Tiger Woods Surge Atop Pebble Beach Leaderboard Makes Him Relevant Again

Tiger Woods' consistent contention in Dubai and now at Pebble Beach, proves it's almost time to fear him again. Woods' consistent high to mid 60s scores in his last two tournaments have placed him in the hunt on the final day. Tiger finished third in Dubai in January, and he was a factor on day four of the tournament.

That is exactly what he is at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Tiger’s short game has been much closer to the level we’d come to expect from him. Through two holes on Sunday, Tiger had 16 birdies, a tournament high, and he was averaging 1.8 putts per greens in reach. 

This tournament is especially big for Tiger’s resurgence because it takes place in the states. It is important for Tiger to play well on American soil if he is to regain his relevance in the eyes of American golf fans. Tiger’s performance in Dubai was a nice step in his process toward relevance, but it won’t be as big as a top three finish at Pebble Beach.

The tournaments that take place overseas often aren’t on television at an hour that will allow for a huge American audience. So, Tiger’s potential triumphs aren’t seen first hand by the masses in America.

There is nothing like watching Tiger in the hunt, on the final day; ESPN replays just don’t do it justice.

Also, this is Pebble Beach.  It’s one of the most historic courses in the world; playing well on this course makes a huge statement. The purse for this tournament is a respectable $1,152,000 for the winner, still the prestige supersedes the purse, especially for Tiger.

Finally, the field has some impressive names. Among Tiger’s competition in this tournament is Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh and Dustin Johnson. On the final day, through two holes, Woods is only two shots behind leader Charlie Wi.

If he catches Wi and holds off the other contenders, he will be well on his way to being penciled in as a favorite to win the Masters in April.

I am happy to see Tiger getting his game back to an elite level, but this tournament is a big step for him. He must finish in the top three to sustain the momentum he began in Dubai.