Challenger for Tiger Woods needed to start immediately
Multiple choice: What golf needs is a good:
A. Three-hour round.
B. Cheap set of clubs.
C. Spanking.
D. Rivalry.
Of course, the best answer is D.
Golf is like all sports in that it succeeds best when it tells great stories. It needs main characters to make it work and no matter how dominant the central figure, he requires others to play off or it's all sort of, well, boring.
That is golf's situation with Tiger Woods, the central figure, who has seen golf carts full of would-be protagonists roll past as they audition in the rivalry department.
The roll call began with David Duval, then shifted to Phil Mickelson, then moved on to Sergio Garcia.
Who's next, Notah Begay?
Why not? Just imagine the great potential for conflict at the next Stanford alumni dinner.
Anyway, one of the rivals in waiting has his own idea of how the situation shapes up.
"I think [status quo] can be very healthy for the game," Duval said. "We talk of rivalry, but clearly, there hasn't been a rivalry. I think if you add up the performance of three or four players, maybe there is a rivalry. Woods has clearly outplayed everybody.
"When I was going through the run that I had, they were talking about how somebody else had to step it up to bring it up to me. It has to be somebody else. It goes on and on. I think the writers, the golfing fans, the golfing public are real interested in a rivalry evolving somewhere.
Somebody will have to raise their game to stop Tiger Woods adding the PGA Championship to the Open title he celebrates here. Allsport.
"We get asked about it every week, it seems. I don't think about it."
However, many do. After Ernie Els shot his opening-round 66 at the British Open, one of the first questions was about Woods.
"Come on, fellows, I just shot a 66," Els said.
Colin Montgomerie's pre-tournament interview lasted through exactly one question before he was asked about Woods, which Montgomerie noted with a wry smile.
"First American question, first Tiger Woods question," Montgomerie said.
Maybe the best idea is to allow a rivalry to develop naturally.
By the way, the Woods-Duval pairing was their first in a major.
