? The University of Florida product finished some $95,000 short of reaching the top-10 on the money list and earning a spot in this year's Masters field.
"I'm going to be a little short of one big goal I had," Villegas said, "but you know what? I gave it my best and hopefully there will be plenty of Masters for me in the future."
Holmes and Green ended T-38 and T-66, respectively, but expect more from each of them soon. The young guys on tour don't seem intimidated by much and seem immune to final-round pressures when in the chase (Green's chunk in Buick overtime, notwithstanding). The race for ROY will be exciting.
• Tom Lehman as playing captain? It isn't often a Ryder Cup captain can play well and still sneak under the radar, but Lehman did just that with such a strong leaderboard at the Players. With rounds of 71-71-70, Lehman put himself in position for a top-10 and some much-needed Ryder Cup points this week, but a final-round 78 left him in a share of 27th place.
The story of whether Lehman can qualify for his own U.S. roster come September has already gained much attention and should continue to gather steam as the season progresses. He's currently 11th in the standings and is on record as saying if he makes the team based on points, he'll play; if he doesn't, he won't choose himself as a captain's pick.
