Should Tiger Woods Keep Playing Majors If This is How It Will Be?
As he sat in his hospital bed after the horrific car accident on Feb. 23, 2021, Tiger Woods had to wonder what was next.
Was he going to lose his leg, would he ever walk again, would he ever play golf again, would he play competitive golf again and could he win again?
It had to be a lot to unpack, yet he seemed to approach his recovery like how he once dismantled golf course and fields: methodically.
When Woods made his comeback at the Masters in April, it was surprising that a 46-year-old with a body of a 50-plus-year-old could come back and amazingly make the cut.
In that one week, Woods answered an important question: could ever play golf again?
It was not what he calls "hit and giggle golf," which usually includes riding a cart, but walking 18 holes for four days.
Tiger shared the focus that week with Masters champion Scottie Scheffler, and that was OK as many wanted to see the former world No. 1 play golf at the highest level again.
The Masters a bit of a soap opera to be sure but, heck, it was Tiger and Augusta, so it was not hard to stomach.
Unfortunately, Woods has decided that he wants to continue to be in every major episode, even if he doesn’t have the juice to win, compete or even play 72 holes if he makes the cut.
Is this what the golfing public wants to see, a player with diminishing skills limping around championship venues pretending to be a legitimate competitor?
“I've gotten stronger since then,” Woods said of his endurance since the Masters on the Tuesday of the PGA Championship. “But still, it's still going to be sore, and walking is a challenge. I can hit golf balls, but the challenge is walking. It's going to be that way for the foreseeable future for sure."
What is the foreseeable future? Since walking is an integral part of the game, you must believe that Woods would struggle in Tulsa, and he did withdraw on Saturday evening after limping around Southern Hills en route to a 9-over 79.
After making the cut on Friday, Woods talked about the difficulties of playing in his current condition and how he would have to do something physically to get himself ready for Saturday.
When asked to comment on his discomfort level using a scale of 1 to 10, Woods' response was “All that.”
Clearly what Woods meant was his body was already done for and he just hoped he could find a way to get around the next 36 holes.
So on Saturday, both the assembled media and ESPN chronicled every shot that Woods hit and at the same time observed the deterioration of Woods health.
When Woods finished, he didn’t feel the need to explain his worst score in the PGA Championship and only later did the world find out that he withdrew.
The PGA of America issued a statement in part stating, “We admire Tiger’s valiant effort to compete here and Southern Hills.”
Was it valiant or just selfish?
What is Tiger trying to prove and to whom?
With 82 PGA Tour wins including 15 majors, what does he have to prove?
Woods has talked about not wanting to be a ceremonial golfer, but how would you characterize his seven rounds during the Masters and PGA Championship?
Was Woods competitive? Did he have a chance to win either event? The answer is no.
In fact, as the tournaments progressed the focus for Woods was more on his physical issues versus his level of golf.
So, we now wait to see if Woods is going to jump on his private jet and fly from Jupiter, Florida, to Boston to get an exploratory round on a course he likely hasn’t played since the 1999 Ryder Cup.
Hopefully that flight never happens. Woods is not competitive yet and is not going to be competitive in two months at the British Open on the Old Course at St. Andrews.
Woods clearly needs time, a lot of it, and I’m not really interested in watching a Woods rehab at major championships and taking spots from more deserving players.
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