There are new kids in town and even Tiger knows that his era has come to an end

Paul Mahoney 

Rickie Fowler was billed as the star attraction when the PGA Tour circus pitched up in Las Vegas last weekend. But back in 1996, a supernova exploded in Sin City. Tiger Woods won his first professional tournament in the Nevada Desert aged 20. He was Elvis – in chinos. The following April, he won his first major at the Masters and golf changed forever.

Woods is no longer top of the bill on tour and was in Mexico last week nursing his sore back (after yet more surgery) while helping to promote the Bridgestone America’s Golf Cup (it’s okay, we’ve no idea either) – an event he was scheduled to play in with Matt Kuchar until he went under the knife again in September.

He gave no indication of when he would return, mentioning he was preparing for a “tedious and long” rehabilitation.

“Some of the guys who have had it (microdisectomy surgery) done said it took them over a year to be pain-free,” Woods said. “I hope it doesn’t take me that long.”

Tiger turns 40 in December, hasn’t won a tournament since 2013, and has had only two top 10s since. He hasn’t won a major since the US Open in 2008 and is stuck on 14, but revealed he still hasn’t given up on overtaking Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 victories.

“It’s important for me to have more than 18 majors when all is said and done,” he said. “It took Jack his whole career to achieve it and mine is not done yet. I believe that I have a very good record for 20 years on the tour. The main thing is to get fit and reach my 40s with good health to be as successful as Vijay (Singh), who won most of his tournaments at that age.”

Woods also said he hadn’t given up on a shootout with the game’s young guns.

The new Big Three of Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Jason Day must be shaking in their spikes at the prospect of the old man bringing a knife to a gunfight.

“I want to play at an elite level with the new kids for a long, long time,” he said.

But Woods has no idea when he will return to competitive golf.

And never mind ‘when’, it’s also an ‘if’.

There must now be doubt about whether Woods will ever play again, let alone win four more majors to catch Jack or win three more tournaments to catch Sam Snead’s record of 82 victories on the US PGA Tour.

Just how confident is Tiger of competing in 2016? He phoned Ryder Cup captain Davis Love recently to offer his services as a Ryder Cup assistant should he fail to qualify. He knows he is done.

Last year’s victorious European Ryder Cup captain, Paul McGinley, suspects Tiger is done, too – along with his, ahem, buddy, Phil Mickelson.

“Tiger and Phil are going to be a big part of next year’s Ryder Cup one way or another,” McGinley said. “I’m not saying them together in the same room can’t work, but it’s a delicate situation with two huge personalities with massive CVs.

“Davis Love is going to have to manage them carefully. It’s great having opinions and the vice-captains play a big role,” he added. “But, once their opinions have been aired, it’s important everyone falls into line and there are no breakaway views. There must be one unified voice and that must be the captain’s.”

So, vice-captains, then. Not players. That’s quite a statement.

Statements are all there are these days about Tiger: statements on his injuries and statements from players on the state of Tiger’s game.

He’s become an actor who has left the stage and nobody knows if he has a part in the final scene.

Statements made with his clubs are not what they once were. Tiger is currently outside the world’s top 300 (if anyone that low is still in the ‘top’ of anything). Meanwhile, the world’s best are in their 20s.

“There’s no doubt we are in a new era,” McGinley said. “Tiger raised the bar and the new generation has taken it and run with it. I expect Rory to make a statement by the end of the year.”And, unlike with Tiger’s, he meant out on the golf course.

“This has been Jordan Spieth and Jason Day’s year, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Rory has the last word in the Final Series on the European Tour. I kind of expect it,” McGinley said. “Throughout his career he’s always been good at reacting to other players’ success. Jordan and Jason having such a great season is only a positive for Rory.”

Rory is back on the European Tour this week, leading the Race to Dubai and teeing it up in the Turkish Airlines Open. Tiger, meanwhile, is back home in Florida and it’s sad, but true, that golf has almost forgotten about him… Apart from the fact that we keep talking about him.

“I feel good, I’m just stiff after surgery,” Woods said down Mexico way. “I haven’t been allowed to do much of anything.”

He better get used to that feeling. Rory, Jordan and Jason have stolen his thunder. The days of winning are over.

His career has turned into the punchline from a Scooby Doo story: “I would have gotten away with it if it wasn’t for you meddling kids.”

Tagged Tiger Woods