Life's not a beach for Tiger

Forgive me if I’m a bit cranky this morning.

I’m adjusting to the fact that it is, after all, winter. Guess I got spoiled by all those 50-degree days. Walking out into that frigid wind yesterday afternoon, and again this morning, reminded me that it is February, after all.

Something else yesterday reminded me that it’s dead in the middle of February.

No, not the fact that tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. Yesterday was the ATT National Pro-Am at Pebble Beach. It's one of my favorite golf tournaments of the year. It's worth it just for the scenery. But I was looking forward to yesterday for another reason, My man Tiger was back on the prowl.

Pebble Beach is on my bucket list. Sure I’d love to play it. But I’d settle for just seeing it. Walking the fairways. Strolling down and traipsing along the beach.

The weather wasn’t even all that nice this year, but the place still looks spectacular.

I’ve always wanted to rent a little two-seater convertible and drive the coastline out there.

But something else was bothering me yesterday.

My guy let me down again. I had gone on record with some golfing buddies on Thursday that Tiger Woods was going to win Pebble Beach. And for three days, it looked like he might do just that.

But a funny thing happened on Sunday.

Again.

The guy in the red shirt, the guy who used to own Sunday, the guy who used to beat most guys just by walking onto the first tee, went into reverse again.

Woods was in good position going into Sunday's final round, in second place just a few shots off the lead.

But he – and everyone else – got smoked by Phil Mickelson, who shot six under to win the tournament.

Tiger couldn’t make anything, wound up shooting 2 over and wound up 15th on the leaderboard.

I still think Tiger Woods, who now has not won on the PGA Tour for more than two years, will win this year. It might even be at the Masters.

But I don’t think he will ever again approach being the dominant golfer who the closest thing to a sure bet that the sports world has ever known.

Now he’s just a good golfer. In a tour jam-packed with good golfers.

At least for me, the game’s not nearly as much fun this way.

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