ANOTHER WEEK, another different winner in the great democracy that is world-class professional golf. Matt Kuchar became the latest player to stake his claim in what can now surely be described as the post-Tiger Woods era, completing a two-shot victory at The Players championship in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

The American has built a very lucrative career on being steady rather than spectacular but his method served him well as he plotted his way around this TPC Sawgrass course, easing to a two-under-par round of 70. Four players, including the US-based Scot, Martin Laird, finished in a tie for second while Luke Donald came sixth after a six-under 66 that included a back nine of 30.

It was a cracking effort for the Englishman, one that momentarily halted his caddie, John McLaren, in his exit to the airport as employer and employee spent a couple of minutes contemplating their chances of making a play-off.

Alas, it was not enough for him to return to the top of the world rankings – for that to happen he needed to finish fourth or better. Not that he seemed unduly bothered. Since ascending to the top of the rankings last May he has gone back and forth with Rory McIlroy more times than he cares to remember.

“I was very nervous when I had opportunities to get to number one, when it was really playing on my mind. But with going back and forward so many times it doesn’t mean that much any more,” he said. “Don’t get me wrong, being number one is nice but at this stage of my career I am still searching to win Majors and that’s much more important.”

Donald will get another chance to do exactly that at next month’s US Open in San Francisco when the very least that can be said is that he will have a good chance of winning. The bad news, for him at least, is that so will plenty of others.

It is ever thus at this level of golf these days, as Kuchar’s victory so vividly illustrated. There have been 21 events on the PGA Tour this year and he is the 20th different winner. Only the US Ryder Cup player Hunter Mahan has won twice and one of his victories came at the World Matchplay Championship.

Until McIlroy, who missed the cut here, or even someone like Rickie Fowler, who followed up his victory at Quail Hollow last week with another fine performance, stamps his authority with a run of dominating performances, the sport has reached a point where parity is the new normal.

Gone are the days of the one-party state, when the default mood before any tournament on this side of the Atlantic was that this was Woods’ tournament to lose. Failing that, Phil Mickelson could always be relied upon to make a charge or at least dominate US television coverage.

That is no more. Both Mickelson and Woods have won here in the past but this week they were virtually anonymous. The left-hander finished on three under par, 10 shots behind the winner, while Woods finished in a tie for 40th place. “I did well in spurts. I just need to be a little more consistent. I just need to keep working,” the former world number one said when asked to sum up his week. There was a palpable lack of enthusiasm in Woods’ voice as he spoke, as if he is as tired as everyone else at being forced to listen to the same old mantras.

To his credit he perked up when question on the subject of slow play, which has dominated this week’s proceedings after the antics of the US player Kevin Na, whose twitches and waggles as he tries to “pull the trigger” on a shot are painful to watch. The poor lad is, by his own admission, suffering from some kind of nervous affliction.

Woods declined to criticise his fellow professional – “I’ve never seen Kevin do it in person as I have never played with him” – but he struck a hardline pose when it came to tackling the problem of slow play. “Fine them (the culprits) shots,” he said. “People don’t realise how valuable shots can be.”

Well said Mr Woods, who might find an opening when his playing career ends. Slow-play monitor on the PGA Tour? He could do a lot worse.