A day after editors of AP member newspapers revealed Tiger Woods was their choice for Athlete of the Decade, the Golf Writers Association of America has named Woods as its Player of the Year - his tenth GWAA POY award in the last 13 years. He will be honored, along with LPGA winner Jiyai Shin and Champions Tour winner Loren Roberts, at the association's Annual Awards Dinner on April 7th, 2010 in Augusta, Ga.
Woods received 84% of the vote (168 votes) while Steve Stricker in second place got 10% (20 votes). The remaining 6% of the vote (13 votes) went to PGA Champion Y.E. Yang. Voting opened on November 24th, three days before Tiger became front, middle and back page news following his car accident outside his home in Orlando. By that time only 48% of the votes had been cast, suggesting the 100 or so members who did cast a vote before the December 11th deadline, but hadn't done so prior to the news erupting, weren't swayed by what happened.
Nor should they have been. Regardless of his transgressions, and despite the fact he didn't win a major championship, Woods was clearly the best player on this year's PGA Tour. After returning from knee surgery at the WGC Accenture Matchplay Championship in February, the world number one won six times on Tour (taking his win total to 71), claimed his ninth money title and second FedEx Cup, and then won in Australia in November.
He may not win any Man of the Year awards, but Player of the Year and Athlete of the Decade awards in the last two days is some consolation at least.
Comments