McIlroy, Day shrug off Tiger Woods ‘Mystique’
AUGUSTA, Ga. – Colin Montgomerie had put it bluntly – “The mystique is gone.” Others had said it in much the same way, if not quite so bluntly. After Tiger Woods lost two key decisions, one to a fire hydrant and the other to his then-wife Elin, he would no longer be the fatal force in golf. It used to be that previously, merely to be in contention with him – and Lord forbid it be head-to-head – would be too intense for mere mortals to survive. And to be so presumptuous as to hope to beat him would be to bring down a wrath like the Sahara sun on a delicate flower. And this would be especially true with young golfers trying to find their way. How could a kid stand up to him?Well, this third round of the Masters was going to be the perfect test of that thesis. Pity Rory McIlroy and Jason Day. McIlroy started the day at 10 under, leading Day by two shots, and the veteran K.J. Choi and Woods by only three. That’s not much insulation for a 21-year-old. Day was only 23. And Woods, who had been kicking it around for over a year, and who hadn’t won anything since 2009, had shot a 6-under 66 in the second round, matching his low round of the year and more ominously, matching his all-time low for the second round in 16 previous Masters, four of which he won. Tiger Woods was back. These kids had just put their heads in the tiger’s mouth.
But then a funny thing happened on the way to the meltdown. McIlroy not only didn’t wither, he increased his lead to four shots. And practically everybody passed up Tiger Woods. Through a mixture of visits to the pine straw off the fairway and a scattering of three-putts, Woods backed up with a 2-over 74 and a 211 total, seven off McIlroy’s lead. There’s a pattern in there somewhere. And golf has changed. Not only do golfers of all stripes, or lack thereof, not roll over the play dead at the thought of Woods, but there’s a bunch of upstarts now running over anyone they can, Woods or no Woods. Golf has changed that much, that abruptly.
The situation is not hopeless for Woods in his quest for a fifth Masters. But it’s certainly verging on hopeless. For the sake of perspective, if McIlroy shoots a par-72 Sunday, Woods has to shoot 65 just to tie him. That’s also assuming that the four guys tied with him, and the seven between him and McIlroy also do nothing.
“I had two three-putts in there, and then I hit just a lot of beautiful putts that didn’t go in,” Woods said. “Could have easily been 3 or 4 or 5 under par.”
Woods’ 2-over 74 broke his streak of 16 consecutive rounds of par or better in the Masters, and it was just the second time as a pro that he didn’t shoot par or better in the third round.
The big meltdown, of course, had been anticipated. Even predicted. Meltdowns always are when Tiger Woods is lurking. It’s an enduring condition. Will Woods ever win again? Of course. But it’s going to take some getting used to that the mystique is gone. He’ll have to do more than drop his tiger headcover on the first tee to get anywhere. McIlroy himself was asked about the Tiger presence after the second round, when he took the two-shot lead on Day and the three-shotter over Woods and Choi. Choi, a solid golfer and the winner of much money, never struck fear into anyone’s heart. They meant Woods when they asked McIlroy whether he could stand up to the pressure in the third round.
“I’ll just be concentrating on the golf course,” he insisted. “If you start thinking about anyone else here, if you let your mind wander at all, it can cost you a couple of shots. I’ll be focusing on my targets and focusing on where I want my ball to go on the greens, and that’s all I can do. I don’t really care what anyone else does. I don’t need to know.”
Can the kid really function in a vacuum?
It would seem so. He shot a very solid 2-under 70 for a 204 total, 12 under, and takes a four-shot lead over Day and three others into the final round. Day himself was not pummeled into submission. He had a few awkward moments, but came out with a par-72 and was tied by Choi (71), South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel (68) and Angel Cabrera (67), the 2009 Masters champ, who seems to rouse from a bear-like slumber in the majors.
Day also did not exactly quake at the knowledge that golf’s ultimate predator was – at the start, anyway -- breathing down his neck.
“I knew that Tiger Woods was behind me,” Day said. “Obviously it was close. I can’t control what he does. I can only control – well, kind of control – what I do.”
There was a burst of levity at that remark. Previously, such casual behavior would have brought the Red Queen up and snarling, “Off with his head!” Now it was just a time to be jovial.
Said Tiger Woods, in summation: “It is what it is.”
What it is, is a standard answer.
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