Mark Roe has seen enough from Tiger Woods to suggest that a major win could be in store in 2011.
G-Mac won it, but signs were good for Tiger
For Graeme McDowell, the Chevron World Challenge proved to be the cherry on top of the icing on top of the cake.
This has been a sensational season for the Northern Irishman. He won his first major, the US Open at Pebble Beach, and then he made the winning point at the Ryder Cup, holing one of the shots of the year on the 16th hole. To cap it all he then went and beat a rejuvenated Tiger Woods in his own back yard.
The battle between Woods and McDowell was fabulous and for me, it was one of the best tournaments of the year.
It was brilliant to see McDowell cap his season in the sun, but it was also wonderful to see Tiger back on song. He was hitting good golf shots, most notably his second on the 72nd hole, and his celebratory punch afterwards told me that, without doubt, Tiger Woods is back.
Yes, there are still loose shots in there and he admits he still needs to go through his "process". He is rebuilding his game under new coach Sean Foley and there is still work to do.
He didn't putt his best, but compared to where he was three months ago, it was like night and day. There was some great driving, some sublime control and we saw the return of the smiles and the attitude.
Even at his best, he was never the best ball striker nor the straightest driver, yet he was rarely in trouble because he can do anything with a golf ball. We saw a few of those famous recovery shots last week - and that's the reason why so many people were watching, full of excitement.
The only thing missing was a victory. I don't think he was expecting McDowell to hole his final putt, despite what he said in his interview afterwards. You could see in his eyes that he was hurt to lose - and that will only make him stronger and more determined next year.
He now knows that his technique works 80 per cent. You can never find the perfect technique, but he'll be looking for that extra 15 per cent over the next few weeks. He'll have a break over Christmas and will come back full of positive thoughts.
For me, this is the start of the second coming.
Exceptional
I love the game of golf and I enjoy turning on the television to watch people doing exceptional things. That's what Tiger does.
I know people are sceptical about him, but sometimes you have to separate the person on the golf course from the person off it. You have to admire some of the things he does in golf and you can make your own minds up about him as a person.
That's how you had to be with Nick Faldo. You might not like him off the golf course, but you had to have huge respect for him on it. He was a major champion with an incredible work ethic and commitment to the sport.
As soon as they step on the first tee they become golfers and I feel they should be enjoyed as such. I personally read about Tiger's off-course antics with equanimity; he made some mistakes and he then had to go through a media barrage. But as a golf lover I was always looking forward to the day he returned to the course with a smile on his face, ready to compete.
He has the best mindset of any golfer in the last 20 years. His mentality is of Nicklaus proportions and I can't wait to see how he does next year. I am willing to suggest that big things are in store.
I think he'll win The Masters, I really do. He brought his Z game to Augusta this year and finished fourth, but if he brings the type of performance he showed last week then I think he'll win.
Fun
This week on
Sky Sports you can see highlights of The Shark Shootout, a great event which is full of fun.
The regular PGA Tour season is over, but this week you can see 24 top players teaming up as pairs over three days. A modified alternate-shot format on Friday is followed by a better-ball Saturday and then a final-round scramble.
I think there is always room in the schedule for an event like this because all of the players will have smiles on their faces. Expect some great golf in a relaxed environment, hosted by one of the greatest players the game has ever known.
Greg Norman himself will team up with Matt Kuchar, while other interesting pairs include Rickie Fowler with Bubba Watson and Dustin Johnson with Ian Poulter. But if you're looking for a tip then look no further than the Northern Ireland duo of Darren Clarke and McDowell.
You'd be a fool to bet against McDowell keeping his winning streak going.
