Over on www.orlandogolfblogger.com, I discuss whether the British Open missed the presence of the best golfer in the world, Mr Tiger Woods. After winning the US Open by going through the pain barrier, it was announced that he would miss the rest of 2008 because of a knee injury.

A lot of the build up surrounding the tournament was about his absence rather than the players that would be fighting for the title.

That's inevitable I guess - Tiger Woods is one of the biggest names in sport and any tournament that he doesn't appear in will lack 'the Tiger factor'. A phrase which is normally used in reference to the massive following he has around a golf course because of his phenomenal talent.

In the few days leading up to the tournament, there was doubts over defending Champion Padraig Harrington's fitness. The Irishman had a wrist injury and was very close to pulling out. Luckily for him and the tournament as a whole, he pulled through. A Major Championship without the best golfer in the World or the defending champion certainly wouldn't have seemed the same.

Something the absence of Woods and the uncertainty over Harrington's injury did do was open up the field for a new champion, a new hero. Many golf bets were being placed on the highest ranked player competing Phil Mickelson, the man who lost to Harrington in a play-off last year Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood who was in good form after finishing 3^rd in the US Open.

Continue reading this article at:

http://www.orlandogolfblogger.com/2008/07/24/did-the-british-open-miss-tiger-woods/