The 2008 PGA Championship: No Tiger? No Problem!

They came from Louisiana, Mississippi, Michigan, and Missouri. They cheered, they squealed, they urged their man to victory, they even carried little hand-made signs. They were fervent, passionate, and knowledgeable.

Who were they rooting for? Ben Curtis. How much did they love him? Enough to make a sign to proudly identify themselves to other fans and their man that they were “Ben’s Brigade.”

Meanwhile a gaggle of giggling girls laughed nervously behind their hands, shouted loudly as one, and squealed with delight as Aaron Baddeley walked by. You’d have thought they had just gotten tickets to a Dave Matthews concert at Red Rocks.

As Phil Mickelson rolled in his third consecutive birdie early in the final round of the 2008 PGA Championship, the crowd roared it’s approval. A couple of eager young children shouted, “Go Dill Pickleson!” The gallery laughed appreciatively.

As Camilo Villegas did his Spiderman act at the eighteenth green, the fans went into delirium. Then the intensity increased as he rolled in the putt, pumped his fist, and tipped his cap to the gallery.

Young and old, journalists and fans, casual fan and ardent golfer alike, the sentiment ran wild throughout Oakland Hills: No Tiger? No problem!

Impossible? Unthinkable? Blasphemy? Guess again. Although Woods is undoubtedly the TOUR’s rock star and top draw, there are plenty of fascinating stories, plenty of sublimely talented players, and plenty of great role models for our golf heroes come Sundays, and the fans have spoken: we want to see more of them.

There’s plenty that the PGA and golf in general can be proud of and market. Both the TOUR and the networks do the game a disservice by making the game about one man. Yes, he brings in a little more money. But the PGA TOUR was flush with cash long before Woods. And with careful, thoughtful stewardship, the money will continue to roll in after Woods sails off into the sunset in a yacht called Privacy.

When that happens, golf will not die, linger on life support, or even lose stature simply because one great player hangs up his spikes. It survived the retirement of Harry Vardon, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Jack Nicklaus, and every other golfer in recorded history. At the end of the day, Woods is just a man, but golf is an institution. Just ask the fans.

“So what that the top of the tree isn’t here?” asked Craig Rhett of St. Louis, Missouri rhetorically. “The other branches are just as interesting. Look at Harrington. We overlooked him even though he won the British last year, and he’s shown he has staying power as well as a personality.”

Harrington is a breakout star. With his second consecutive British Open win, he’s not just potential anymore, he is a formidable adversary. He’s unflappable, he’s precise – of course he’d be precise, he’s a Certified Public Accountant – and he has grit. He looks at that 11th green at Oakland Hills – a green so elusive, so well protected, so dangerous, it resembles a large mousetrap with a big piece of cheese just waiting to entice you, then fatally ensnare you.

But Harrington gives it a glance of Amazonian fierceness, like a cat stalking a rat, and wills himself to overcome any challenge. His 66 here this morning included four consecutive birdies on some of the toughest holes on any major championship course.

“I made an adjustment on the greens,” he explained earnestly. “They were softer because of the rain, and I was able to charge putts a little more and I started holing them.” But he doesn’t just put well, he has the most complete game in golf right now, more complete than more recognizable stars like Mickelson and Garcia, superstar players in their own right.

“There are plenty of great stars besides Tiger,” said Andy Page of Bloomfield Township thoughtfully. “I’m a young guy, but in attitude, I try to be old school.” (I love it when a 21-year-old wants to be old school, there’s hope for society yet) “There’s something great about watching a former major winner who’s been struggling, but then then wins to rejuvenate his career,” Page stated energetically. “David Toms is terrific to watch and so is Ben Curtis. Toms is everyone’s favorite partner at the Ryder Cup because he’s the quintessential teammate, and Ben is just a great down to earth kid we all can identify with. It’d be great to watch them win more majors and grow good careers into Hall of Fame careers.”

“People say his winning the British was a fluke, but then he won twice more,” (the Booz Allen and the 84 Lumber), said Kyle Warren, also of Bloomfield Township. “I love rooting for the underdog – especially when they play against Tiger. Tiger has a great effect on golf – he’s been part of making it cool to younger people and more mainstream, but golf has grown along side him and for other reasons, not just because of him.”

That’s right,” agreed Page. “There used to be a stigma to being on the varsity golf team in school, but now it’s just as cool as other sports, just as respected. And it’s not just Tiger making the game attractive to younger people, it’s the new crew like Baddeley and Villegas. Besides the old guard, it’s good for the game for new people to win. “Only Tiger” is boring. There are so many great stories we’re waiting to hear about, but never get to see when it’s all tiger all the time.”

“These guys are all great,” echoed Shane Langston of Jackson, Mississippi. “When Tiger’s out of the equation, we get to see the other guys. Look at big hitter J.B. Holmes or that wonderfully goofy Boo Weekley, or some of these other young guys that have terrific game and good attitudes. Ben Curtis coming back is a great story.”

He brings up another great point. People root for players for many different reasons other than they just win. Sometimes, like Langston, folks root for local heroes. “Boo and David Toms are southern boys. People want to see and cheer for their local heroes.

Sometimes the reasons are more…interesting…as well. “I’m rooting for Baddeley!” chirped Rebecca from Mississippi. “He’s got the cutest buns.”

While the sentiment is a little lowest common denominator, the point is important: good looking single guys interest the fans. Moreover, local favorites draw, and altruistic, sportsmanlike attitudes draw. Look at the fans who love Ben Curtis. They proudly displayed “Ben’s brigade” buttons not because he’s a star, but because he sets a good example, is a role model and, as such, makes the whole game look good. Never one to give in to the blubbery arms of the soft life, Ben’s workman-like, lunch pail work ethic resonates with the everyman. So what that you can put his entire life on the back of a postcard? He’s still an inspiration. Zach Johnson is cut from the same cloth.

Dan Jenkins once said that it’s amazing how much grace and class we can attach to major winners, but with Curtis, and Zach, grace and class come to them naturally. They always remind us of the old adage, “measure up your worth and not your wealth,” and both we as fans and the game are richer for it. We need to see more of them, not more of the same.

“No Tiger is a nice break,” said Langston. “We needed this. Golf needed this. I love Tiger too, but every second.”

Other fans disagreed. “No way!” exclaimed one woman in a leg brace. “I’m heartbroken. I love Tiger so much, I tore my ACL,” she quipped impishly.

Even so, journalists, players and fans agree. “No matter how you cut it, there is more to this game than Tiger Woods” said one venerable journalist.

Moreover, Woody Austin said earlier this week, “I think it was said best during the British open telecast. The guy is the best player in the game, he does win a lot, but he doesn’t win them all. So just because he wasn’t here doesn’t mean that the tournament should be less or that he was going to win.”

Ian Poulter agreed, “It certainly didn’t take anything away form the Open Championship.”

Still, there are those fans out there that disagree, like Dave Kagels of Clinton Township. “Tiger is the face golf right now. He’s not bigger than the game and we should be careful not to tell people he is, but he’s earned the respect of competitors, fans, and media with his dedication and competitiveness. Tiger made the rest of the players to rethink their approach to practice, njhutrition, and winning attitude. When he leaves, golf will be fine.”

“Nevertheless, he’s just one guy,” retorted John Street of North Dakota, “and someone else will come along to take his place – new era, new guy, it goes full circle.” The circle may be expanding. This morning, there’s seven cameras around Padraig Harrington, who fired a 66, and is well in contention.

Without Tiger, we’re seeing so much more golf and so many more golfers. If Woods were here, we’d be watching him arrive at the course, hit on the range, see a special biopic, watch replays of his other majors, go to commercial, return from commercial to watch Woods hitting a shot, Woods eating a banana, Woods throwing away the peel, fans fighting for the peel, Woods talking to “Stevie,” Woods drinking a Gatorade, Woods mumbling to himself, Woods blowing his nose, Woods backing off a shot, Woods glaring at a cameraman, Woods hitting another shot, cut to commercial. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Woods, Woods, and more Woods: when he shoots 68 we see all 68 shots. When he shoots 74 we see all 74.

As we go to press Harrington and Garcia are waging an epic duel, a reprise of their donnybrook at Carnoustie. All Oakland Hills is abuzz with the story. First Garcia gets a horrible carom into the water on 16 and everyone writes him off for dead. But then he gets up and down form the deck of a sinking ship, and hits an “anything you can do I can do better” iron approach to the par-3 17th which has yielded just 13 birdies in the last three rounds.

Guess what? Harrington made his first. That hole just shrunk to the size of a thimble, and Sergio missed. Now they go to eighteen with the title on the line. Who could ask for anything more? The fans sure loved it.

Sure Tiger’s talent is transcendent. Sure Tiger is re-writing record books. But golf was been great for centuries before Earl Woods ever met Kutilda, and golf will be golf long after Sam Alexis retires from the LPGA. With great people like Curtis, Jim Furyk, Justin Rose, and Zach Johnson, with young guns blazing away fearlessly like Baddeley and Watson, with colorful, affable quote machines like Boo Weekley and Anthony, and with gritty, bold champions like Padraig and Sergio, you know what?

Golf will be just fine. In fact, it’ll be as great as it ever was.