Tiger Woods finished tied for 147th at the Open Championship, tied for 32nd at the Greenbrier Classic and missed the cut entirely at the 2015 U.S. Open. And yet, despite his mortal showings, many continue to have hope for the former world No. 1.
Sports book Bovada opened the odds for the PGA Tour's next major championship. Woods can be found as a 33/1 favorite, a far cry from Jordan Spieth, who opened at 9/2.
The real surprise, however, is the talent that sits behind Woods.
Zach Johnson—who most recently claimed the second major of his career at St. Andrews-—opened at a less-than-desirable 40/1. Apparently, his tied for third performance at the John Deere Classic and sixth-placed finish at the Travelers Championship was enough to sway the odds.
The enigma that is Woods continues to haunt the PGA Tour. Even Gary Player hopes his playing counterpart can find his swing.
"We need Tiger Woods. Why? He's a man of color. We need a black champion," Player told Omnisport (via ESPN). "Go to Africa, where we've got all these young black kids used to seeing a white guy as the champion. Now, they're getting inspired. They're sitting in front of their TV sets. It inspires them; it gets them interested in golf."
"Asia wants to see a man of color," he added. "So, there are many reasons besides being so charismatic. I don't know if anybody in the world today can play like Tiger Woods did."
"Did" being the key word. Past tense and past glory no longer warrants raised expectations.
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