Filling Tiger's void

Mickelson doesn't take advantage; here are five who have

THOUSAND OAKS, CALIF. -- Tiger Woods posed next to the trophy on the 18th green, a familiar scene with a rare twist. It was Sunday, and his clothing did not include so much as a trace of red.

Plus, he was wearing a jacket -- black, not green.

He was merely the host of the Chevron World Challenge. His duty was to thank sponsors and volunteers and give the trophy to Vijay Singh.

"I'm on the operational side this week," Woods said.

That still beats being operated on, which is why no one had seen Woods at a golf tournament in any capacity since he won the U.S. Open, his last event before season-ending knee surgery. He went the final 188 days of the golf season without hitting a single shot, opening a host of opportunities for those he regularly beats.

Singh won the event for the first time, taking home his third trophy that belonged to Woods a year ago. The other two were from the Bridgestone Invitational and the FedEx Cup.

Did the 45-year-old Fijian take advantage of the big cat being away?

Not really.

Singh has been among golf's elite for the better part of a decade now, winning three majors and taking the No. 1 ranking from Woods in 2004. He might not be considered Woods' chief rival, but he could be remembered as the second-best player in Woods' era.

Still, there were some who benefited from Woods spending more time chasing his daughter than chasing Jack Nicklaus.

And there were some who didn't.

The next four players behind Woods in the world ranking after he won the U.S. Open -- Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott, Geoff Ogilvy and Ernie Els -- combined to play 41 times and produced one victory over the past six months. The only time Mickelson made headlines was because of something Woods' caddie said.

Woods simply gobbles up so much attention when he plays, whether he wins or finishes fifth (his worst finish this season). During a discussion about rivals, Nicklaus once told Woods that the most important thing was to be part of the conversation.

With the world's No. 1 player out of sight the second half of the season, the conversation shifted to five players:

Padraig Harrington

Irishman Padraig Harrington joined some truly elite company by becoming only the seventh player in the past 50 years to win consecutive majors in the same season. The others were Woods, Nick Price, Tom Watson, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino and Arnold Palmer.

That was enough to be voted player of the year by five organizations -- golf writers from both sides of the Atlantic, the PGA of America, European Tour and PGA Tour. Not even Woods has done that (but only because he has never joined the European Tour).

As for the notion of an asterisk because Woods wasn't at the British Open or PGA Championship?

"If I'm in the field or not, you've still got to go out there and earn it," Woods said. "It's not like they were giving that trophy out. You have to earn it, and he did."

Anthony Kim

Everyone raves about Kim's raw skill and unlimited potential. It was worth paying attention to when he delivered.

The first victory came at Quail Hollow by five shots against a strong field. Then came a two-shot victory at Congressional to join Woods, Sergio Garcia and Adam Scott to become the only players in the past 10 years to win multiple times in a season before turning 25.

Adding to the hype was his emotional play at the Ryder Cup, and the thrashing he gave Garcia in Sunday singles. Kim closed him out on the 14th hole, 5 and 4, and was so fired up he stormed off to the 15th tee without realizing he had won.

"He's got the swagger," Woods said. "He's got all the tools."