Tiger’s back with a point to prove

STUNG at his relegation to third in the world rankings, Tiger Woods emerges from his winter hibernation in this week’s Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego.

Tiger’s return is perfectly timed as the $5.8m (€4.2m) event is over one of his happiest hunting grounds, the North and South courses at Torrey Pines. It was here he captured the US Open in 2008 in a play-off against Rocco Mediate, despite a troublesome knee injury that subsequently necessitated major surgery. Woods has won the Torrey Pines event six times and is a short priced favourite to start the new campaign with a morale boosting victory.

If Woods is hurting after his world ranking slip, Phil Mickelson must be in a similar mood having fallen back to sixth after residing in second in September. Mickelson, who won the Torrey Pines tournament in 2000 and ‘01 and lives nearby in Rancho Fe, also seeks a good week having had to settle for a share of 37th in Abu Dhabi at the weekend.

“Lefty” witnessed firsthand the power of European golf as Germany’s Martin Kaymer shot an incredible 24 under par in displacing Woods as the world’s number two behind Lee Westwood. While Mickelson could do no better than five under, many Europeans were in the high teens even if the nearest any could get to Kaymer was Rory McIlroy on 16 under.

McIlroy’s runner-up spot saw him move back up to seventh in the rankings and was the high point of another hugely successful tournament for Ulster golfers. Graeme McDowell tied for 3rd on 14 under and is fourth in the rankings ahead of a well deserved four weeks break. The US Open champion has finished 1st, 3rd, 5th , 1st, 3rd and 3rd in six of his last eight tournaments, a level of consistency that augurs well for 2011.

GMac merits his fourth place ranking just as Kaymer is a very worthy number two. Kaymer noted that it is 17 years since an English golfer (Nick Faldo) and a German (Bernhard Langer) were ranked first and second in the world. This is a source of annoyance for the Americans who have long considered that such exalted places were their domain. That is why they will look to Tiger to set about rectifying the situation at Torrey Pines this week, his prospects no doubt helped by the absence of Westwood and Kaymer as well as McDowell from the field in the brand new Volvo Champions event, the second on the “Desert Swing” on the European Tour, in Bahrain.

Pádraig Harrington, who overcame the bitter disappointment of disqualification from the Abu Dhabi championship, remains in the Middle East to play in the €1.7m event. He took advantage of his absence from the final three rounds to practice, conduct a clinic for a number of children and sporting personalities including former rugby greats Jonathan Davies and Gavin Hastings and even find time to assist with the Sky Sports coverage of the final round .

The Abu Dhabi disqualification for a rules infringement was hugely ironic considering Harrington’s recent appointment by the R & A as one of their worldwide golfing ambassadors.

The R & A are, of course, one of the two bodies (the USGA is the other) that determines the rules which they have always claimed were based on equity. If that is the case, they will now surely drastically revise the absurd rule that Harrington’s “crime” in Abu Dhabi merited such a sanction.

Surely, a retrospective one or two shot penalty would have fitted the bill far more sensibly and fairly.

The decision was additionally annoying given that it was Harrington on the receiving end. He has been noted for calling penalties on himself for infringements that no one else spotted. It may be argued that once he was aware that his ball had moved, he should have called for the referee and that rules are rules. Maybe so — but sometimes rules, like the law, can be an ass and should be changed if, as in this instance, the punishment doesn’t fit the crime.

The Irish entry for this week’s Champions event in Bahrain is led by Harrington (now out to 28th in the world rankings) and also includes Darren Clarke, Peter Lawrie, Damien McGrane and Michael Hoey. Gareth Maybin, fifth in Abu Dhabi and now 106th in the world, takes the week off while Shane Lowry faces another couple of weeks on the sidelines having broken his wrist during the Christmas break.