Fact or Fiction: What's next for Tiger?

Originally Published: March 10, 2005

ESPN.com/Golf Digest

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FACT: The final-round Duel at Doral between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson was the best non-major Sunday finish in, well, a really long time.

	Woods

FICTION: Now that Woods has doubled his win total of last year, you can expect him to be fully satisfied and take the rest of the year off.

Uh, not quite. Woods seemed poised to stay atop the World Ranking, win the money list and claim a few more majors, but can he really accomplish all that with players such as Mickelson, Vijay Singh, Ernie Elsand Retief Goosen providing such solid competition? Our panel of experts debates.

Woods will remain No. 1 in the world through the end of the season.

Bob Harig, contributor, ESPN.com: FICTION. The race between Woods, Singh and Els is too close. And if Mickelson were to win the Masters, he'd be right in the mix, too. Look for the No. 1 ranking to bounce around a few times.

Jason Sobel, golf editor, ESPN.com: FACT. Still not sure how, in the wacky world of statistics and formulas that constitute the World Ranking, Tiger's three wins in the past 14 months are enough to push him past Singh and his 10 wins in that same time. But as the season progresses, Woods' non-wins from last season will count less and his '05 play will count more. That can only mean he'll keep moving up.

Craig Bestrom, senior editor, Golf Digest: FACT. Two wins in four starts (we can't count the "unofficial" 36-hole Nissan Open) put Tiger back on top, but he'll have to continue winning to stay No. 1 for long. His record at Sawgrass isn't great, and if he doesn't win there in two weeks, he'll probably have to at Augusta to remain No. 1 heading into the three majors this summer.

Brian Wacker, assistant editor, GolfDigest.com: FACT. Tiger has more competition right now than he's ever had at any point during his career with Mickelson, Singh, Els and Goosen collectively playing their best golf. But that'll only motivate Tiger. His swing is back, and he's making all the big putts -- the way he did on the 17th at Doral last Sunday for birdie to beat Mickelson -- when they matter most.

Ron Sirak, executive editor, Golf World magazine: FACT. Eldrick is just about back to being Tiger again. He's not giving up the top spot until the next time he decides he needs a swing change.The vacation is over for Mickelson, Els and Singh.

Woods will finish atop the money list.

Bestrom: FICTION. Singh plays 10 more events a year than Tiger, and he contends in nearly all of them. Unless he hurts himself again, Singh's well on his way to another money title in 2005.

Sirak: FACT. This has all the feel of a six-win year -- at least. The only way he doesn't win the money title is if Vijay plays 35 events. And even then Woods might beat him.

Harig: FACT. Woods is so consistently strong that he wins a lot of money even if he is "off." If he is on his way to another big season in victories, then he'll capture the money title, too.

Sobel: FICTION. He won't place first on the money list because, simply, he doesn't care about the money list. If it's close at the end of the year, Tiger won't rearrange his schedule to play Disney or the Chrysler Championship, while a guy like Singh will still be grinding away.

Wacker: FACT. It'll be close because Singh plays about 10 more tournaments a year than Tiger, and has consistently posted a lot of top-10s the last couple of years. But in the end Tiger will win enough -- and win enough big tournaments -- to finish the season No. 1 on the PGA Tour money list.

Woods will win at least two majors this year.

Sobel: FACT. Two is tough, though. That means only two other major victories to be split among Singh, Els, Mickelson, Goosen and the dozens of other players who are capable of claiming such titles. But Woods' game is solid right now and he measures himself by major victories; two should be right on.

Sirak: FICTION. I'm thinking one major this year and I'm thinking that will be the British Open at St. Andrews. The neat thing about this year is that a bunch of guys are playing well. Els, Singh and Mickelson will pick off one major among them. Somebody relatively new, like an Adam Scott, will grab another. And someone deserving but without a major title, such as Sergio Garcia or Darren Clarke will win the fourth.

Bestrom: FACT. Next up: Augusta, Pinehurst and St. Andrews. Ask any tour player right now who's the favorite at the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open. You'll only get one name. I'll take him against the field in all three, as well.

Harig: FICTION. It is just too hard to win majors, as Woods has seen in his 0-for-10 streak. There are too many strong players who can step up and win them, plus a slew of out-of-nowhere types who are capable of stealing them. Winning one major championship would signal a great year for Woods, and the accomplishment should not be diminished.

Wacker: FACT. Tiger's game appears to be primed for a run at the Masters. He putted exceptionally in Miami, averaging 26.5 putts per round and he's also back to making the ones that matter most. Woods would really stir the Grand Slam pot with a win at the British Open at St. Andrews. The last time it was held there, in Woods' magical 2000 season, he smoked the field, beating Els and Thomas Bjornby eight shots.

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