Tiger had a good round one in the PGA today, finishing 3 strokes back at -1. There are still players who did not complete round one, including Phil Mickelson who is at -2 through 11.
So its obvious how the rest of this year is gonna play out...Tiger struggling. My question is does anyone think he is just gonna show up in Augusta in April and become old Tiger again. Not me.
I know its possible...but I don't see it. He's in 59th place at a major as I type this.
Who knows when it will happen, if at all. I'd be surprised if he never gets back to the top of the golf world, but it might not happen at next year's Masters.
I think it all depends on when golf becomes the focus of his life again. Right now golf just isn't that. But when he's able to move past the current problems, at least to the point where it's not what is now, he will get back to work and will be more determined than ever and he'll have a new coach.
Plus, he'll have something to prove for the first time in a long time. He had something to prove when he first turned pro. The only other time he had something to prove was when he dropped Butch Harmon and went through a swing change with all his success.
Grape works as a soda. Sort of as a gum. I wonder why it doesn't work as a pie. Grape pie? There's no grape pie. - Larry David
I think he will do great next year. Once the Ryder Cup is over (he will be on the team one way or another) he can relax and focus on his family and the situation with his children for a few months. His life will settle into a routine again. After the holidays he'll get back full bore into golf. When he returns to the tour in late February or March he will be more prepared than he's been in a few years.
Tiger will dominate again. No doubt about it. I'd bet it'll happen next year once his life settles down and he's comfortable with his "new" swing.
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I think it all depends on when golf becomes the focus of his life again. Right now golf just isn't that. But when he's able to move past the current problems, at least to the point where it's not what is now, he will get back to work and will be more determined than ever and he'll have a new coach.
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He has fewer distractions in his life than at any point in the last 5 years. All he has is golf. I think what we have learned about the man is that all he has going for him is his golf game. He's a horrible father and husband and he is toxic as a product pusher right now. That's what is fascinating about Tiger Woods. THe only thing in his life is golf right now, and he's golfing as badly as he has in his pro career.
I do think it brings into question whether or not he breaks Nicklaus' record for majors. Not saying he can't break 18 but; a lot of the math involved in him breaking 18 included "of course he'll win two in 2010 when the US Open is at Pebble and the Open Championship is at St. Andrews." Remove the "sure" two championships this year and it's certainly questionable that he'll still win 5 major championships.
For all his faults, Phil is a Hall of Fame caliber player, and he hasn't won 5 major championships. (h/t Joe Posnanski for repeatedly making this point)
There's also that other minor distraction of the negotiations over millions of dollars. That's something he's living every single day without question.
Grape works as a soda. Sort of as a gum. I wonder why it doesn't work as a pie. Grape pie? There's no grape pie. - Larry David
He's still an amazingly talented golfer. Trouble is, the PGA Tour is loaded with amazingly talented golfers. What separated Woods from the pack, though, was the mental edge and unflappable / unstoppable persona he brought to the table. It drove him to be just that inch better than everyone else and that inch more focused on the course that made the difference between pars and birdies.
I'd argue that being humbled is outright incompatible with that trait.
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I agree. There's no way you can understand how devestating a divorce, much less a messy one like this, can affect you unless you go through it. Time is the only thing which will heal many of his wounds.
It takes time to figure out your life again.
At his core, he's still the most talented golfer who ever lived. He'll come back.
And I've said it many times, he's infinitely more interesting now than he was before all his public troubles.
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Redhook, what do you know about this new coach he's been working with this week?
Grape works as a soda. Sort of as a gum. I wonder why it doesn't work as a pie. Grape pie? There's no grape pie. - Larry David
I'm not so sure he'll dominate again like he once did. Mentally he may get back to where he was but I think this knee problem may be more of a problem than his mental state. He is relatively young but in December, he'll be 35 and most players don't rattle off major championships.
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