When he did play, the number was 6.5, including a 10.0 for the Masters, which always gets a far higher rating than a regular tour stop. Still, the other three CBS tournaments with Woods in the field averaged a 5.6 rating, almost double the number for a regular tournament. Pebble Beach, where Woods won on Monday because of a rain delay earlier in the week, did a 3.9 rating, a 50 percent increase over the year before. At the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines, where Woods's streak of six straight wins was ended by Phil Mickelson, the Sunday round did an 8.0, a 27 percent increase over the 1999 event. By the way, Woods also is breaking new ground in charity circles.
Some people really do have too much time, and money, on their hands.
From Hero to Zero Justin Leonard, the hero of the U.S. victory over Europe at the Ryder Cup last September, hasn't felt particularly heroic on the golf course this year, and hasn't won since he prevailed at the Players Championship in 1998, a stretch of 57 straight events. He's now 59th on the PGA Tour's list of leading money winners and has fallen to No. 19 in the world rankings, without a single top 10 finish this year. Leonard says his game is literally inches from greatness now that he's started to get his putting back in gear, a major part of the problem. I have to be honest with myself. I have to admit it and just go on.