Golf fans need to manage their expectations ahead of Tiger Woods’ latest comeback.
Ten months is an awfully long time to be away from competitive golf. Even more so for a man in his forties who has had four back surgeries in the space of three years.
When players who play 25 events a year take six weeks off over the December/January period, they often return a little ring-rusty in the first couple events of the New year. We, as spectators cut them a lot of slack and rightfully so. A lot of rust can creep into one’s game after a six week break.
So for Woods, who has played a mere 19 events in the last four years, we should expect next to nothing for some time.
Yet Ian Baker-Finch got people amped for Tiger’s return when he told everyone who would listen how good Tiger looked during a casual round at Medalist Golf Club. So too Brad Faxon who spoke of Tiger outdriving Dustin Johnson half the time during a round with President Trump last week.
As is always the case with Woods, comments about his game have sent people into a frenzy with some even predicting a fifth green jacket in 2018.
In my opinion, if Tiger comes through the 2017/2018 season injury-free, that is a victory in itself. After all, his last full season on Tour was his five-win Player of The Year campaign in 2013.
Since then, his game has hit once unthinkable lows. Three of his highest scores as a pro have occurred since then to go along with three withdrawals and six missed cuts. Quite astounding for a man who made a jaw-dropping 142 consecutive cuts between 1998 and 2005.
What has been most alarming about Woods’ downturn in form is the frailty of his once imperious short-game. Chunked and bladed chips characterised Woods’ nightmare 36-holes at the Phoenix Open in 2015 where he posted scores of 73 and 80. His diabolical display around the greens of TPC Scottsdale even elicited murmurs of the dreaded chipping yips from golf fans and media alike.
According to Faxon though, Tiger’s short-game looked as sharp as ever during last week’s round with the President. Yet the acid test will undoubtedly come when Tiger tees it up in a tournament with card and pencil in hand.
We must also be wary of false dawns. Last year at the Hero World Challenge, Tiger seemed to roar back to life in a week which saw him shoot an impressive 65 en route to leading the field in total birdies.
This prompted the announcement of an ambitious schedule of four events in a six week stretch. I thought this, along with his encouraging play in the Bahamas in December signalled that he’d turned the corner. Three rounds and a withdrawal put paid to any such notions, though.
I feel if this latest comeback is to be any different, Tiger needs to do something different. He needs to manage himself better. He needs to take a leaf out of Patrick Cantlay’s book. The former world no 1 Amateur who had been sidelined for the better part of three years due to stress fractures in his back.
After only playing six events in three years and not at all in 2016, Cantlay knew he had to be cautious. Playing only 13 events, the 25-year-old’s play steadily improved throughout 2017. Four top-10s and a runner-up at the Valspar Championship helped Cantlay finish 29th on the FedexCup. Riding a wave of confidence, Cantlay delivered on the potential which had been apparent since a T-21 finish at the 2011 US Open when he won the Shriners Open for his maiden Tour title. Hopefully Tiger sat up and took notice.
Make no mistake, I’d love to see Tiger duelling down the stretch with Jordan Spieth or Justin Thomas at Augusta causing havoc amongst the pretenders to the throne. I just think it will take a bit of time.
Photo: Golf.com
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