Tiger Woods boasts 680 weeks as world number one, including this one, and his absence from the scene weighs a ton on the golf world. According to Josh Sens (www.golf.com) the lost earnings, without Tiger, could be around 15 billion dollars, that is 25-30% of the total turnover that revolves around this sport, valued at 68 billion a year. This would be the loss of volumes in the various sectors, from advertising to tourism, if the champion does not return to the field. It is a calculation made off the cuff, very approximate, supported however by the collapse of the TV ratings of the Masters, never so low in twenty years. The equation would be "no Tiger, no business", at least in the first phase of adjustment.
But how long will the champion's convalescence really last after back surgery? There have been no updates on this point since Tiger himself announced the news on his website on April XNUMX last year. On that occasion, his collaborators wrote: “Woods will begin intensive rehabilitation and soft tissue treatment within a week. Healing and recovery times vary for each individual based on many physiological factors, but Woods could start chipping and putting, after evaluation by his doctors, in three weeks. Tiger's goal is to resume business this summer." As of today three weeks have passed and it is hoped that our hero is already hitting the putting green and hitting some small practice shots. The chances that he will be able to return to the field for The Players Championship, the so-called fifth major, from May 8 to 11, to defend the title won last year, are practically zero. There are also very few chances to see him at the US Open (second round of the Grand Slam), scheduled from 12 to 15 June, although Tiger, at the box office, still remains the most popular. A flame of hope lights up looking at the date of the British Open, July 17-20, when about 4 months will have passed since the surgery. According to Graham DeLaet, a Canadian golfer who underwent the same operation as Tiger years ago, however, a few months are wishful thinking and you need to calculate at least a year of rest, a slow recovery so as not to compromise a delicate post-operative situation. For others, however, Woods will certainly be ready for the third Major (the British, in fact) and we will also find him on the field for the Ryder Cup at the end of September. How will it end? We don't know, however it goes we have to face this phase of the "championship" without the champion. Those who aspire to the position of number one in the world should take advantage of this, just to spice up the games a bit. But not everyone wants it. Australian Adam Scott, world number two, rests again this week, perhaps disappointed by his performance at the Masters, where he was defending champion. Henrik Stenson, on the other hand, number three in the standings, tries hard and takes part in the Volvo China Open, underway from today to Sunday at the Genzon Golf Club in Shenzhen. Unfortunately, Stenson also starts off a bit "crippled", as he is back from a bad flu and remained in bed until this morning. From the amazing victories of last season he hasn't shown anything good yet, he could succeed in these days if, together with the defenses, he has also lost some performance anxiety. The field of the race was excellent, including Ian Pulter, Jason Dufner and the brothers Francesco and Edoardo Molinari. Unfortunately we won't see it in Italy, because Sky, also due to the time zone, has opted for the North American circuit this week. The Pga Tour is in New Orleans, for the Zurich Classic, where important players such as Justine Rose, Rickie Fowler, Ernie Els will compete.
Finally, two updates on last weekend's results: Englishman Lee Westwood returns to victory after two years of fasting, dominating the Malaysian tournament; while Matt Kuchar conquers the Hilton Head trophy, overtaking Luke Donald by a whisker with a spectacular pocket from the bunker at 18. Thanks to this success Kuchar climbs several positions in the ranking and becomes number five in the world.
