Tiger Woods

Less than a year after a monumental 16th- and 18th-hole collapse at the 2006 U.S. Open, Phil Mickelson demonstrated his recovered mojo at the PGA Players Championship, cruising to a 69 on the final 18 en route to an 11-under 277.  The one blip was an 18th-hole shot that stopped just short of the water. More »

When Tiger Woods flamed out at this year's Master's, he lost more than a tournament—he lost an aura, writes Rich Hoffman. "Twelve times before this, he had led on Sunday and won. Twelve times. Twelve wins. It was a stunning record of invincibility .... Now it is over." More »

The storybook re-coronation of Tiger Woods had a surprise ending in Augusta, where the entire field was hobbled by blunders, and an obscure Iowan walked away with the coveted green jacket.  Zach Johnson hit a three-under 69 on his last 18 holes to finish in the lead with a one-over 289, tied for the worst winning score in Masters history. More »

The Masters remains wide open after Day 2, with an unassuming two-under 142 leading the field.  Tiger Woods is five shots from the lead, a strikingly poor performance from a player most pundits assumed would dominate Augusta in typical unflappable godlike fashion.  Relative golf demigod Phil Mickelson also disappointed at a four-over-par 148. More »

Few humans are likely to threaten Tiger Woods this week at The Masters in Augusta, concludes The Times's John Hopkins, with a muted hope that Phil Mickelson (last year's winner) may make things interesting.  However, Hopkins edges closest to the disappointing truth when he notes that the person most likely to beat Tiger is Tiger, "baulky driver in his hand." More »