DURING another hot summer there were any number of incidents, issues and events which might have been worthy of comment had the writer of this column not taken a forced hiatus.

Some that spring to mind include the tragic murder of top footballer Shaki Crockwell - why is it, not only in this country but all over the world, football and violence are virtually synonymous? - the continued meltdown of the national cricket team, and in contrast, qualification for the World Youth Cup by an obviously talented Under-19 squad.

In our other national sport, Bermuda Hogges, while finishing dead last in the United Soccer League Division Two, clearly made an impression in their inaugural season, cause for optimism that the road ahead might not be as rocky as first time around.

And then there was the continued development of our own Khano Smith who has become very much an intregral part of a New England Revolution team who only this week picked up their first piece of silverware courtesy of a 3-2 victory over FC Dallas in the US Open Cup.

But the story which has likely prompted more conversation than any other is the withdrawal of Tiger Woods from this month's PGA Grand Slam of Golf.

While golf fans might have been disappointed by the announcement, they shouldn't have been entirely surprised.

In a year in which Tiger struggled to combine his career with increased family commitments, there was even a suggestion he might have had to pull out of one of the majors, let alone an end-of-season exhibition event.

And, despite the size of the purse ($1.35 million), let's face it, that's exactly what the Grand Slam could be labelled.

Of course, while it's magnificent that tiny Bermuda has been given the chance to play host to such an event, and the live TV coverage will provide tourism promotion no amount of money could buy, let no one be fooled into believing that without Tiger it's anything other than yet one more made-for-TV tournament where the emphasis is purely on entertainment.

Had it any other significance, be assured the world's number one would have been here.

When all's said and done, Tiger will always be remembered for whether or not he eventually surpasses Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 majors and for his phenomenal record on Tour.

No one will remember how many Grand Slams he's won.

Much the same can be said for the four names now competing for this month's $600,000 first prize.

The Grand Slam is all about the money, and not about enhancing a player's resume. Take note, Jim Furyk has agreed to fill Tiger's shoes, but only after skipping the Monday Pro-Am while he flies in from another money-spinning exhibition in the Far East.

Padraig Harrington, the best player to emerge from the Emerald Isle in years, will be remembered as the first Paddy, in both name and nationality, to hold aloft the Claret Jug after success in the British Open in which the Irish have been devoid of success for many decades.

Similarly, the burly, cigarette-puffing Angel Cabrera, who doesn't do a great deal to promote the game's healthy lifestyle image, will also be always recognised for his triumph in a US Open which finally convinced his fellow Argentinians that life outside soccer and tennis does exist.

As for Furyk, won't he be remembered most for an unorthodox swing - which might come in handy for hacking down hedges with a machete should his golf game go horribly wrong - which has propelled him to number three in the world rankings?

And then there's Masters winner Zach Johnson. Will anyone remember him anyway?

The fact remains that without Tiger, the Slam has attracted four supremely talented golfers who by and large don't exude a great deal of charisma in a game notoriously short on personalities.

Those holding tickets for the two-day tournament, as well as the Pro-Am, will no doubt get their money's worth. It's not every day we get the chance to see some of the sport's elite on our doorstep.

But by the same token, don't be deceived by all the pre-tournament hype that the Slam is anything but an exhibition.

The invited quartet can, win or lose, pick up a very nice cheque. And that's why they're here. But whoever comes out on top won't consider the victory as significant as their previous accomplishments in a year which, for all of them, has already provided memories to last a lifetime.

- ADRIAN ROBSON