Two former world number ones, Adam Scott and Tiger Woods, are in urgent need of an adrenalin boost.
Scott has fallen out of the top 10 just 10 months since becoming Australia’s second golfer to reach the pinnacle after Greg Norman.
Woods has slipped from an all-time high ranking 125 last week to an even worse 133.
Their problems are best shown by their cards at the Players Championship last week on the demanding TPC Sawgrass course.
Woods had to sink a curling nine footer at the 36th hole to make the cut right on the number, before finishing at three-over for the 72 holes in a tie for 69.
Scott was six shots better at three-under in a tie for 38th, but both of them compared well with eventual winner Rickie Fowler on the birdie count.
Fowler fired in 21 birdies and an eagle in regulation with two doubles and seven bogeys for his 12-under.
Scott carded 19 birdies, but three doubles and 10 bogeys killed his chances. Much the same story with Woods’ 18 birdies – a triple, four doubles, and 10 bogeys were his undoing.
So how serious are Scott and Woods at the moment?
Recently married with a young daughter Bo Vera, Scott isn’t playing often enough to compete at this level, but at 34 he has time on his side to get back in the tournament groove. Meanwhile Woods keeps coming up with excuse after excuse as to why he’s but a shadow of his former self.
In his heyday, every time Woods teed up the rest of the field genuinely felt they were playing for second money. Not any more, nobody gives a rats whether Woods is playing or not, the fear factor has long gone.
Woods’ 14 majors will be it. He will never reach Jack Nicklaus’ record 18 majors, nor will his 79 USPGA tournaments wins reach Sammy Snead’s record 82. The Woods train has stopped at the station.
Not so for Fowler, whose magnificent win at Sawgrass earns him a top-10 spot. There is also promotion for Sergio Garcia and journeyman Kevin Kisner, both of whom Fowler beat in the play-off.
Garcia moves from 10th to seventh, Kisner even grander from 123rd to 66th – the biggest mover of the week.
Other substantial moves were made by three golfers with immense talent. Leftie Brian Harman went from 100 to 84, South African Geoff Coetzee from 81 to 63, and the brightest of the three Ben Martin from 66 to 57.
The top 10 last week, and this week:
(1) Rory McIlroy 12.62 – McIlroy 12.69
(2) Jordan Spieth 9.05 – Spieth 8.96
(3) Henrik Stenson 7.25 – Stenson 7.21
(4) Bubba Watson 7.15 – Watson 7.09
(5) Jim Furyk 6.98 – Furyk 6.90
(6) Justin Rose 6.43 – Rose 6.32
(7) Jason Day 6.37 – Sergio Garcia 6.31
(8) Dustin Johnston 6.05 – Day 6.26
(9) Adam Scott 5.68 – Rickie Fowler 6.13
(10) Sergio Garcia 5.58 – Johnston 5.98
The Australians, apart from Day and Scott (11), John Senden 48, Marc Leishman 57, Matt Jones 65, Scott Hend 102, Geoff Ogilvy 110, Wade Ormsby 152, Marcus Fraser 166, Richard Green 175, Stuart Appleby 181, Greg Chalmers 196, Rod Pampling 249, Aaron Baddeley 266, Robert Allenby 319, Terry Pilkadaris 381, Steve Allan 414, Matthew Goggin 437, Scott Gardiner 625, Nathan Green 730, and Jarrod Lyle 924.
Notables who have lost their way for the moment – Ernie Els 86, Angel Cabrera 99, KJ Choi 147, Retief Goosen 201, VJ Singh 221, Justin Leonard 481, Davis Love 111 509, Kenny Perry 597, Trevor Immelman 626, Bernhard Langer 673, Jose Maria Olazabal 698, John Daly 715, Freddie Couples 889, Colin Montgomerie 974, and the legendary Tom Watson 994.
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