By Ron Kroichick
San Francisco Chronicle
Ten different players have won the past 10 majors. Charl Schwartzel is trotting around the globe wearing a green jacket. Some guy named Brendan Steele won two weeks ago in San Antonio.
What in the name of Eldrick T. Woods is happening here?
Golf needs fresh blood in this new era of Vulnerable Tiger, absolutely. But it also needs some young players to make more than a fleeting appearance in the winnerís circle ó pronto ó so fans can begin to know who the heck they are.
As the 2011 season nears the end of its fourth month, the prevailing theme is the spate of unheralded winners. They streak across the sky like a comet, briefly gathering glory before abruptly disappearing.
There went Jhonattan Vegas, winning the Bob Hope Classic and all but vanishing since then. D.A. Points soon followed, conquering Pebble Beach and not making a peep in the next two months.
Steele, Gary Woodland, Martin Laird ó it requires dimple-headed devotion to recognize this yearís parade of under-the-radar winners.
The final round of the Masters resonated because of its chaotic theater, with three different five-way ties and no fewer than eight players seizing at least a share of the lead. But it also was cool because we knew many of the central characters, from Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy to Adam Scott and Geoff Ogilvy.
Not everyone can win 71 times, like Woods. But it would help if a handful of players ó preferably dynamic young stars such as McIlroy, Rickie Fowler and Dustin Johnson ó win often enough to carve out a stronger identity.
Woods caused this logjam. Say what you want about his lingering winless drought and increasingly snippy demeanor, but his impact on the game is undeniable. He made it more athletic (see: Johnson and Bubba Watson) and he brought more players into the fold (see: McIlroy and Jason Day).
McIlroy spoke candidly in Augusta about his ambition climbing into another realm at age 7, when he watched Woods roll to victory in the 1997 Masters. Day similarly idolized Tiger as a kid in Australia, to the point of mimicking his pre-shot routine.
There simply are more good golfers than ever, and it traces to the way Woods burst onto the scene early in his career ó winning frequently, winning decisively and turning golf into a tantalizing path for young athletes all around the world.
So now, as Woods struggles to rediscover his game at 35, there is not one heir to the throne but an ever-expanding crowd. Martin Kaymer, ranked second after a stint at No. 1, is steady but not especially charismatic. Neither top-rated Lee Westwood nor No. 3 Luke Donald has won a major, and both are in their 30s.
The most intriguing faces are the youngest: McIlroy (21), Fowler (22), Day (23), Matteo Manassero (18) and Ryo Ishikawa (19). Manassero offered another hint of his immense talent earlier this month, when he won the European Tour event in Malaysia, topping a field including Schwartzel and McIlroy.
McIlroy did his part, fighting through jet lag to rise into weekend contention before finishing third. That counted as newsworthy, mostly because people still held fresh visions of his Masters experience ó three fabulous days and one epic, final-round meltdown.
Woods still casts a long shadow because fans know his history so well. They vividly remember him crushing the field at Augusta in ë97 and the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach in 2000, outdueling Bob May in the PGA and Rocco Mediate in the Open.
These images came to mind sitting in the grandstand behind the No. 8 green in the final round of The Masters. Woods coaxed home an eagle putt to suddenly trim his deficit to one shot, punctuated by a ferocious, roundhouse fist pump. The gallery erupted. It was an electrifying scene.
Barely more than three hours later, Schwartzel strolled up the hill on No. 18 and cemented his inaugural major triumph. It was anti-climactic in many ways, and the crowd cheered respectfully, not boisterously. The spectators applauded Schwartzelís play, but they knew little about him.
Now is the time for golfís talented young players ó whether itís McIlroy or Schwartzel, Fowler or Kaymer, Manassero or Johnson ó to truly make themselves known. Woods and Phil Mickelson have left the door propped wide open, boys. Seize the day.
(E-mail Ron Kroichick at rkroichick@sfchronicle.com.)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
The Associated Press
04/25/11 16:45