Thousands of spectators packed Augusta National this week to watch Tiger Woods practice. Photo / Getty
Thousands of spectators packed Augusta National this week to watch Tiger Woods practice. Photo / Getty
OPINION:
One sport event elevates above all others this week. And that's largely due to one athlete.
Fourteen months after Tiger Woods almost lost his right leg in a car crash, golf's biggest drawcard is back to chase a sixth green jacket at the Masters.
Break out the snacks andsettle in to ride his every stroke from Friday morning.
If Woods defies seemingly insurmountable odds to find his groove on the hallowed greens, all other sporting tales this weekend will fade into oblivion.
Asked if he can win the Masters, Woods happily fuelled the flames. "I do. I can hit it just fine. I don't have any qualms about what I can do physically from a golf standpoint. Walking is the hard part.
"When I decide to hang it up will be when I feel like I can't win anymore, that will be it, but I feel like I can still do it."
Whether he wins or makes the cut is almost irrelevant. For the casual sports fan Woods' presence dictates the Masters is now must-watch viewing.
Despite, or perhaps in part due to, his many off-course incidents, Woods transcends golf.
At 46 years old, that's some feat. His 23rd Masters could be his most engrossing yet. Broadcasters, sponsors and fans are rejoicing in unison. Even from this isolated vantage point the explosion of interest is palpable.
Woods sits in his own stratosphere in this regard. Few athletes match his pulling power. On a global scale Tyson Fury, LeBron James, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Roger Federer hold similar sway.
On a vastly-reduced New Zealand scale Steven Adams, Israel Adesanya, Beauden Barrett, Kane Williamson, Joseph Parker, Lisa Carrington and Chris Wood rank among our most well-known athletes.
If a lesson exists in Woods mania it's there is no substitute for star power.
The giant gallery of patrons following Tiger Woods during Masters practice. Photo / AP
New Zealand sport is yet to fully grasp this notion, or learn the art of embracing rather than shunning narratives of widespread appeal.
Super Rugby's lure has been eroded over years in part by prescriptive All Blacks rests that forces the best players to sit out fixtures – often against their will.
The Black Caps finished their underwhelming home summer with 12 frontline players in the Indian Premier League. Had it not been for Ross Taylor's farewell, the 3-0 ODI series win against the Netherlands would barely have registered.
Sure, the absence of experienced campaigners offers the chance to futureproof the team – Will Young cementing his status as Taylor's heir apparent with two centuries.
But the counterpoint, at a time when competition for eyeballs and genuine engagement has never been so fierce, is that you devalue the premium product at your peril.
The All Whites have played 12 home games since 2010 – their last five years ago against Peru in Wellington.
Granted, stringent Fifa rules dictate it's extremely difficult to schedule friendlies but how can you expect to inspire the next generation without giving fans the chance to watch the country's best talent in the flesh? Not one home match since the last World Cup is an indictment.
The women's Cricket World Cup, while restricted to limited crowds, is the best recent example of New Zealand sport getting it right. That event contributed heavily to women's sport owning 14 of the 20 top rating slots on Sky Sport last month.
Without Woods the Masters remains the most popular golf event of the year. With him, it is another event entirely.
Sport needs its stars.
One surefire way to evoke apathy is to deprive those you seek to inspire and engage of those they dream of emulating.
Rolling bores
A rolling maul lifts during the Crusaders' clash against the Highlanders. Photo / Getty
The time has come to amend the ability to defend rolling mauls. As it stands, they are near impossible to legally stop which is paving the way for a procession of dull, predictable tries.
The Blues and Moana Pasifika combined for five maul tries last Tuesday night at Mt Smart Stadium. Four days later, Blues hooker Kirk Eklund collected a hat-trick against the same opposition in the same fashion.
Such a swarm of maul tries should not be celebrated. Not when the attacking team holds all the cards.
My colleague, Elliott Smith, suggested last week reducing maul tries to four points. I believe defending teams should simply be able to collapse the maul. That would force attacking teams to be far more creative, and therefore entertaining, with their lineout strikes.
Sunday afternoon footy
Wellington turned on a rare 'can't beat it' day last Sunday. The Hurricanes and Chiefs responded with the game of the round that once again underlined why we need far more afternoon fixtures. No dew, family-friendly kickoff time, free-flowing action. What's not to like?
Betting tip
Record: 3/8 (-$21.3)
Last week's Warriors and Hurricanes point start multi came in to make it three successes from the last four. Damn that terrible 0-4 start.
This week I like the tri-bet option with either the Chiefs or Blues to win by seven points or less in Hamilton paying $2.40.
The Cowboys to topple the injury-hit Warriors at $1.87 H2H is also enticing.
Question
We're almost at the halfway mark of the Super Rugby season, what has surprised you most about this year's competition? Phil, Otorohanga
Moana Pasifika's competitiveness. Two blowouts against the Chiefs and Blues aside, Moana have consistently challenged their long established Kiwi opponents. Given their squad, featuring a host of Super Rugby rookies, first assembled on January 5, and then had to endure more Covid setbacks than any other franchise, their performances have well exceeded my expectations. Discipline and set piece stability remain major challenges but with Australian opposition looming, further milestone victories are in the offing.
