It's all well and good to try to find a silver lining in the news that Tiger Woods will miss the rest of the PGA Tour season. Rest assured a bunch of other golfers are seeing one, knowing the window of opportunity has just opened up for a higher level of success — and the number of questions the rest of them get about Tiger should decline dramatically over the coming months.

That said, Woods' season-ending surgery to repair his knee means the golf year has not only ended for Woods, but for a huge number of fans.

You need look no further than that dramatic U.S. Open to understand the degree to which interest in golf revolves around Woods.

NBC's telecast of the final part Monday's 19-hole playoff drew the best overnight ratings for a Monday golf telecast in 30 years, were up 90 percent over the last U.S. Open playoff in 2001 (at a time when ratings in general are in decline) and receded a modest 11 percent from Monday coverage. And Web sites carrying Open results reported record traffic driven by those stuck at their desks. (I was going to say "at work," but indications are there may not have been much work done.)

Now, if that playoff had been between Rocco Mediate and, say, Lee Westwood (who finished a stroke back) or D.J. Trahan (who tied for fourth), what do you think the ratings would have been? On a par with the World Combat League, or a 2 a.m. rerun of Arena Football?

Golf obviously has its core audience that will watch any event, and a larger group that pays attention to the majors. But by just about any statistical measure you can construct, interest beyond that is largely driven by Woods.

For years, it's been conceded there are two types of golf events — the ones with Woods and the ones without — and for a lot of people, only the first type matters.

Those people will tune out until Tiger is back, which means the Mediates, Westwoods and Trajans of the Tour will mostly be playing to the hard-core audience that knows where the John Deere Classic is held or pays attention to the PGA event held opposite the British Open. Even if someone gets hot and wins several events — unlikely since the 22 events not won by Woods so far this year have had 21 winners (Phil Mickelson has won twice) — it's doubtful anybody is going to notice.

Kenny Perry, one of the other 20 winners (at the Memorial — you knew that, right?), didn't mince words when the Tiger tale became public.

"Tiger is our tour," he said in an Associated Press report. "When you lose your star player, it definitely hurts."

So will the Tour try to put a positive spin on Woods' absence? Of course. Will some other players benefit? Definitely.

Is there really any way it's good thing for golf?

Not a chance.

— David Lassen is The Star's sports columnist. Contact him at dlassen@VenturaCountyStar.com.