Game entering new era say Stenson, Poulter

Golf is entering a new era, according to stars HenrikStenson and Ian Poulter, with one player unlikely to dominate in the way TigerWoods did during his prime.Injury-plagued Woods won the last of his fourteen majors six years ago and thesport's subsequent top prizes have been shared between 19 different players. Only four golfers have won more than one major since the American's triumph atthe 2008 US Open -- Phil Mickelson, Padraig Harrington, Rory McIlroy and BubbaWatson, who won his second green jacket earlier this month.There have been 15 first-time major winners in that period.The statistics are in sharp contrast to Woods who won three majors in the year 2000alone before winning at Augusta in 2001 to complete the "Tiger Slam"."I think golf's changed a lot," world number three Stenson said Wednesday ahead ofthe Volvo China Open in Shenzhen. "The last five years we've seen so many different players winning majorchampionships."With these young guys coming through and playing so well it's going to be veryvery difficult to be as dominant as Tiger was in the early 2000s when he waswinning most of his championships."Woods spent much of the early and mid noughties as world number one before ascandal over his private life and a number of injuries saw him plummet down the standings and drop out of the top 50.He slowly worked his way back and reached the top spot early last year but an injurywhich forced him to miss the Masters for the first time in 20 years has raisedquestions about whether he will ever match Jack Nicklaus's haul of 18 major titles.Woods' return date is uncertain and it's not clear whether he will be fit enough toplay in the second major of the season -- the US Open at Pinehurst No. 2 in June."Obviously for golf everybody wants the best player in the last two decades to playas many events as he possibly can," Poulter told reporters in China."It's a shame he's injured. I'm sure he's disappointed. I'm sure the sponsors aredisappointed. I'm sure some of the TV ratings are going to be disappointing."You look at what he's done for golf. The guy has played some phenomenal golf."Will he get back to his best? I don't know. I don't know how severe his injury is." Woods' last major win came despite playing with a bad knee that later requiredsurgery -- a fact Poulter was quick to suggest showed that the world number oneshould not be written off yet."Tiger's not getting any younger. He's picking up niggling injuries but he doesn'thave to be at his best to be able to compete and win golf tournaments."As he has proven year in, year out he can win tournaments from any position in anyfit state," the Englishman said at the Genzon Golf Club."When he's back healthy he will be winning golf tournaments again but whether hereaches his best I'm not sure."Poulter said double major winner McIlroy, 24, and young American hotshot JordanSpieth, who led during the final round at Augusta, may be the players to take onWoods' mantle.They are "very young, very good and maybe they will push those boundaries," hesaid. Source: AFP