Tiger Woods was in top form during this past weekend’s World Golf Championship at the pristine Doral Golf Course in Florida. After putting together two solid rounds, Woods led the tournament going into Saturday morning. During the third round he steadily pulled away from the field and playing partner Graeme McDowell, taking a four shot lead into Sunday’s final round.
Those familiar with the PGA Tour are well aware that Tiger does not relinquish leads in the final round, and although Steve Stricker mounted a very impressive run over the final nine holes and posted a -17, Woods was able to do what he needed to do over the course of the final few holes, finishing at -19 and pocketing $1.5 million. He will certainly be the odds-on favorite heading into April’s The Masters in Augusta, Georgia.
Chicago Bulls All-Star point guard Derrick Rose has been medically cleared to play basketball, but he has personally opted to sit out while maintaining that he is indeed not healthy enough to put on the jersey and head out on the hard court. The Bulls could certainly use his services in an Eastern Conference that has very little depth of talent beyond the Miami Heat. The Bulls would only need to dethrone Miami in order to have a legitimate chance at the NBA Finals. The fact that Rose is making nearly $18 million this year has some fans clamoring for his appearance.
An interesting season continues to unfold in Los Angeles as the Clippers have demonstrated they’re a legitimate contender and the Lakers are finally rounding into form. The Lakers have won eight of their last 10 games, enough to rise to the eighth slot in the current overall Western Conference standings. Although they have sputtered and stalled many times throughout the season, the plain truth is that very few teams are interested in facing the Lakers in the playoffs, especially a healthy Lakers team that is motivated and playing for a common goal.
Now that the Chicago Blackhawks have lost two straight hockey games, the spotlight has shifted away from The Windy City, and other teams are being given their just due. One team that has been entirely overshadowed by the streak the Blackhawks recently put together is the Anaheim Ducks. Only the most savvy hockey fans realize that the Ducks are current owners of an 18 – 3 – 3 record and are only six points behind the first-place Blackhawks. If Anaheim is able to stay hot, it will give the Los Angeles — a city known for beaches and sun — a legitimate Stanley Cup contender for the second year in a row.
