Tiger Woods is set to return next week at the Hero World Challenge. It’s a perfect place for him to make his return. The tournament is in Albany, Bahamas which is isolated and not many fans will be there. There are only 18 players in the field without a cut. He is the host of the tournament and can set up the course the way he likes it. One thing we know is Woods should play all four rounds, how he plays, is a different story.
Woods said he would return at the Safeway Classic a few weeks, then quickly withdrew four days later. Then he said he was going to play in Turkey at the Turkish Airlines Open, that didn’t happen either as he cited short game issues and withdrew. His game is a big question mark and if he doesn’t withdraw again in the Bahamas, we should get a glimpse on where his game stands and if he still has it. You can’t judge his progress on one tournament, especially with only 18 players in the field, but we can see how he’s swinging and how his dismal short game holds up.
The talk from Woods camp is that he’s flushing the ball and working his butt off. That’s all great, but will he get injured again and how is his mindset. It’s never easy missing action and then trying to perform at an elite level. Many have tried and many have failed. Practice is not the same as teeing it up in a real tournament. Once again Woods has decided to take the sheltered path. Making his return on his terms, in a small field without a cut, but I guess, he can do whatever he wants.
TWO-WAY MISS
Woods will continue to fight the dreaded two-way miss. A two-way miss is when a player does not know where the ball is going, meaning he misses it left and right with no consistency. In other words, he is playing Army golf, left, right, left, right, which is never a good thing for an average golfer, let a lone a professional. Woods driving has never been that great, even when he was in his prime, he didn’t drive the ball great, what saved him was he had the best mind and the best short game by far and all of that is clearly in the rear view mirror.
THE MYSTIQUE IS GONE
The mystique that Woods had for all those years, that put fear into his opponent’s eyes even before they teed off, is GONE! Players are no longer afraid of Woods and the younger players never witnessed the dominating Tiger Woods and are coming out younger and more talented each year. The edge he once had, is long gone.
PREDICTION
I do not think Woods will ever be the same and predict that the former world No. 1 will NEVER win another MAJOR tournament, but will win another regular tournament in the future. He will never catch Jack Nicklaus as the player with the most majors and will disappoint his fans with his struggles this coming year.
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