Compelling TV it wasn’t…

…but thanks for tuning in.

Sunday’s final round at the U.S. Open was valiantly being billed by the commentating crew as the battle between golf’s new superstars: Tiger Woods attempt to fend off the charges of Sergio Garcia and Phil Mickelson.

Johnny Miller was optimistically chirping all day long on NBC’s and TSN’s air, “You never know” and “Stranger things have happened”.

Well – for those who have paid any attention whatsoever, we all did know and stranger things have not happened: The chances of Tiger Woods surrendering a four-stroke lead in a major on a Sunday to those two fellers was about as likely…

• …as Mike Tyson winning a Miss Congeniality award

 

• …as Osama Bin Laden being invited to Dubya’s ranch for a BBQ

 

• …as Lil’ Bow Wow actually being Like Mike

 

• …as Michael Landsberg going a week without a wrestler on his show.

 

…or as Sergio simply gripping it and ripping it…

It was over before it began – we knew it, Tiger knew it and both Sergio and Phil knew it as well. Seven times before Tiger had a lead in a major going into the final round, and he his record was perfect then. Unless he was kidnapped by the Lefty-favouring New York crowd, he was a lock for going eight for eight. But if a network has a timeslot 7.5 hours long, they don’t want to drop that little bomb until it’s all but official.

Which – when you think about it – is rather bush. After all, the job of a commentator is to fill us up with their expertise and vast knowledge, to blow us away with the technicalities of the game and blind us with the minutia.

But most of all it’s to tell us what they know. Why didn’t Johnny Miller simply skip the “don’t count Phil out yet” nonsense and simply say, “let’s all sit back and watch this guy in wonder and we’ll all see how he wins and by how much….”

Hey – if we knew – he had to right?

And it’s not like NBC had to worry about the ratings or anything if JM spilled the beans: TV ratings go through the roof when Tiger’s on a roll.

What we sports fans are in the midst of is simply unprecedented in the game – perhaps in sports. He’s simply the best ever…

…and by far.

His nearest benchmark is Jack Nicklaus who won his record 18 major championships across a span of 25 years between 1962-86. Woods on Sunday won his eighth in 5 ½ years. And If you throw in the amateur titles, like Nicklaus thinks we should, Jack had 19 in total – a winning percentage of less than 20% over what can be described as his prime.

Including his three consecutive US Amateurs (and leaving out the three Junior Amateurs he won before those), Tiger’s already got 11 major titles under that skinny little belt of his.

He’s got 10 years to go ’till his prime and his winning percentage is 44%.

Those other two “superstars” who are supposed to rank with Woods? Between Sergio and Phil their major total is precisely zero. Mickelson is 0 for 36. Garcia is 0 for 15. When he’s got the lead – which happens more often than not, those guys aren’t competition for Woods.

No one is.

So why keep it a secret? We all knew what would happen after he finished with that four-stroke lead on Saturday…

Literally, the only surprise was…

…Tiger Woods only won by three on Sunday.