Tiger Back in 2 weeks???

[RichF]

No, my point is - he should have won one of those for sure: but against YE Yang, he cracked on Day 4.
At The Masters, he came up short when paired against Mickelson.
The Open - god knows what happened there.
US Open - anyone's guess.

Don't get me wrong, I wanna see him come back more than anything, but I'm having my doubts...

[Tiger Spuds]

No, my point is - he should have won

I think it's reasonable to assume that he had bigger things on his mind during those Majors.He was possibly aware that his affairs were going to come out in the open soon, could account for his poor bahaviour on-course in general.Now that's it all out in the open, and if his marriage stays together, he could well come back as dominant and focused as he's ever been.It's not like he's lost any of his talent.

[Gioguy21]

Don't get me wrong, I wanna see him come back more than anything, but I'm having my doubts...

Yea...doubting the #1 player in the world who as much as everyone believes he will, doesn't win EVERY tourney he's in or EVERY major he's in. Give the guy a break for crying out loud (golf wise), last I heard he was ahead of the pace for majors...and I'm pretty sure just about everytime you see him in a final pairing you EXPECT a comeback or light up the back 9...doesn't mean you can fault him if it doesn't happen

[RichF]

But his #1 strength was always mental .
You really think he's gonna make any kind of comeback and stay that focussed?

Not a chance.

[Tiger Spuds]

But his #1 strength was always

Why not?He's owned up, and is taking his punishment.If Elin agree's to stay with him, and he's gotten help for whatever problems he has, why wouldn't he return to the form and focus he had before?There'd be absolutely no reason he couldn't.It's not as if he'll be out on the course thinking "Woe is me, what a terrible person I am.I don't deserve to win any more Majors."

This is Tiger we're talking about dude.

[steve8820]

No-one seems to be hitting on the possibility that Woods won't return at all.

To even imply that Woods would not come back because he felt that he wasn't good enough is outrageous. You mention him struggling in 2009. His 2009 stats straight off the tour website, 17 starts, 6 wins, 3 seconds, 14 top tens, 16 top 25s. His 2009 performance would be an absolute career year for anyone else on tour.

His 2009 performance as mentioned by another posted could have been clouded by off the course concerns. Given this, I think he comes back stronger than ever in 2010. The skeletons are out..........all he has to do is play golf.

[iacas]

No-one seems to be hitting on the possibility that Woods won't return at all.

I think most people realize the possibility of that happening approaches 0.

Remember this?:

Yeah, you're reaching. Not only was it his first year back after major surgery, but he dominated other tournaments he played in and was "in contention" in all but one of the majors.

I say: if you're fit enough to come back from that layoff and go

He is good enough to win one of them. That's why he's won

fourteen . Your sample size is too small. It's not like he's Phil Mickelson and he's finished in the top ten in majors 32 times without winning any. At the U.S. Open he was too far back to start the day and got the worst sides of the weather. It happens. Bad luck. At the Masters he was too far back to start the final day. That he contended at all is not a knock against him, but a testament to his abilities. In that sense, your analysis is backwards. If Tiger had finished 25th in those tournaments you wouldn't say "he should have won one of them."

As soon as he starts spraying the driver everywhere, it's game over.

Funny, but Tiger's not really been a great driver of the golf ball since, well, ever. But even if you say he was a good driver in the early years, he's won 10 majors and 50+ tournaments being a "bad driver."

Good golly...

[Yukari]

I think it's reasonable to assume that he had bigger things on his mind during those Majors.He was possibly aware that his affairs were going to come out in the open soon, could account for his poor bahaviour on-course in general.Now that's it all out in the open, and if his marriage stays together, he could well come back as dominant and focused as he's ever been.It's not like he's lost any of his talent.

I tend to think this is true. I think he had too much distractions in 2009. Even if it wasn't the fact that his shenanigans were about to come out in the open, his juggling of his affairs would have been too much of a distraction to concentrate on his practice and his game. Now that all that has exploded on his face, he won't have to deal with that crap anymore and can finally focus on his golf game.

My guess is Elin will keep a tight rein on him so he won't have any time to be distracted from golf. He may be a bit shaky in the beginning, but overall I think he will be a much better player (speaking strictly about golf, of course).

[steve8820]

Funny, but Tiger's not really been a great driver of the golf ball since, well, ever. But even if you say he was a good driver in the early years, he's won 10 majors and 50+ tournaments being a "bad driver."

Completely off topic and I am not throwing stones, but I have seen similar posts like this refering to Tiger driving accuracy as "bad", "terrible", etc. However, the numbers don't lie. The guy is above average on tour in driving accuracy and distance. Since he is Tiger, should he have 100% driving accuracy?

[RichF]

It sounds like some guys on here feel that his 'comeback' is so easy, like 'as-soon-as-the-knee-heels'.

But what's happened and what is being revealed on a weekly basis: marriage on-the-rocks, the hookers, the possible drug-use, the loss of sponsorships...I don't think any of this will affect his 3-wood stinger, the short-game, the putting.
But with Woods, it’s always been the internal stuff: the mind, the heart, the guts – that have really mattered.
That’s the stuff which has really set him apart from every other player on the Tour. Divide golf into driving accuracy, approach play, sand saves etc and Woods tops very few Tour stats.
His true strengths have never been quantifiable. You can’t chart it, but you can feel it.

So, all I'm asking, is IF he comes back in 2010 - will those strengths emerge unscathed from this crisis? Could anyone spend such a period of time in the eye of such a hurricane – and one of your own making – and emerge without his self-confidence shaken? If Tiger was overdosing on drugs before the crash, what state is he in now?

There are other questions: how will his inner circle be affected? Elin, Steve Williams, Hank Haney, Mark Steinberg...were ever-present at his side when the going was good. But what happens now?
Will Elin stay in the red corner? Will haney be given the push as so many folks thought in 2009? Will Steinberg survive his dreadful handling of this crisis so far?
One imagines that Williams will stay on the bag, but so much of the calmness and consistency which have surrounded Woods have now been shattered by this crisis. And if Woods felt trapped by his fame before this month, how will he handle the spotlight now?

Some folks on here think he's going to simply brush this aside like every other 'blip' he encountered...

[Gioguy21]

Some folks on here think he's going to simply brush this aside like every other 'blip' he encountered...

Due to his abilities and demonstrations in the past...we have no reason to think otherwise...

[iacas]

But with Woods, it’s always been the internal stuff: the mind, the heart, the guts – that have really mattered.

You seem to have missed the point others made in the other thread: perhaps it's amazing how well he played with this looming over him. A lot of people say they feel relieved after a big secret comes out, even if it's bad for them in the short term.

Due to his abilities and demonstrations in the past...we have no reason to think otherwise...

Also that.

[Fourputt]

Completely off topic and I am not throwing stones, but I have seen similar posts like this refering to Tiger driving accuracy as "bad", "terrible", etc. However, the numbers don't lie. The guy is above average on tour in driving accuracy and distance. Since he is Tiger, should he have 100% driving accuracy?

The comment was about his DRIVER. His fairway accuracy stats are greatly enhanced because he hits FW woods and irons so often from the tee. He has almost always struggled with the driver.

Some folks on here think he's going to simply brush this aside like every other 'blip' he encountered...

Yup. I think Tiger is in his prime right now... and he has always had the mental strength to focus regardless of distractions (knee, his father's illness, etc.) I don't see this as being that much different from his perspective.

[Nickynoodles]

Just read a article on Comcast homepage that stated Tiger Woods is leaving sex addiction rehab where he could not practice Golf and practice for a return to the Accenture match play championship in 2 weeks. I was a little skeptical at first but i did a search on Google and found many websites and articles also stating the same thing. I my self feel that he needs to come back for the sake of himself and Golf as a sport. I have missed him and im sure alot of other people who are fans of Tiger have missed him also. Im not sure how good he will play but this will help him get back on track if he wants to catch and pass Nicklaus.

[steve8820]

The comment was about his DRIVER. His fairway accuracy stats are greatly enhanced because he hits FW woods and irons so often from the tee. He has almost always struggled with the driver.

Well you got me there. Guess it doesn't matter though because he still exceeds the average distance by a dozen yards with whatever he is using off the tee.

[Gioguy21]

Just read a article on Comcast homepage that stated Tiger Woods is leaving sex addiction rehab where he could not practice Golf and practice for a return to the Accenture match play championship in 2 weeks. I was a little skeptical at first but i did a search on Google and found many websites and articles also stating the same thing. I my self feel that he needs to come back for the sake of himself and Golf as a sport. I have missed him and im sure alot of other people who are fans of Tiger have missed him also. Im not sure how good he will play but this will help him get back on track if he wants to catch and pass Nicklaus.

dude...you do realize there's a 6 page thread about this already?

[RichF]

Due to his abilities and demonstrations in the past...we have no reason to think otherwise...

You seem to have missed the point others made in the other thread: perhaps it's amazing how well he played with this looming over him. A lot of people say they feel relieved after a big secret comes out, even if it's bad for them in the short term.

Yup. I think Tiger is in his prime right now... and he has always had the mental strength to focus regardless of distractions (knee, his father's illness, etc.) I don't see this as being that much different from his perspective.

1 - Errr....a. little bit different this time around...wouldn't you say?

2 - No, I've not missed the point at all. So, you're basically saying that without shagging around with who knows how many hookers over the years, he'd have passed 18 Majors by now? 3 - The knee was a physical issue. His father's passing was an emotional issue. This, IMO, far exceeds both combined. From what you guys are talking about, this is a 'storm-in-a-teaccup' for Woods. Astounding. And I thought the 'fanboy' forum was www.tigerwoods.com .

[Chief Broom]

He's already the worlds no.1, having been so for almost a decade. He's a few majors behind Nicklaus. What is he supposed to demonstrate? No matter what he does on the course can affect what has happened in his private life.

The crowds at the Masters are different from any other sporting event. The majority of the people come every year because the tickets are sold to the same people every year. It's almost like a big extended family of sorts. The crowd can be fickle, well behaved, but you never know who they will side with or decide to get behind. Sometimes it's a relatively unknown amature who makes the cut, other times it's an old fan favorite. The crowds at Augusta have always loved Tiger and I'm sure they would still show him love, but in light of what's happened he's going to have to show the corwds something besides just his ability. I imagine the deciding factor would be how the National membership comes out to support Tiger's return. If they embrace him, not just accept the fact that he's part of the field, but welcome him home, the crowds will too. If the membership keeps him at a distance it wouldn't surprise me to see the crowd's reception of him to be likewise chilly. Remember the National was founded by a guy who was considered to be the greatest golfer who ever lived in his time, but who gave up playing competitive golf in his prime so that he could instead focus on his family. The spirit of Bobby Jones infuses everything at the Augusta National and you can bet the membership there will do what they deem prudent to maintain that connection.