Maybe it's because the Mercedes-Benz Championship comes so soon after Christmas that so many people expect Tiger Woods to be like Santa Claus.Tiger spreads a lot of good cheer, but even he struggles with being everywhere at once. And unlike Santa, he has a 6-month-old daughter and a life outside of his chosen profession.Tiger won't be in Kapalua, Hawaii, this weekend as the PGA Tour kicks off its 46-event 2008 season. His decision to skip the annual event for tournament winners from the previous year for the third time in a row has dominated pre-event conversation. What's the big deal? Tiger is going to play in the majors and the minimum 15 events as obligated by the PGA Tour, and maybe one or two more. If he plays in Hawaii, that means he won't play somewhere else and some other tournament sponsor will suffer.How many of you would have gone back to work this week if you didn't have to?Tiger can make or break individual tournaments simply by deciding to enter or not, but he can't play in them all. What he's done for the overall health of the PGA Tour since joining in 1996 and essentially taking the handoff from Arnold Palmer in driving up interest and, as a result, revenue from television contracts and purses, gives him the right to make his own schedule."A month from now, no one is going to remember he didn't play," said PGA Tour pro Kevin Sutherland. Tiger always has the tour's best interests in mind when he makes decisions, even though he's basically an independent contractor, the Sacramento player said."And when he does play, he's in with both feet," Sutherland added. "He could probably pull 'a Tiger Woods,' but he never skips a pro-am."While the absence of Tiger won't have much impact on ticket sales at the island venue, those watching on television this week will have to settle for panoramic shots of west Maui and 31 tournament winners from last year.That might be enough for Minnesotans battling sub-zero temperatures. Not so for many casual golf watchers. TV industry analysts estimate that Tiger increases "normal" ratings 30 to 50 percent when he's in contention.Phil Mickelson, Padraig Harrington and Adam Scott are the other eligible players staying home this week. Mickelson hasn't played the Mercedes since 2001. The world's second-ranked player behind Woods is a distant second in generating buzz."People talk about Tiger not being there when Phil is there, but not much about Phil not being there when Tiger's there," Sutherland said.When neither is there? The talk is about Tiger, as is the case this week. When both are there? Seeing them go head-to-head, especially down the stretch, is the perfect storm for fan interest. The two will likely make their first starts of the season Jan. 24 at the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines near San Diego.(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
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