When glancing around the world’s press to see how the golfing journalists have received the latest comeback, it was of interest to note that I was not alone in making a special note of flipping over the channel to get a glimpse of Tiger’s newly constructed, body-friendly swing. The world didn’t know what to expect. Indeed, we weren’t even expecting to see him compete. Yet, as Tiger always does, he surprised (not always in a good way) and delighted and almost competed.
He was treating us to his trade mark club twirl and at times prowling like the Tiger of old. It could be said that he did have a wobble, on Saturday when he shot 75, but bear in mind the course played awkwardly enough, that the rest of the reduced field didn’t break seventy either.
The problem ahead, if we and Tiger are to feel somewhat optimistic, for 2018, is that Tiger has never been so low in the world rankings. He will play in all the Majors in 2018, but the World Golf Championships are a closed door to him because he is out of the top fifty in the world. Currently languishing in 1199th (at the start of the Tournament) he has a long, long way to go.
On the plus side he has his own exemption category available to him. When you win 20 or more PGA Tour events, the Tour gives you a category all to yourself. That category is life membership so he will encounter no shortage of events to play in.
Nobody wants to see a player of his quality languishing in the middle of the field though. It’s not in his character either. Such was the impact of his game, the magnetism of his presence to see him present and not contend would be like watching a firework go phut not bang. Or a boxer being pounded by the opposition and the corner not throwing the towel in.
His perspective on the future is optimistic yet garnered with caution, “I’m winging this… I want to play enough, but not too much.” Words from a man who has an enormous competitive streak burning through his veins, tempered by comeback followed by comeback. If we felt disappointed, imagine his emotions being told to not play because they need to open his back up again, to fix a disc. Tread carefully, move within your capabilities, increase the load and enjoy the circumstances would be my advice. Then we may see the old Tiger emerge.
We all knew that he was something very special twenty years ago when he tore up the record books. His College career had pointed towards this. 2018 is the first year and the first time in Tiger’s life when he doesn’t know whether he can compete, even if he is fit enough to play. When he says, “In an ideal world, I would like to have (the younger players) feel what some of my past guys had to go against all of those years. I’d like to have them feel that.”
It doesn’t sound like he is done yet, if he feels there is something left to prove, a statement yet to be made, who would bet against him. It was exactly that desire, drive, determination which made him the living legend he is today.
This story may have a couple of chapters left to be written, a couple of rounds to be fought. Who would not relish a head to head, where Tiger delivered (in golfing terms), a knockout punch and did show the youngsters that his name is Tiger and he does have his name fourteen times on Major Trophies, for a reason.
Now wouldn’t that make for an exciting 2018?