I would argue that Tiger’s enforced absence (the rehabilitation of the knee has begun – could the superman of world sport return quicker than we expected?) represents an opportunity for the rest of the field. An opportunity to win a devalued major? Possibly, but hey, I’d take a major if the rest of the field were playing with one leg, one arm and a blindfold. Bet a lot of us would.

A glance down the top tens at The Masters and The US Open throws up three unlikely names as the form players in this years majors (after Woods is removed from the equation): Miguel Angel Jiminez, Robert Karlsson and Brandt Snedeker.

Those three have posted two top ten finishes each in this years majors. They’ve shown consistency in the toughest arenas. Theoretically the next two majors are golden opportunities for that disparate triumvirate.

But my guess is they won’t be hogging the limelight in the run up to Birkdale this year. And this is where my cod psychology thesis comes in: step forward Philip Alfred Mickelson. The world number two is a whole lot of ranking points and a whole lot of majors behind Tiger.

But with no Tiger what can we expect from Phil? I would argue that this is Phil’s great opportunity, his last opportunity, to put a dent in Tiger’s armour.

Let’s imagine this summer: an inspired Mickleson takes his first Open and his second USPGA. He’s now won five majors. At the Ryder Cup, free from his nemesis, he becomes the talisman of a victorious US team that reignites the event as a contest.

Then Tiger returns, ring rusty and missing the home comforts that he has become used to. Mickleson, still revelling in the momentum of his Tiger free winning spree, is free of the inferiority complex that has damaged his challenge. He squares up to the Tiger. He beats him. It’s game on and Tiger no longer has everything his own way.

Suddenly Mickleson would be a real challenger to Tiger’s greatness. Tiger would have to raise his game. The two greatest golfers in the world, sparking off each other, feeding off each other’s exploits. Woods as golf’s Roger Federer. Mickelson, reinvigorated, as the Rafael Nadal of the links. Woods with the competition his genius deserves, Mickelson with the claim to greatness he craves, golf with the top level rivalry it longs for.

Can it happen? It could. Much was made in the run up to the US Open that Torrey Pines was Mickelson’s home course. It must, then, have hurt him to see Tiger “Hopalong” Woods claim the title, the glory and the status of Superman.

What better way to show that he’s got over it than to come out fighting and take his first Open. And that might be all it takes. The rest of this year will see Barack Obama and John McCain fight it out to gain momentum. Momentum is as crucial in politics (“the big mo” I believe they call it) as it in sport. For Phil an Open victory might be the spark that presidential hopefuls spend millions trying to find.

And, for Mickelson, 2008 is different. If he can start the momentum at Birkdale there is no Tiger shaped obstacle in the way. The tiny snowball can be a bloody great boulder by the time Tiger returns. Woods on the backfoot, Mickelson driving forward. It’s a mouthwatering prospect.

And if Phil misses the boat this time? Then that’s it I’m afraid. Maybe a couple more big wins here and there. Warm applause and rueful shakes of the head. Appreciation of what he’s achieved, sorrow over what he’s failed to do. And then someone else will come along and Mickelson won’t be number two anymore. And Tiger will pretty much have the history books to himself.

Such is the lot of the only man to have won three consecutive Opens in the last century. He is not considered a true great because four of his wins came at a time when few Americans accepted the challenge of the British links.

Peter Thompson, however, was a great champion and he triumphed in an age of other great champions. And this year the Open rota returns to the scene of his first and last championship wins.

In 1954 Thompson won the first of his Opens at Royal Birkdale. It’s true that Ben Hogan didn’t turn up to defend his title. But Thompson held off the challenge of, amongst others, Bobby Locke to claim the Claret Jug. Locke was no slouch: he won the Open in 1949, 1950, 1952 and again in 1957.

Thompson, born in Melbourne on the eve of the Great Depression, found his true calling at the Open. In 1952 and 1953 he was second. He followed the Birkdale triumph with wins in 1955 and 1956. Then he “slumped” to second behind the imperious Locke in 1957 before winning again in 1958. A seven year stretch of finishing no worse than second. Not a bad record.

But he wasn’t playing the leading American. The currency of his domination was devalued. And it’s true that he didn’t find full time life on the PGA Tour to his liking. Although, in 1956, he did manage to finish ninth on the American money list. And he only played in nine tournaments.

In 1965, however, golf was changing. Gary Player had become the international golfer par excellence. Arnold Palmer had cultivated a transatlantic army and won back to back Opens in the early 1960’s. Tony Lema had won the 1965 Open. A chubby young guy called Jack Nicklaus was in the process of redefining the game.

Thompson, the man who dominated as American pro’s basked in splendid isolation, was ageing. He shouldn’t have had much of a chance against the new kids on the block. But he was back home at Birkdale. And not only did he have a chance, he wiped the floor with them to claim his fifth and final Open Championship.

The myth of the Australian who couldn’t beat the Yanks was put to bed. He didn’t just beat the Yanks he beat the very best of them.

Even without that victory it’s impossible to argue with his record. From 1951 to 1971 he finished outside the top ten on only three occasions and, in that period, never finished outside the top 25. As records in a major go that takes some beating.

It was his victories though that proved his brilliance and his mastery of the oldest championship of the lot. It is a record that only Harry Vardon has beaten and only JH Taylor, James Braid and Tom Watson have equalled. A pantheon of greatness that Thompson deserves to be bracketed in.

There will be more than a few Europeans who arrive at Birkdale this year with their eye on getting a chance to have a pop at the best America has to offer. They might like to remember the story of the unassuming Australian who proved that, when it comes to staking a claim for greatness, Birkdale is as good a place as any to start.

Just short of her 20th birthday, Park replaced Pak as the youngest winner, having first been introduced to the game by watching her older compatriot win the same tournament 10 years ago.

The nine-year-old Park was awoken by her screaming parents, who were celebrating Pak’s victory on television in Seoul. Only days later, she played golf for the first time, determined to one day emulate her idol.

And she did it in style, dominating the final 10 holes as she left second-placed Helen Afredsson far behind. She said in an AP article:

“When she (Pak) made a putt, they were screaming. So I really could not sleep. I didn’t know anything about golf back then, but I was watching her. It was very impressive for a little girl. I just thought that I could do it, too. Really, I can’t believe I just did this, especially with all these big names on the trophy that have been very, very successful with golf. Hopefully, I’ll put a couple of my names on there. It will be great.”

Two birdies and a par on the way back to the clubhouse was enough to silence the pack as Park closed with two-under-par 71 for a four-round total of nine-under 283.

She picked up a cheque for $585,000 as well as a soaking from her compatriots Jang Jeong and Kim In-kyung, who poured celebratory beer all over her. Park became the third player in the last six years to use this tournament for her debut victory on the LPGA Tour.

Tied for third, one stroke behind Alfredsson were Angela Park, Kim and Stacy Lewis, who was attempting to win a major tournament on her pro debut.

While Park was becoming the young women’s US open champion, Kenny Perry was flying the flag for forty-somethings on the PGA Tour when he won the Buick Open for the second time.

The 48-year-old shot a six-under-par 66 in the final round for a total of 19-under-par 270 and a one-stroke victory over Woody Austin and Bubba Watson.

The triumph is probably enough to confirm Perry’s place in the United States team to contest the Ryder Cup against Europe this year at Valhalla.

Austin blew his chance to win the tournament after finishing with two straight bogeys for a fourth round of 68. Watson narrowly missed a play-off chance when he failed to hole a 12-foot putt on the final green.

Bob Tway, Ken Duke and Matt Jones tied for third on 271.

Perry’s main concern this year is to make the Ryder Cup because it is being played at a course that is near his home. It was also where he lost the 1996 PGA Championship in a play-off to Mark Brooks. He said on the PGA Tour website:

“I just feel like I needed to go back there. I want to go back, end of my career; it’s the icing on the cake for me to be able to play at my age. I’ll be 48 when it comes, and just in front of my home folks, just something I wanted to do.”

On the European Tour, Spain’s Pablo Larrazabal held off a strong chasing pack to win the French Open at Le Golf National with a total of 15-under-par 269.

Larrazabal, whose footballing compatriots won the European Championship later that night in Austria, carded a final round of four-under 67 to finish four shots clear of former Order of Merit winner Colin Montgomerie.

Denmark’s Soren Hansen was third on 274 with Australian Richard Green a further two strokes back in fourth place.

Larrazabal, who was a caddie for his brother five years ago, had to come through two rounds of qualifying to play in the tournament and was an outsider given his ranking of 481. Even he was at a loss to explain his victory, as he said on the European Tour website:

“I promise you I don’t know what I did. I know that today I played great golf. Today and yesterday was probably the best golf of my life. I played great golf at the qualifying tournament as well. Montgomerie is probably one of the greatest players in the history of The European Tour. I feel great. Right now I know that I can play like those guys so this is amazing.”

RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“If you have time I have a question on the rules…

I was playing a fourball stableford competition yesterday, on the first green my playing partner discovered he had 15 clubs in his bag. I know in stroke play it would be a 2 stroke penalty, how is it applied in a stableford fourball?

The committee allowed my own score to stand on the first and did not deduct 2 points.”

RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“As your playing partner discovered that he was carrying 15 clubs during play of the first hole in stroke play he incurred a penalty of two strokes (Rule 4-4). If it was during play of the second, or any other hole, a maximum penalty of four strokes would have been incurred. Rule 31-6 confirms that in a four-ball stroke play competition the side is penalised for a breach of Rule 4.

For the way this is applied in a Stableford competition Note 1 to Rule 32-1b states,

Note 1: If a competitor is in breach of a Rule for which there is a maximum penalty per round, he must report the facts to the Committee before returning his score card; if he fails to do so, he is disqualified. The Committee will, from the total points scored for the round, deduct two points for each hole at which any breach occurred, with a maximum deduction per round of four points for each Rule breached.

Of course, once a player discovers that he started with 15 clubs he also has to declare which one he is taking out of play and if he subsequently uses this club during the round he is disqualified. If either player in a four-ball is disqualified under Rule 4 the penalty applies to his partner as well (Rule 31-7).”

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Disclaimer: Whilst every attempt has been made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of this information on the Rules of Golf I am human and have been known to be wrong! Neither I, nor anyone connected with GolfSwingSecretsRevealed.com, shall be held responsible for any losses caused by reliance upon the accuracy or reliability of such information. Readers should refer to the full text of the rules and decisions as published in the official publications of the R&A and the USGA, The Rules of Golf 2008-2011 and Decisions on the Rules of Golf 2008-2009.

The world number one was forced to have another operation only days after winning the US Open earlier this month, when his grueling 91 holes, including 19 holes of play-off golf against Rocco Mediate, aggravated his tender knee.

It was Woods’ first tournament after having an initial knee operation soon after April’s US Masters at Augusta, where he finished runner-up. His surgeon, Dr Thomas D. Rosenberg, said in an AP article:

“We were confident going into this surgery, and I am pleased with the results. There were no surprises during the procedure, and as we have said, with the proper rehabilitation and training, it is highly unlikely that Mr. Woods will have any long-term effects as it relates to his career.”

It was only after Woods won at Torrey Pines in San Diego, his 14th major title, that he revealed a double stress facture in his left tibia. This was in addition to the knee injury.

He then announced that he would miss the rest of the season, including the British Open and PGA Championship, in order to fully recover. Woods said:

“It was important to me to have the surgery as soon as possible so that I could begin the rehabilitation process. I am very appreciative of Dr. Rosenberg and Dr. Cooley and his staff’s guidance and look forward to working with them through the necessary rehabilitation and training. I look forward to working hard at my rehabilitation over the coming months and returning to the PGA Tour healthy next year.”

His absence from the British Open at Royal Birkdale means it is the first major he misses as a professional since he joined the pro ranks almost a dozen years ago. Woods’ first major title was the 1997 US Masters, which was also his debut major as a pro.

RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“You seem to be helping everybody out with your golf rulings, I learn something every time I log onto your sites, now can you help us out down here in Australia?

During a matchplay round in our pennants competition, one of the players [he has one of those drivers with the heel and toe weighting system] noticed that one of the securing screws had started to come loose, he automatically tightened it up, his opponent decided that he had altered the playing characteristics of the club, I don’t think he had, what would be the official ruling?”

RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Whilst there is no direct Decision relating to this situation my opinion is that, in equity, the player should not be penalised, providing there was no intention to change the playing characteristics of his club when tightening the screws.

I assume that the screws came loose during the normal course of play, in which case the player is entitled to repair it, or have it repaired, without unduly delaying play (Rule 4-3a).”

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Disclaimer: Whilst every attempt has been made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of this information on the Rules of Golf I am human and have been known to be wrong! Neither I, nor anyone connected with GolfSwingSecretsRevealed.com, shall be held responsible for any losses caused by reliance upon the accuracy or reliability of such information. Readers should refer to the full text of the rules and decisions as published in the official publications of the R&A and the USGA, The Rules of Golf 2008-2011 and Decisions on the Rules of Golf 2008-2009.

RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“How are you? I have a question regarding a rules decision. In our social club competion the winner was penalized 2 shots for testing the green.

What he did was to rub his dirt covered ball on the green to clean it (because the green was wet) just before he putted. Was this a valid penalty?”

RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“Decision 16-1d/5 deals with this circumstance;

Q. May a player clean his ball by rubbing it on the putting green?

A. Yes, provided the act is not for the purpose of testing the surface of the putting green. It is recommended that a ball be cleaned in other ways to eliminate any question as to the player’s intentions.

It would seem that your committee was wrong in penalising the player, unless they had some good reason to suspect that his intent was to test the surface of the green. There are many circumstances like this where a partial knowledge of the Rules leads to wrong decisions.

Others are, that knocking a leaf down in a practice swing, rolling a fellow competitor’s ball back across the green to him, or entering a clubhouse during a round, always incur a penalty. Not so.”

Visit here for more Rules of Golf questions.

Disclaimer: Whilst every attempt has been made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of this information on the Rules of Golf I am human and have been known to be wrong! Neither I, nor anyone connected with GolfSwingSecretsRevealed.com, shall be held responsible for any losses caused by reliance upon the accuracy or reliability of such information. Readers should refer to the full text of the rules and decisions as published in the official publications of the R&A and the USGA, The Rules of Golf 2008-2011 and Decisions on the Rules of Golf 2008-2009.

Cink shot a three-under-par 67 to finish at 18-under-par 262, a career best effort for him. It was also only the second time out of 10 tournaments in which he actually ended up winning after going into the final round in the lead.

He held a two-stroke overnight lead before prevailing by one over Tommy Armour III and defending champion Hunter Mahan at the venue where he had won his first career title as a rookie. Cink said in an AP article:

“I know there has been some talk that I have not been a closer. They had every right to say that, because I felt the same way myself. So I felt that I had something to prove to myself. Well I think the first thing is I can’t believe it was this long since the last one. You know, I feel like I’ve played well enough along the way to have won a couple but, you know, sometimes when you have to wait a little bit you have to go through a few extra trials, and it seems a little bit sweeter.”

However, he had to fight off some determined challenges from the two runners-up, who had threatened to take him to a play-off. At 48, Armour was aiming to become the oldest PGA Tour in 2008 but missed a 40-foot put on the 72nd hole that would have tied him with Cink.

Mahan also had a strong finish, shooting birdies on the final two holes but it wasn’t enough to dislodge the leader.

Armour and Mahan both had fourth rounds of 65 for their 263s with Heath Slocum a further stroke back after his closing 67 and three-time major champion Vijay Singh alone on fifth on 266 after a 68.

On the European Tour, Martin Kaymer broke a barren run for Germany by winning BMW International Open at Munich Eichenried, although he had to endure a torrid time before beating Denmark’s Anders Hansen in a play-off.

Kaymer almost suffered a choke of Norman-esque proportions when he squandered a six-shot overnight lead to come home in 75 for a total of 15-under-par 273.

That put him tied for the lead with Hansen, needing to birdie on the par-five 18th to force a play-off. Playing the 18th again, Kaymer hit a six-iron to within seven feet while Hansen’s hopes evaporated after he found two bunkers. Kaymer eventually two-putted for victory.

Kaymer, who had a triple-bogey eight on the 11th hole, was in tears at the victory ceremony, dedicating the triumph to his seriously ill mother. He said:

“It was very exciting today, but to be the first German to win this tournament is very special for me. It was a great support out there today, and I can’t wait to play next year. To win in my country is very special for me. I was leading after three days with six shots, and they were gone after six, seven holes already, and I just kept fighting and brought it home.”

A trio of Englishmen, John Bickerton, Paul Casey and Mark Foster, shared third place, two strokes behind the play-off men at 275.

The famous host asked Earl, in his son’s presence, if Tiger was bigger than the game. His answer was an emphatic “absolutely not!”

Indeed, we would all like to think that no athlete is ever bigger than his sport. It is the sport that makes an athlete, not the other way around.

Still, let’s give ourselves a test, to see how we really feel in our hearts. It is one thing saying “no-one’s bigger than the game” and another to actually believe it.

With Woods out of for the rest of the season because of the knee injury he aggravated en route to winning the US Open, plus other injuries, it means he will miss the year’s last two majors, the British Open at Royal Birkdale and the US PGA Championship.

The test is simple. You have to answer just one question, which is: Do you feel the last majors of the season have lessened in value because of Tiger’s absence?

There’s no need to shout out your answer, but consider what your honest feelings are. If you feel no, then you are true to the “no one’s bigger than the game” mantra. However, if you feel even a tinge of yes, well … surely not.

There has been much discussion in the media and web forums about the impact of Woods absence for the rest of the season. Most agree that golf is the loser.

Many sports fans tune into tournaments specifically to see Woods. If he doesn’t play, they don’t watch. When Tiger won his first major, the 1997 Masters, he was talked about as a messiah for the game.

It never happened. The number of golfers in the world didn’t suddenly boom because of him, according to some media reports.

The predictions were that more golfers of Tiger-esque strength and skills would follow him on to the courses. But the reality is that there is really no one who can touch him.

The person who has benefited most from the Tiger Woods phenomenon is Tiger Woods himself.

The PGA Tour, where he plays most of his golf, only really does well in the ratings when Woods is playing, which he does selectively and, for the rest of 2008, not at all.

We now have to wait until April next year, a whole 10 months, before we might see him attempt to add to the 14 majors he has already won.

Whoever wins this year’s Open will have a tough time. Every journalist will be itching to ask the question: “Is your victory devalued by Tiger’s absence?”

In the meantime, we have Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott, Vijay Singh, Ernie Els and a host of others who will vie for honours and try to carry interest in the game.

This means he will miss the final two majors of the year, the British Open at Royal Birkdale and the PGA Championship.

Woods said he had sustained a double stress fracture of his left tibia during his preparations for a return to the PGA Tour. The injury meant he could not play in the Memorial tournament and it was this ailment that caused him to wince in pain after many tee-shots at the Torrey Pines course in San Diego last week.

Woods played the US Open against doctors’ orders after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on April 15, just days after finishing second at the US Masters in Augusta, Georgia.

He teed off at Torrey Pines last Thursday in his first start since recovering from the operation and without even walking 18 holes.

To add to the toll on his knee, he was involved in a gruelling play-off with fellow American Rocco Mediate on Monday, eventually winning his 14th major title on the 91st hole.

He was quoted in an AP news bulletin as saying it was time for him to obey his doctors so that he doesn’t cause any more damage to the fragile knee. He said:

“Now, it is clear that the right thing to do is to listen to my doctors, follow through with this surgery and focus my attention on rehabilitating my knee.”

If he holds true to his word, it means he will miss a major tournament for the first time in his career, going back to the 1997 Masters. He is also forced to withdraw from the US Ryder Cup team for their match against Europe in September.

Woods’ standing as world number has been due in no small part to his ability to psyche out his opponents. But that didn’t seem to work against the 45-year-old Mediate, a veteran on the PGA Tour but a mere pup when it comes to slugging it out with the best on golf’s premier stage.

In fact, it was Mediate, bubbling in his ever-present smile, loose limbs and distinctive shot routine with club held high above his head with both arms, who seemed to be winning the mental game.

Tiger appeared to be sailing at the 10th when he took a three-stroke play-off lead but with three holes remaining, Mediate had turned the tables and led by one.

In the end, Tiger decided to go back to basics and just do the simple things well. And one of the simplest tasks on a golf course for him is to birdie a par-five. That’s what he did on the 90th hole to force Mediate into double overtime, this time sudden death.

And on the 91st hole, Mediate’s magic finally deserted him as Tiger tapped in for par and watched his opponent miss the putt that would have extended the contest yet again.

Woods had won his 14th major title and probably his hardest victory ever, stretching over five days, 91 holes, a painful left knee and a worthy opponent.

Thousands of San Diego golf fans flocked to the Torrey Pines club to witness the Monday play-off of the US Open, which unlike other majors is decided over 18 holes.

And the two golfers certainly didn’t disappoint them. While no one really brought their A game, it was great drama nevertheless. After Woods finally won, he dropped his game face and the emotions of the week appeared to overcome him as he carried his young daughter and remembered his father Earl, who died two years ago.

When the dust settled, the status of Woods as a modern sporting icon became clear. His 14th major edged him closer to the record of 18 currently held by Jack Nicklaus. It was his third US Open triumph and, given the circumstances, was his best major win, as he said in a Yahoo! article:

“I think this is the best. This week had a lot of doubt to it, to be honest with you. I need to take a little bit of a break. It’s been sore a while.”

Woods went into the tournament without any proper preparation having undergone knee surgery just days after finishing second at April’s US Masters. He was clearly in pain on Saturday, and despite taking medication, was often wincing in pain after big tee-shots on Sunday and Monday.

He said in an interview afterwards that he was glad the tournament is over and that he would be taking a break to help his knee fully recover.

For Mediate, the greatest few days of his career are now past him. Despite the disappointment that surely must have gripped him at the end, he kept smiling and vowed to treasure the day.

Just one year ago, Mediate was thinking about retiring because of a bad back. Now, he has gone from 158 in the world back into the top 50. He said:

“It was unbelievable. Yeah, this is huge for me. It just showed me that I still can compete and I want to keep competing. I never quit. I never quit, and I’ve been beaten down a few times. I got what I wanted. I got a chance to beat the best man in the world, and I came up just a touch short. But I think I had him a little scared once, which was great. He just said ‘Great fight!’ to me and that makes it a little better, I think.”

Woods also paid tribute to Mediate and said he had never once thought he had the play-off wrapped up because he knew of his opponent’s tenacity. Said Woods:

“I already knew that about Rocco. He’s not only one of the nicest guys, but people don’t realize how much of a competitor he is. He reminds me a lot of (Lee) Trevino how he plays: just talking and enjoying it and smiling and having a great time with it. But when it comes down to it, when it’s time to hit the shot, he goes into his own little world. People don’t realize that. After he does hit the shot he comes out and goes, ‘Blah, blah, blah, having a good time.’ But right before each shot he gets into his own little zone. And it’s pretty cool to see.”

For much of Sunday’s fourth round of the US Open at Torrey Pines, Mediate was actually slightly better than Woods. And far from not wanting to be, he seemed to be enjoying it very much.

But then again, not many people get to be better than Tiger for long. And on the final putt of the 72 holes of regulation, Woods got even.

After a round wary of a dodgy left knee and sometimes wincing after a big swing, Woods sunk a masterful 12-foot birdie on the 18th that gave him a 73 for the round. But more importantly, it gave him a one-under 283 for the tournament and another life.

Woods, playing for the first time since knee surgery two months ago, and Mediate, who closed with an even-par 71, will face each other in an 18-hole play-off on Monday to decide the 2008 US Open champion.

The 45-year-old PGA Tour veteran Mediate had threatened to do what no other golfer had ever done before, reel in Woods in a major. Tiger had a one-stroke overnight lead, having never given up a final-round advantage in a major before.

Going into the 72nd hole, that record was under pressure. But after two ordinary shots that saw him 100 yards from the hole and in some rough, Woods flied out to 12 feet and then sank the putt as Mediate watched nervously from the clubhouse.

“Unbelievable. I knew he would make it,” Mediate said as soon as Woods started his double fist-pumping celebrations.

England’s Lee Westwood, meanwhile, saw his play-off chances disappear on the final hole when he missed a 15-foot birdie putt that would have extended his playing time as well.

Instead, Torrey Pines welcomes back only Woods and Mediate on Monday, two endearing yet contrasting characters on the Tour.

Mediate has never won a major in his career and his laid back, talkative, smiling persona was a great foil for Tiger’s intense approach to the game. It certainly made for intriguing television that went beyond just golfing skills.

As he nursed his one-stroke lead down the stretch, Mediate would be talking to the TV crew, responding to gallery wisecracks and enjoying the moment as if he was a care-free rookie.

Even in the clubhouse, while watching Tiger, he was amenable to an interview, talking about his feelings during the last few holes.

Woods, however, was a study of concentration. He was serious, measured and focused. None of it seemed to help him, golf-wise, until that final putt. Fans are normally used to seeing Woods enact his traditional single-handed fist pump when he wins a major.

This time it was a screaming, double-handed celebration. And that was only to get into the play-off. What’s is he going to do if he wins it, for his 14th major title?

Well, first he has to overcome Mediate, who showed that he has lost none of his admiration for Woods, even as he takes him on as an equal in the play-off. Of his expectations on Monday, Mediate said in an AP article:

“Battle royale. The thing that is most amazing is the man I’m going to play tomorrow has won 13 of these. It’s amazing how much it takes. I gave all I had today and I can’t complain.”

Mediate may still feel he is not as good as Tiger, or never will be. But he still has the chance, for even a moment, to prove himself wrong.

RULES OF GOLF QUESTION:

“Please can take a look at this YouTube clip of Tiger Woods at the 2007 US Masters and explain the reason why this didn’t count as a stroke?”

RULES OF GOLF ANSWER:

“As Tiger was distracted during his downswing on the teeing ground, he successfully aborted his stroke and there was no intention to move his ball.

They key point to understand is the wording relating to “the intention of striking” in the official Definition of Stroke stated below:

A “stroke” is the forward movement of the club made with the intention of striking at and moving the ball, but if a player checks his downswing voluntarily before the clubhead reaches the ball he has not made a stroke.”

Visit here for more Rules of Golf questions.

Disclaimer: Whilst every attempt has been made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of this information on the Rules of Golf I am human and have been known to be wrong! Neither I, nor anyone connected with GolfSwingSecretsRevealed.com, shall be held responsible for any losses caused by reliance upon the accuracy or reliability of such information. Readers should refer to the full text of the rules and decisions as published in the official publications of the R&A and the USGA, The Rules of Golf 2008-2011 and Decisions on the Rules of Golf 2008-2009.

Scottish golfers won 12 of the first 16 US Opens and Willie McFarlane added another in 1925. Perhaps Scotland’s most famous export in those early days, however, was Tommy Armour.

Armour’s US Open victory in 1927, coupled with his 1930 USPGA and 1931 Open wins, provided, if not the full stop, then certainly a very heavy comma on Scotland’s pretensions as a dominant nation in the game.

When Tommy Armour’s major winning days ended the Scottish nation looked around and the home of golf suddenly found that the game itself had flown the nest.

Armour, known as the Silver Scot, actually took American citizenship but he was born in Edinburgh. He went on to receive his education at Edinburgh’s Fettes College, alma mater of both the fictional James Bond and the very real Tony Blair, before being accepted at Edinburgh University.

The outbreak of the Great War was both an opportunity and a trauma for Armour. Rising through the posts of the Tanks Corp he was promoted from a rank and file private to a staff major. Dashing, gallant and handsome, Armour’s bravery won him an audience with the King.

But a mustard gas explosion left him blind in one eye and metal plates were inserted into his head and left arm. During a long convalescence he regained his sight and began playing golf. By 1920 he was proficient enough to win the French Amateur Championship and the cache of that title persuaded him he could make a name for himself in America.

Finding favour with the dominant professional golfer of the time, Walter Hagan (who he met on the trip across the Atlantic), Tommy Armour quickly found employment at the Westchester-Biltmore Club in North Carolina. In 1924 he joined Hagan as a professional golfer. Like the charming, incorrigible Sir Walt, Armour made a good living as a teaching professional and combined that with playing on the burgeoning professional tour.

That 1927 Major breakthrough, in a play off against Harry Cooper at Oakmont, proved Armour’s skill although his prowess, especially his 1930 USPGA win, was often overshadowed by the exploits of, amongst others his mentor Hagen and the incomparable Bobby Jones.

The fickleness of golf is, perhaps, most strikingly illustrated by Armour’s experience in the 1927 Shawnee Open. Crowned US Open champion just one week before Armour carded the first ever recorded “Archaeopteryx.” Or, in simple terms, he took an 18 over par 23 on a par five.

In 1935 Armour retired from major competition, although he proved a formiddable fundraising draw on exhibition tours during the Second World War, and taught golf at Florida’s Boca Raton Club. Charging $50 a lesson Armour saw celebrities and professionals queue up to be appraised by his keen eye.

In 1952 Armour produced another lasting gift for golf when wrote How to Play Your Best Golf – an instructional classic that is still read, enjoyed and lived by today. Less endearingly he also gave birth to the term the “yips” stating bluntly “once you’ve had ‘em, you’ve got ‘em.”

Armour summed up the professional golfers life:

“It is not solely the capacity to make great shots that makes champions, but the essential quality of making very few bad shots.”

And the writer Ross Goodner summed up the qualities that made him famous:

“At one time or another, he was known as the greatest iron player, the greatest raconteur, the greatest drinker and the greatest and most expensive teacher in golf.”

After a long and lucrative retirement Tommy Armour died in 1968. Shared by both Scotland and America he summed up the pioneering spirit of those early professionals and, through his writing, shared his love of golf throughout the world.

The last time Woods came off a long break was when his father and the most influential figure in his life, Earl, died. He failed to make the cut at the US Open in 2006, the first time in his career he was not involved during the weekend of a major tournament.

However, there are no comparisons between that break and this one. This time, it was merely arthroscopic surgery. And the last time he recovered from a similar operation, he won. And that was at Torrey Pines, the venue for this week’s US Open.

So, the only thing that Woods really has to worry about is rustiness. He pretty much knows the course, having won the Buick Invitational six times at the same venue, including the last four. There is really no need for him to stroll through the 18 holes either. He knows it well enough. Woods said in a Boston Herald article:

“I always like playing here. I played in the Junior World from 15 to 17. Even though the golf course was renovated and changed, I still like the sightlines. Don’t have a problem reading the greens. For some reason I felt very comfortable. I feel very good about my preparation. Just really looking forward to getting out there. It’s just a matter of playing, getting into the flow of the round and rhythm and the competitive atmosphere.”

While his missed cut at Winged Foot two years ago was because of the emotional stress he suffered from losing his father, his most recent break was physical and far easier to handle. He admitted that he struggled to cope in his first tournament back after his dad had passed away.

“You can’t compare the two. They’re two totally different places. When my dad passed, coming back and playing was a lot more difficult than I thought. If I take time off and come back, I always work on my fundamentals. Well, who taught me my fundamentals? It was dad. What I had to go through and my preparation for tournaments, my dad taught me all those things. Overcoming and getting out and practicing, I didn’t want to do that because I’d always think about him. That was my hardest thing.”

Even though it was an emotional rollercoaster for Woods the year Earl left him, he did go on to win the British Open and PGA Championship. However he performs this week at Torrey Pines, it will be good to have him back. Golf is not the same without Tiger.