As the 2010 Open begins in earnest this morning the focus of the media will be centred on 1 of the 156 competitors. You might have heard that late last year it emerged that Tiger Woods had been having some affairs, and that made him a terrible person, and meant that he had betrayed the press as a role model whne he jolly well should have been exactly the man that the media were portraying him to be. Fury was unleashed on the public’s behalf (we never did get around to saying thanks for that, by the way). Woods ‘atoned’ by rehab, interviews saying that he had been a terrible person and was going to be a better one, and carried on playing golf - really well, but not quite as well as before.

Have we moved on? Have we ever! Take a look at this priceless headline on Sky News on the eve of the Open:

Tiger Returns To Golf But No Comment On Wife

Really? In a press conference ahead of a golf tournament he chose not to use the 20 minutes available to talk about the prospect of a divorce, or rake over his infidelities for the millionth time?

The fear must be for Woods that there may be no way of ever leaving this moment in the past, because nobody is allowing it to happen. Perhaps that won’t be the case - there simply needs to be a more compelling narrative for people to use than, as Sky News somewhat lazily does:

But he’s a man who will always carry a troubled past with him.

Here, in the place that gave golf to the world, he plays as the man who brought shame to the world of golf.

He didn’t bring shame to the world of golf. He had an affair or two, and it’s cost him heavily in his personal life, and that’s his business. His contribution to golf, the occasional tantrum and moment of on-course frustration aside, is another matter. Will golf fans come to think of him as the guy who put it around, or the guy who won 14 majors and counting and owned golf for a decade? “Shame”? Yeah, whatever.

The more compelling narrative? Our suspicion is that it will be Tiger - the road to redemption - the moment when his 15th major comes and the press opt not to cover it as the story of one golfer being better than the rest over four days of competition, but instead as one man’s personal triumph over the demons of his shameful past. Perhaps thereafter we can go back to appreciating Woods the golfer again, rather than seeing every story in the sport tainted by this repetitive and unhelpful angle:

Don’t screw up again, Tiger

OPEN bosses will come down hard on any unruly behaviour from Tiger Woods this week.

What were these uncompromising warnings?

R&A boss Peter Dawson said: “Tiger is watched by so many people and his behaviour on the course is very important.

“He recognises some of his mistakes in the past and I’m very happy to see he’s doing what he’s doing to correct them.

“It’s very good news for the game.”

For the sake of Woods coverage, it might be actually quite helpful if he wins and his golf can do the talking.

Tom Watson - Photo Curioser*Curioser CCANC

Watson so nearly breaks the records

It seemed to be scripted in fairy-tale. Tom Watson had been at or near the head of the leaderboard for four days. After 71 holes of the Open, he had just drained a birdie to give him a one shot lead. At the age of 59, he was preparing to par the last and win the tournament, giving scribes the task of listing every last record that he would break. be it that he would have been 11 years older than any other Major winner, that it was 34 years since he won his first Major (32 since he won at Turnberry), 26 since he won his last Major - the numbers astonished. But a good-looking approach ran through the green, and he could not get up and down in two shots. And with that he slipped into the play-offs, and the dream slipped away. Stewart Cink had to play the role of bad guy, but Watson seemed so spent by the time he reached the play-off that having dominated the field for four days, seemingly anyone in the field would have dominated him for those four holes. Having watched a man defy the odds, it was cruel to have to see him unravel too - but sport tends to produce both those kinds of moments, and often uncomfortably close together.

Another highlight of the weekend was the performance of the Italian Matteo Manassero - 16 years of age, eventually finishing tied for 12th. His playing partner for the first two rounds was one Tom Watson. Not a bad role model.

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Another day of cricket to make you wince

Supporting England, even when they are on the cusp of victory, is rarely a pleasant experience. The prospect of success is always punctured by the thought of failure, the improbable fightback, the needless wobble. When the Australians fell to 128-5, surely fans could sit back and enjoy the steady fall of the last five wickets. 185 runs later and with no further dismissals, the nerves jangle. Of course, with 200 runs still to play with, and 5 wickets to take, England remain favourites. Clarke and Haddin become fresh batsmen again this morning; they are not immediately in touch, despite their large scores. But the lot of an English cricket fan is to believe unquestioningly, albeit with the nagging worry that defeat can be snatched from the jaws of any victory.

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The fight nobody wants to see

Amir Khan has become a World Champion. It’s a terrific achievement, despite it coming a year and a knockout to Breidis Prescott later than he had intended. The talk turns, as it must, to the question of his next opponent, and a name being bandied around is that of Ricky Hatton. Imagine that - two British champions going head to head like that. Only trouble, of course, is that this will be the fight which proves absolutely nothing - the result will be talked down regardless of who prevails. A Hatton victory will blight Khan’s career, leave experts and fans questioning his chin, make the road back to a title all the more difficult - all at the tender age of 22. If Hatton loses, they’ll say he was shot, that his heart for boxing left him with that last brutal Pacquiao knockdown - there’ll be little credit for Khan. And it’s not as if it’s much better for Hatton - it’s already largely accepted that he belongs in the good but not great category - with enough to beat anyone but the Pacquiaos and Mayweathers of this world. Beating a fresh World Champion with questionable punch resistance would hardly compare with dethroning Kosta Tszyu or big defences in Vegas. It’s a fight that looks appetising until you scratch the surface - but it’s not really in either’s interest to take it. Views are so entrenched in Britain (both positive and negative) on Khan and Hatton alike, that no result would be credited as a true triumph for either man.

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The SWS Google-search of the week

Congratulations to whoever searched for “youtube simon jones ashes break leg” - we’re first hit on that, despite not actually showing him breaking his leg. Because frankly, it would be horrendous, and seeing it at the time was bad enough. However, if you do find your way back to the site, then perhaps this clip is your sort of thing. But if anyone else is squeamish, don’t - please, please, don’t - watch it. The clue’s in the title.