"Tiger Withdraws, Golf Shrugs"

John Paul Newport is more intrigued by the media shrugging off Tiger's 2011 U.S. Open WD, perhaps in part because no one expected him to contend.

The likelihood of Woods not contending for the trophy at Congressional Country Club, whether he showed up or not, had already been factored into the price (to borrow a term from investing).

In fact, it’s a toss-up as to exactly whose non-participation at this year’s Open makes for a more intriguing story — Woods’s or Vijay Singh’s. Singh failed even to show up for his qualifying round Monday, and thus will miss his first major in 64 consecutive events (dating from 1994), the longest active streak in golf.

Okay, let's not go too far there JPN.

Meanwhile Robert Lusetich breaks down the latest chapter in the Tiger saga and notes this anecdote about caddy Steve Williams that suggests Tiger had every intention to play up until today's WD.

Although he’s been able to hit balls for only a few days and was facing an uphill battle to be ready for the US Open, he meant to play at Congressional.

His caddie, Steve Williams, flew to Oregon, where he’s got a home, from New Zealand on Sunday and was planning to head to Orlando to join Woods when he got news of the withdrawal.