In The Rough by Tom Brennan

Dec 26

For 2009 in golf fans had plenty to cheer - and plenty to jeer - both on and off the course. Tiger Woods returned from injury, Tom Watson electrified the British Open, and Phil Mickelson helped his family fight cancer. A late season sex scandal threatened to overshadow everything that happened on the course.

The world No. 1 golfer returned to the game following reconstructive knee surgery and expectations for his success were high. Tiger did not play until February in Arizona for the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play event. Woods showed some of the effects of more than eight months off, losing to South Africa's Tim Clark in the second round. Woods gave golf fans what they were waiting for - a win - at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Florida. At Augusta National in Georgia, it appeared he would have another green jacket for his collection. Woods played with fellow-American Phil Mickelson on the final day, but ended the tournament tied for sixth. Mickelson finished in fifth place.

"I hope we get him back soon. You know, golf needs him more than he needs golf," said golfer John Daly.

Cabrera Wins Masters
Argentina's Angel Cabrera won the Masters for his second major title after the 2007 U.S. Open, by outlasting Americans Kenny Perry, and Chad Campbell. "This win, to take a major back to Argentina is going to mean a lot, and I hope it can help our game. It's simply one of the best tournaments in the world," he said. Phil Mickelson announced his wife Amy had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Six weeks later, Mickelson's mother was also diagnosed with the disease. Mickelson took several weeks off the tour to care for his family, returning at the St. Jude Classic tournament in Tennessee the week before the U.S. Open.

Amy Mickelson's cancer was found early, and the prognosis of a full recovery was good. "I am so lucky to be married to her," Mickelson said. "She has made my life so fulfilling and enriching. With that being said, obviously we are going through a tough time right now. We are fortunate that we believe we caught it early that we don't have to rush into decisions and can make some good long-term decisions, decisions that will help us beat this quickly." Mickelson would skip the British Open in order to be with his family and mother His mother underwent treatment at the same hospital as Amy Mickelson. This ended a streak of 61 straight major tournament appearances.

Heart-warming - Heart-breaking
One of the best stories of 2009 came at the British Open, Turnberry, Scotland, where 59-year-old five-time champion Tom Watson led for 71 holes. A bogey on the last hole of the tournament put Watson into a four-hole playoff with fellow-American Stewart Cink. Cink in the end was the one holding the Claret Jug, not Watson. Cink said afterwards, that he knew he had what it took to win a major, even the British Open. "Having outlasted this field on this golf course with the way the weather tried to beat us down the last three days, it's something I will never forget. It's just great to be the one left," Cink said.

Tiger Woods looked close to his first major win forthe year at the PGA Championship in August. He shared the lead in each of the first three rounds. In the end, Y.E. Yang from South Korea, outdueled Woods head-to-head in the final round to celebrate a stunning victory. Woods' short game abandoned him when he needed it, with the top-ranked player finishing second, three strokes behind Yang.

Woods won six times and captured the season's lucrative FedEx Cup title for the second time in three years. Tiger said afterwards, that the season did not turn out as he had planned, but he was hopeful 2010 would be the year he would win his 15th major.

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