Posted by Jason Sobel
HONOLULU -- I've heard people say, "If Tiger Woods isn't playing, I won't watch golf." Everyone's entitled to their opinion, but I happen to think it's a pretty insular view.
Being a sports fan is about rooting for stories. It's about becoming passionate about those we watch play the games. It's about rooting for the underdog. With so many players competing in PGA Tour fields each week, there are more chances to uncover each of these things in golf than any other sport. More stories. More players. More underdogs.
We've seen evidence of this once again during the PGA Tour season's opening two weeks.
I'll admit it: Prior to the Mercedes-Benz Championship, I couldn't have picked Will MacKenzie out of a lineup even if you spotted me the "Will MacK." He's quickly becoming one of my favorite players to cover, both for his emotional attachment on the course and down-to-earth manner off of it. With the publicity this guy's received over the season's first two weeks, I think he's a superstar in the making.
Paul Goydos was 160th on the money list entering last year's final full-field event, the Chrysler Championship, but finished T-2 to earn full playing privileges for this year. Now he's making the most of it, currently in solo third place after three rounds at the Sony Open. I knew much more about Goydos than MacKenzie before coming over here, but I hadn't spoken with him all that much. Now I know he's a candid guy, just brutally honest. If you're looking for a guy to root for on Sunday, he wouldn't be a bad one.
Those two players aside, the best story of the early season so far has been that of Tadd Fujikawa, the 16-year-old Hawaiian local who's currently in T-8 at the Sony. Unbelievable story. It's not going to happen, I know, but if Fujikawa were to win on Sunday, he'd be Joe Willie Namath, Buster Douglas and the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team all rolled in one.
See? Who needs Tiger Woods?
