Tiger Woods 2017 Season Predictions

[iacas]

He's said the past two or three years he's absolutely listening to his doctors.

[chspeed]

49 minutes ago, iacas said:

He's said the past two or three years he's absolutely listening to his doctors.

Well, then maybe he should stop that and he'll win again -

Seriously though, good to hear.

[iacas]

1 minute ago, chspeed said:

Well, then maybe he should stop that and he'll win again -

Seriously though, good to hear.

Only if he's honest.

[natureboy]

On 1/28/2017 at 2:37 AM, Rainmaker said:

Tiger not only had amazing mechanics - he also had this belief that he could not be beaten.  At this level - where everybody's got fantastic mechanics . .especially today . .an aging Tiger without that killer instinct just has no chance.  I think the injury and, to a lesser extent, the issues in his personal life, have just robbed him of that unbeatable quality he used to have.  Like when Wiley Coyote walks off the cliff . .everything is fine until he looks down and realizes he's going to fall.

I disagree that he can't win without killer instinct or with a reduced game. His level of average play was well above the field. He's come back to more average now so once he's got his 'sea legs' back he's got as much chance as the guys at the bottom of the field which isn't insignificant, though much below his old standard.

I think taking it slow and chipping away to reach making about half the cuts by mid-summer isn't unreasonable.

On 1/30/2017 at 0:55 PM, k-troop said:

I expect he'll start out inconsistently.  As he progresses the frequency of sub-70 rounds will increase, and the frequency of 75+ rounds will decrease.  Every cut made and every Sunday in contention will feed his competitive spirit until he is back to being as good as Tiger can be.

How good is that?  My answer wasn't listed specifically in the poll.  I think by mid-Summer we'll see Tiger consistently making cuts and in contention.  He will come close to winning a few times, and will probably win one by the end of the year.  He'll make the playoffs.

I think in 2018 Tiger could be as dominant as anyone has been since Tiger.  Tiger will be 42 for the 2018 season.  That's not old.  Jack won 3 majors after age 40; Phil had one right before his 40th and one at 43.  If Tiger wins 5 times in 2018, including a major, he'll tie both Speith and Day for the most dominant season in the post-Tiger era.  I think that's quite possible.

I agree with your basic timeline of a slow build. I don't know about consistently in contention.

I disagree Tiger could be as dominant as anyone has since 2013. I think his body and confidence has taken cumulative hits. I think with his big injuries he's an older 42 than Jack was. But I do think he could win multiple times in 2018 if his body doesn't give out and his driving comes around during this season. Even if he slowly improves his game to where he ends the season within the top 75, I'd consider that a success given where he was with his back.

On 1/31/2017 at 10:04 AM, skydog said:

I don't think TWs health is as binary as most on here seem to believe- i.e. healthy or not healthy. When you have the nerve and other issues he has, it has become a chronic condition to manage. I simply don't believe his body will allow him to practice/play to the extent needed to try to find his game.

That's a good point.

[natureboy]

Here's some perspective on possible sources of the back spasms, and some thoughts about how he looked physically in Dubai.

http://www.golfchannel.com/media?guid=tJFQK5izjTPWU87kcYweGtLUFYm_L7F3

[inthehole]

On ‎2‎/‎2‎/‎2017 at 3:10 AM, Scotsclaff said:

He'll be in hospital again if he doesn't stop playing.

 

Agree ... last month or so he said, something like "Ricky's really getting it out there off the tee, but I'm a little longer, so I can't wait to see how I do today".  

To me that means he's an egomaniac that can't accept the fact his back is SHOT and won't change his style of play to develop a smoother swing that would be much easier on his back and focus on becoming deadly with his irons and wedges so he can compete again, rather than swinging out of his shoes and wrecking his already bad back.

[MichaelViolence]

I hope he fades away like he did a few times already. Tired of him grabbing the headlines all the time over golfers that are actually doing good things.

[Calico Girl]

Unfortunately, many fans & so many tour announcers believe the Tiger of yore will return. More likely, we need to accept him however AS IS & stop wasting air time on him. 

[Bomber09]

I voted "a couple top 10" but was leaning more toward "couple top 20". I believe he's too hard on himself, takes himself out of the game too early, and is too hopeful that something great will happen. Tiger's biggest critic is himself, and strongest ability is his imagination. When he starts having fun again, and quits treating every tournament like he's supposed to win it he will eventually get back to what he was. Until then at best he "MAY" get a couple top 10 finishes.

[stayblessed]

Extremely excited to see the turn of events.

[stayblessed]

I would love to see Tiger win again. I would love to see Tiger make a run at the Masters or the British Open or even the Puerto Rico Open, but it is going to take a monumental effort just to get into contention for the 41-year-old. It’ll be nice to see where his game is in May if he stays healthy, but I still felt like there was a ton of rust down in the Bahamas.

[natureboy]

On 2/3/2017 at 6:56 AM, iacas said:

I haven't seen a single great shot since Bermuda. 

I wonder if the relative heat of that locale was easier on his back - at least relative to Torrey Pines if not Dubai.

Even if his back is truly healthy and he's not doing stupid stuff in the gym I'd expect it will take a while for his nerves to accept that his back isn't still damaged and not go into overdrive and shut down the muscles if there's a twinge or an awkward swing.

Edited February 21, 2017 by natureboy

[parman]

The medical article I read said he has nerve damage in his back. That's not going to improve much. So far his start seems to confirm that as much as he wants to play he is just too injured. He should start teaching or make his own golf company. JMHO

[iacas]

10 minutes ago, parman said:

The medical article I read said he has nerve damage in his back. That's not going to improve much.

Source?

So far as we know:

• He had a few microdiscectomies.
• He had back spasms recently.

The two are related, but he specifically said he wasn't having nerve pain recently.

[krupa]

So many Tiger threads, it's hard to know which to put this in...

Pat Perez has expressed his views on Tiger...

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2017/02/pga-pro-golfer-tiger-woods-pat-perez-cant-beat-anybody-comeback-masters-back

Quote

“He knows he can’t beat anybody. He’s got this new corporation that he started, so he has to keep his name relevant to keep the corporation going. So he’s going to show up to a few events, he’s going to try to play … He’s going to show the Monster bag. He’s going to show the TaylorMade driver. He’s gonna get on TV. He’s got the Nike clothes — he’s gotta keep that stuff relevant.

“But the bottom line is he knows he can’t beat anybody. He knows it. The guy shot 77. That guy can’t shoot 77. What does he do the next day? ‘Ah, my back’s gone.’ He knows he can’t beat anybody.”

Perez continued:

“If he doesn’t play Augusta then it’s over. I can tell you that right now … Personally, I don’t think you’ll see him again this year.”

 

[GolfLug]

48 minutes ago, krupa said:

So many Tiger threads, it's hard to know which to put this in...

Pat Perez has expressed his views on Tiger...

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2017/02/pga-pro-golfer-tiger-woods-pat-perez-cant-beat-anybody-comeback-masters-back

 

Wow, tell us what you really think PP.. Can't disagree as similar thoughts have crossed my mind but sounds like somebody had an old axe to grind.

[krupa]

25 minutes ago, GolfLug said:

Wow, tell us what you really think PP.. Can't disagree as similar thoughts have crossed my mind but sounds like somebody had an old axe to grind.

I can't speak for Perez but I'd probably be a little... bitter?... maybe?... I mean, tiger woods laying on his couch gets more air time and discussion than people actively winning tournaments.  And when you consider how long he's been out of action, more than one guy has to be thinking "hey, we're over here... Ya know...golfing"

[GolfLug]

33 minutes ago, krupa said:

I can't speak for Perez but I'd probably be a little... bitter?... maybe?... I mean, tiger woods laying on his couch gets more air time and discussion than people actively winning tournaments.  And when you consider how long he's been out of action, more than one guy has to be thinking "hey, we're over here... Ya know...golfing"

I guess I can see that he is prolly voicing an increasingly irate group that feels sidelined by a less than honest effort that they put forth.