The Clarion Online

Issue date: 6/4/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Zach Knutsen and Beto Alvarez Graphic shows how golfer Tiger Woods' left knee will be surgically repaired. Philadelphia Inquirer 2008

The career of the world's greatest golfer now hinges on the world's greatest left-knee rehab. For Tiger Woods to regain his torrid pace toward Jack Nicklaus' record 18 major championships, he must recover smoothly from surgery on his torn anterior cruciate ligament that will sideline him for the rest of 2008. Woods is thinking about his career's long-term success, but in the meantime the golf world will lose the benefits of having the world's most compelling athlete.

LEGACY

Now that everyone knows Woods played 91 holes of U.S. Open golf on a torn anterior cruciate ligament and actually won, his street credibility goes through the roof. The performance is now cemented as one of the best injury comebacks of all time, rubbing shoulders with Willis Reed, Kirk Gibson and Jack Youngblood. It also becomes the defining moment in Woods' illustrious golf career _ unless he comes back from surgery and dominates the PGA Tour once again.

PLAYERS

The pride in most PGA Tour players shows that they'd rather beat Woods than win without him. Woods wins about 27 percent of his tournaments, so Tour players are accustomed to having a chance. "If you beat a field with Tiger in it, you've beat the best field out there," Tour player Kenny Perry said from this week's Travelers Championship. However, don't look for any of those players to give back the Claret Jug and Wanamaker Trophy that will be won later this year.

SPONSORS

All the sponsors that host events in which Woods typically plays are in place for 2008, but if Woods trims his schedule from 15 to 10 events a year in 2009 and beyond because of the knee, don't be surprised if a company backs out. Sponsor-generated purses have risen almost 400 percent since Woods arrived on the golf scene in 1996, meaning more advertising dollars and more tickets sold when Woods makes an appearance.

TV RATINGS

Based on last year's schedule, Woods would play eight more PGA Tour events this year. Expect those ratings to plummet tremendously. Woods heavily influenced the PGA Tour's $850-million TV deal from 2003-06, and the only U.S. Opens with an audience of 10-plus million viewers came when Woods won in 2002 and 2008. The core fans will stay, of course, but the casual fan will watch Seinfeld reruns instead. In short, the PGA Tour without Tiger will not be must-see TV.

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