Page 18 - ARUBA TODAY

A18 SPORTS
Wednesday 22 March 2017

No-shows are no longer as big a problem in golf

DOUG FERGUSON dominates the spotlight,
AP Golf Writer the focus shifts toward
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Five who is playing instead of
eligible players are not who’s not. For the Match
at the Dell Technologies Play, that would be Dustin
Match Play this year, the Johnson, the world’s No. 1
highest number of drop- player, who is trying to be-
outs in 16 years. come the first to complete
Good luck finding some- a sweep of the four World
one at Austin Country Club Golf Championships; Day
who can name them all. and Rory McIlroy, the last
No, Tiger Woods is not on two winners of this event;
that list. and Jordan Spieth, who
His name still comes up played college golf at Tex-
in just about every golf as before dropping out to
conversation. Woods was embark on the best start
making plenty of head- to a PGA Tour career since
lines Monday in New York Woods.
to promote his book on the There are enough big
1997 Masters (spoiler alert: names nearly every week.
he wins by 12). He missed It’s been that way for much
out on qualifying for the 64- of the year.
man field at Match Play by Golf really is in a good
665 spots in the world rank- place, even if it no longer
ing. Woods hasn’t been Golfer Tiger Woods holds up a copy of his new book at a book signing in New York, Monday, has Woods, the most cele-
eligible the last three years March 20, 2017. brated athlete in the world
because he hasn’t been Associated Press that it enjoyed for so many
playing much due to back There is no one who is close Fowler. week, the first one since years. For the PGA Tour, it’s
surgeries. There’s no clear to moving the needle like Most of that can be attrib- Palmer died, and all prefer a nice problem to have.
answer when he might Woods. That’s been the uted to scheduling, and to play the week before The only two tournaments
play again. case since the ‘97 Masters, that’s particularly true for the Masters at the Shell where the stars were no-
In his latest update from if not sooner. the other no-show. Adam Houston Open. ticeably absent were the
various media interviews, On the other hand, there Hadwin is getting married Scott also is playing Hous- Honda Classic (none of the
Woods said he hasn’t are so many young stars Friday. ton. He hasn’t played the top six in the world were at
played a round since he — major champions, world Stenson liked the Match last three weeks because PGA National) and the Val-
shot 77 in Dubai and with- No. 1s — that when some Play better when it was he is commuting from spar Championship (only
drew with back spasms, players don’t show up, single elimination, not the Australia, where his wife is two of the top 10 played).
though he said he was try- does anyone really notice? round-robin group play pregnant with their second McIlroy missed the Honda
ing every day to get ready The absentees for this World for three rounds before 16 child. Classic because he was
to play because he loves Golf Championship are players move on to the Something has to give, and recovering from a rib in-
the Masters and knows Au- all quality players — Brit- weekend. Even so, a large it shouldn’t be startling that jury. If he had played, that
gusta National. ish Open champion Hen- part of his decision was it’s the Match Play. would have been enough
Those moments — Woods rik Stenson, former Masters based on his pre-Masters There are no guarantees to change the narrative.
promoting his book, five champion Adam Scott, for- schedule. That’s also true in this most fickle format, Any talk about no-shows
no-shows at Match Play — mer U.S. Open champion for Rose and Fowler. All which means a player can will never stack up to the
illustrate the state of golf. and Olympic gold medal- three were at the Arnold wind up playing seven Match Play in 2001, when
ist Justin Rose, and Rickie Palmer Invitational last matches over five days, it began Jan. 3 in Austra-
which is taxing. That’s why lia and 38 eligible players
defending champion Ja- chose not to travel Down
son Day is not playing a Under for the chance at
practice round again this playing one match and
year. going home. That was a
Is it a problem? Not neces- scheduling problem of a
sarily. different variety.
The reason it’s easy to Another problem in the
overlook the absences is early days of Match Play,
the Tiger factor. which dates to 1999, is the
budgetaruba@setarnet.aw Because no one alone stars leaving early. q