Why Golf will Continue To Thrive With or Without Tiger Woods

How can the PGA Tour continue to thrive without Tiger Woods in the mix?

That’s simple.

Just keep on producing golf tournaments like the ones we’ve witnessed over the past five weeks.

One of the main reasons why golf fans are so fixated on Woods is because he consistently produces a level of excitement that far exceeds anything we’ve seen in recent years.    

Woods always seems to pop up in the most pressure-packed situations, and nine times out of 10 he comes out on top, and he does so in dramatic fashion.

However, most golf fans are not nearly as interested in Woods the man as they are in the excitement and theatre he provides. 

Excitement is what we’re ultimately after when we turn on the television to watch a sporting event, and until recently, Woods was just about the only guy on the PGA Tour providing any kind of excitement.

But that has changed, and can continue to change as we move forward.

Part of the reason why Woods was so sorely missed at the start of the 2010 season was because the PGA Tour was consumed with talk of 20-year-old sand wedges, guys accusing each other of cheating, and layups becoming a common Sunday afternoon occurrence.

There was a complete lack of excitement on the PGA Tour between January and April, which was precisely why everyone was itching for Woods to get back out there and at least give us something interesting to talk about.

But Woods does not have a patent on excitement when it comes to the game of golf.

Excitement in golf does not have to come from one man.  As we have seen over the past five weeks, excitement can come from feel-good stories, honorable acts, tremendous rounds of golf, and close finishes.

Let’s be honest; although there are a number of extremely talented young players in the game today, there is not another Tiger Woods out there, and there might not be for quite some time.

If you need another Tiger Woods to enjoy the game of golf, well, then you probably weren’t a real golf fan to begin with.

If Rory McIlroy’s final round 62 at the Quail Hollow Championship was not exciting to you, well, then you might want to think about cancelling your subscription to the Golf Channel.

If Phil Mickelson’s weekend performance at Augusta National didn’t grab your attention, well, perhaps you shouldn’t waste your weekends watching any sport, let alone golf.

If you didn’t immediately sit your kids down and use Brian Davis’ decision to call a penalty on himself during a sudden death playoff with Jim Furyk as life lesson, well, then don’t be surprised when your kids curse referees and pout every time they foul someone on the basketball court.

Golf has not only survived, but it has thrived and expanded for hundreds of years not because of one man, but because of acts such as Brian Davis calling a penalty on himself, Phil Mickelson erasing a five-stroke deficit in less than 45 minutes at the Masters, Tim Clark sinking the type of putt on the 72nd hole of the Players Championship that he’s been unable to sink for his entire career, and Rory McIlroy shattering the course record at Quail Hollow to come from behind and win by four strokes.

One day Woods will leave the game of golf.  It may happen in a year, five years, or 10 years, and with him he may take the casual golf fans that only tuned in on Sunday afternoon when Woods was in contention, and that’s perfectly fine.

Casual golf fans have never been the engine driving the game of golf.

Believe it or not, Woods is not the first great player to have come along, and he certainly won't be the last.

The game of golf has been attracting fans for hundreds of years, and the past five weeks have just been a reminder as to why we enjoyed golf before Woods, and why we will continue to enjoy the game long after Woods is gone.

For more PGA Tour news, insight and analysis, check out The Tour Report.