My attention to golf doesn't go much further beyond the four majors and the occasional final round that's going down to the wire. My playing experience is all rolled up into a class I took a few years back; after a semester I still couldn't drive a ball off a tee to save my life.
I can't analyze swings; I can't understand, much less explain, the effects playing four rounds of 18 holes in a weekend can have on a person.
But I know a man breaking down when I see it. And on Thursday afternoon, Tiger Woods' (seemingly rapidly) aging body once again betrayed him.
To say Woods isn't what he once was is too obvious; nobody is at age 40 what they were at 25. That's just the nature of time.
The thing is, Woods doesn't seem to be what he was not even two years ago. During the 2013 campaign, he won five times—although he went o-fer in majors—on his way to being named PGA Tour Player of the Year. He seemed on track to return, if not back to prominence, then at least back to competitive relevance.
Now, Woods' career is heading down a path of uncertainty.
He appeared in only seven tournaments in 2014, battling multiple back injuries along the way. He missed the cut in two of those events and finished in the Top 25 only once—he tied for 25th at the Cadillac Championship.
This season isn't looking any more optimistic. Last weekend he shot a career worst 82 in the second round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, leading to him missing yet another cut. And of course, we now know what happened Thursday, as an ailing back forced him to withdraw from the Farmer's Insurance Open.
To be fair, a unique set of circumstances helped contribute to Woods' latest injury. Fog delayed tee times, which extended the duration between his warm-up and when he actually started his round, possibly causing his muscles to tighten up. Additionally, Woods was forced to wait again when he made the turn from the back nine to the front, which seemed to be the killing blow.
Still, that his body is so fickle further speaks to its possible frailty. Also, there have been far too many blips on the radar the past year-plus to not be proof of a trend: Woods' body just can't hold up these days.
Given all that Woods has been through the past few years—albeit with almost all of it being self-inflicted—I personally have been wanting him to make a comeback, to be relevant again. Remember, I'm a casual golf fan; the sport is just way more fun when he is among the contenders on the fourth day of a tournament.
I just don't see it happening with any regularity ever again.
Sure, I would never rule out Woods winning a tournament or two along the way; he might even pull out a miracle in a major. While he may be an aging golfer, he's still Tiger-stinking-Woods, his natural talent outclassing possibly anyone who's ever played the game.
But one single win will never mean he's back, unless we adjust our expectations and redefine what "back" means for Tiger Woods.
I don't think it means what most of us think it means—at least not anymore.
No comments:
Post a Comment