COMMENTARY
Tiger’s back, but the roar is gone
Tiger Woods placed eighth in the Players Championship on Sunday. It was his fifth top-10 finish in six tournament appearances this year. Omitting his second-round elimination at the Accenture Match Play Championship in February, he has finished no lower than 10th in 17 consecutive events since last year.
That is an amazing accomplishment for any player, but Woods is not just any player.
When you’re the world’s greater golfer, the expectations are much higher. It may be unfair, but Woods has made us believe he can do anything on a golf course.
That’s why his current struggles are so disturbing.
He has only one tournament win this year, rallying from five strokes down in the final round to capture the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. But Woods has left other wins on the golf course.
He had a shot to capture the Masters after an electric run that included an eagle at the eighth hole and birdies at 13, 15 and 16. But with a fifth green jacket in his sights, he fell apart on the final two holes.
Last week at the Quail Hollow Championships, Woods took the lead with an opening-round 65. But sloppy play in the last three rounds turned a winnable tournament into a disappointing fourth-place finish.
The Players Championship was served up to him on a platter. Woods was in the final pairing with Alex Cejka, who entered Sunday with a five-stroke lead. But while Cejka was in the process of a historic collapse, Woods fizzled early and never posed a serious challenge.
Ernie Els said earlier this year that Woods may never dominate golf the way he did before knee surgery sidelined him for eight months. I don’t know if Els is right, but Woods is not the same player whom opponents once held in awe.
I thought after his surgery he would pick up where he left off. Given how hard he works on his craft, I had no reason to believe he wasn’t capable of recapturing his top form.
I should have known that not even the great Tiger Woods could be off for so long and return with his sharpness intact. Golf is a humbling game even for the best of players, especially those with rust on their game.
Woods admits he is struggling to put all facets of his game together. His swing is a big part of the problem. Errant tee shots have forced him to scramble just to save par and led to suggestions that he should keep the driver in his bag.
He may give up some distance with the 3-wood, but at least it helps him find the fairway with some regularity.
Woods has always sprayed the ball all over the golf course. But in the past he would come back with a great recovery shot that displayed his remarkable touch and creativity.
Woods’ putting, usually a strength, has been off as well. I can’t ever remember a time when he’s missed so many putts inside of 10 feet.
It should be noted that despite his troubles, Woods still squeezes everything out of every round. He shot a one-over 73 on Sunday. Based on how he played his score should have been worse. For a lesser player, it probably would have.
Still, Woods has some work to do between now and the U. S. Open, which is four weeks away. He plans to take some time off to tinker with his faulty swing and get his mind right.
Woods has experienced tough stretches before, but he snaps out of it eventually.
The PGA Tour season is still in the early stages. There is plenty of time for him to get it together and regain the level of greatness we’ve come to expect.
Don’t doubt that he will, because Woods is all about wins, not top 10s.
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