l
TOUR REPORT
THE TIGER ERA IS
OFFICIALLY OVER
We've seen it coming. The handwriting has
been on the wall for years and now it's
scrawled all over the house. Tiger Woods is
no longer – nor will he ever be – the domi-
nating force he once was.
Granted, the same thing happened with
every Hall-of-Famer who preceded him,
from Hogan to Palmer to Nicklaus, but the
reality is still a body blow to golf fans every-
where, who now celebrate a cut made by
Tiger in the same way we once cheered him
on to eight-shot victories.
When he returned from his latest batch of
injuries and rehab in December 2014 at his
own tournament in Orlando, we expected
layers of rust. We got them – and unexpect-
edly, witnessed chipping woes that resem-
bled your 14-handicap next door neighbor's.
By the time the year's first major rolled
around, however, we were reminded in glo-
As Tiger and Phil head into the twilight of their
careers, Rory and Rickie's are just taking off.
PHOTOS:
SHUTTERSTOCK
SEASON OF CHANGE
n MID-YEAR REVIEW: WHAT WE'VE LEARNED SO FAR BY joe passov
T
hough there's still plenty of professional golf to be played in 2015, it's not too
soon to take a moment and muse about some of the things that have
emerged so far this season. The thumbnail view is this: the PGA and LPGA
tours are as competitive, unpredictable and exciting as ever; this hasn't been
a banner tour for the veterans of the house; anyone who still thinks that Tiger Woods
has the game to once again reign dominant will probably have to wait until he's eligible
for the Champions Tour; and, the emergence of new young studs on the PGA Tour and
the dynamic comeback players that have punctuated this season are definitely reason
enough to pay attention as things kick off in high gear with the U.S. Open this month.
Here are five things we've learned halfway through the professional golf season.
