Golf moves to Florida in the first ten days of March, for two of the most anticipated events of the season before the Masters: the Honda classic on the PGA National course in Palm Beach Garden and the WGC-Cadillac Championship on the Blu Monster at Doral in Miami. Three questions on the carpet: Will Rory McIlroy be able to go from number two to number one in the world? Will Tiger Woods make it back to the top of the charts? Will the Americans continue to gain ground on the Europeans, having already scored eight victories?
The marathon (72 holes for each of the two tournaments) begins today in Palm Beach, where players battle it out for $5,7 million in prize money (over $16 million for first place). The field boasts 18 holes out of 15 with water and the competition lights up from 17 to XNUMX, where there is the so-called "The Bear trap", the bear trap set up by the former champion Jack Nicklaus (called the 'Golden Bear) during a restyling of the course. After so much effort, the race can fall into that small triangle and the player ends up fatally trapped.
Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy takes to the field this morning at 7,30 local time (13,30pm in Italy) to snatch the scepter from England's Luke Donald. It's a feat that Rory could have achieved even last week, after qualifying for the final of the match play championship in Arizona. But Hunter Mahan, a XNUMX-year-old from California, blocked his way, beating him with a solid and balanced game. Rory was probably tired, because in the semifinals he had to fight with the number three in the world, the Englishman Lee Westwood. However, in Florida he can make up for it, especially since Donald is not in Palm Beach (while he will be in Miami) and therefore does not accumulate points since the European tour is stopped for a week.
The Irishman is once again the favorite, thanks to his powerful game, ease on the putt, resilience and that touch of arrogance that befits a twenty-year-old champion. The opponents are respectable, even if some big names like Phil Mickelson or Adam Scott are missing. At the start Rory will immediately have to deal with Keegan Bradley, 25 years old, like him winner of a Major in 2011. A bad client, because Bradley is very determined and capable of entering a competitive trance and putting his opponents in check. It's true that it's not a match play competition and in Palm Beach what counts is everyone's score, but playing with someone very good obviously creates more tension.
The Italian public won't see Rory's holes, because the live broadcast on Sky starts at 21pm. However, they will be able to enjoy another fabulous start: that of Tiger Woods, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter, at the first tee at 12.30. It's a new test for all three of these great players. Tiger is participating in the Honda Classic for the first time, as his only previous one is at 17 as an amateur. At the end of the year Tiger's star shined again with victory at the Challenge Chevron World, but the start of the season has already inflicted new lessons in humility on the greatest player of all time. The first in Dubai, where he didn't win despite starting in the lead in the fourth round, outclassed by Robert Rock, the second and certainly more burning with Phil Mickelson who prevailed in Pebble Beach, taking 11 shots out of 18 holes from Tiger.
A caporetto that perhaps led Tiger to do three races in a row, including the Honda Classic. A kind of record for the even more sponsored and richer golfer who brings in money, since his participation has sent ticket presales soaring. The bookmakers still believe in Tiger and put him as a favorite, just behind McIlroy and tied with number three Westwood. The tiger's problems are no longer long game, but putt. Tiger doesn't seem to hold the tension like he used to and his conviction fades when the hole is closer than 3 meters. To solve his putting problems, it seems that he got some advice from his friend and great golfer Steve Stricker, at the end of the WGC-Accenture Match Play, where he was sent home by Nick Watney. Starting tonight we'll see if these tips have worked, great golf still needs Tiger and fans and TV audiences around the world want to see him on the course.
Westwood can't jump to first place in the world rankings on this occasion, but he will certainly want to make up for it after the disappointing performance in the semifinal and in the match play competition for third and fourth place. Ian Poulter hasn't hit any good shots for some time and has a personal account opened with Tiger Woods so seeing them play together will be very interesting.
Palm Beach will be a sort of training ground for Miami, where the audience of players will be even richer. The old Blu Monster is ready for the challenge and soon he may never be the same again. Doral Golf Resort & Spa was bought in recent days by Donald Trump for 150 million dollars (excluding the White Greg Norman) and it seems that the entrepreneur has decided to entrust the restyling of the courses to golf designer Gil Hanse. Even large fields are aging and above all suffering from the crisis: Doral had been paid a good 501 million dollars in 2007 by a subsidiary of Morgan Stanley and was now going bankrupt.
However, for fans of this sport there are ten magnificent days ahead. Sky subscribers will be able to enjoy the show from home, because TV will broadcast both. It is certainly a welcome return for many subscribers, who have not been on the American tour for several years. In 2012, however, golf will have ample space: 14 tournaments on the US tour in addition to the 4 majors and 30 on the European tour. Unfortunately, the voice of Mario Shirt is missing, a pioneer television journalist of this sport who passed away in recent months. The baton was taken up by the good Silvio Grappasonni, flanked by Nicola Pomponi and Roberto Zappa.
