Important Stretch for Tiger ByRonSirak•@ronsirak Feb.4,2017

ThiswastobeanimportantstretchofgolfforTigerWoods.Morethan500daysremovedfromaPGATourevent,hehadfoureventsscheduledinfiveweeks,hittingbothcoastsoftheUnitedStatesviatheMiddleEastontheroadtotheMasters.Afterthat,itseemed,we’dhaveabetterbarometerofthestateofhishealthandthequalityofhisplay.

ButamissedcutatTorreyPines–aplacehe’dwoneighttimes–andawithdrawalinDubaibecauseofbackspasmsraisedmorequestionsthantheyansweredaboutTiger’sfuture.WashisWDphysicalortheresultoffrustrationafteranopening-round77?Neitheranswerisespeciallyencouraging.Thebest-casescenarioisthehappyfacepaintedonthesituationbyTigerandhiscamp:Backspasmsunrelatedtothethreesurgicalprocedureshe’shadonhisback.Morealarming–andperhapscareerending–wouldbearecurrenceofhisbackproblems.JustasconcerningwouldbeifhepulledoutofDubaibecauseoffrustration.Ifthiscomebackistocontinue,theroadaheadislikelylongandveryfrustrating,especiallyfora41-year-oldusedtonotonlywinningbutalsodominating.Sincehislasttourwinin2013,Woodshasplayedonly20times,missingsevencuts,withdrawingfourtimesandhavingonlyonetop-10.Thenumbersjustdon’tlie.It’snearlyfouryearssincehislastwin,almostnineyearssincehislastmajorand16yearssincecompletingtheTigerSlam.Timeisacruelopponent.Backin1997,WoodsrolledinJackNicklaus’Memorialtournament

havingwontheMercedesChampionship,MastersandByronNelson,finishingsecondattheAT&TandT-4atColonial.His12-strokevictoryatAugustaNationalshoutedtotheworldthat,attheageof21,Tigerwasthebestplayerintheworld.Athispre-tournamentpressconference,NicklauswasaskedwhatthebiggestchallengewouldbeforWoodsgoingforward.Jack’sanswerwasbrilliantborderingonprophetic.“Thefrenzyaroundhimishard,youguys,yougals,”JacksaidtoreportersonMay27,1997.“Andhe'ssingle.He'sgotthatissueinfrontofhim.Howdoyouknowhowhe'sgoingtoreacttogettingmarriedornotgettingmarried?Tohavingchildrenornothavingchildren.Youdon'tknow,he'sjuststartinghislife.Allourliveschangedwhenwegotmarried,allourliveschangedwhenwehadchildren,allourliveschangedeveryday.”“I'mreallyquiteinterestedinseeingwhat'sgoingtohappentohim,”Nicklauscontinued.“Everysinglethinghe'sgoingtodowillberightinyournewspapers.Itwillunderamicroscope.It'satoughwaytolive.It'satoughwaytoperformasanathlete,[to]havetostandover3footersalldaylongafterhavingthathangoveryou.ButIthinkhe'squitecapableofdoingso.”AndaskedifTigerwouldhavethelongevitytobreakhisrecordof18professionalmajorchampionships,Nicklaussaid:“Ithinkhewantstowin.Andwinningishisobjectiveeverytimeheturnsout.Sowhetherhecanmaintainthatfor24years(Jackwonmajorsin1962and1986),Idon'tknow.Probablyverydifficult,buthe'smaintainedthatkindof--he'sbeenrightinthelimelighteversincehe'sbeen15yearsoldoryounger,he'shaditforaboutsixyears,sodon'tcounthimout.”

WhatJackdidn’tfactorinwerephysicalproblems,whichherarelyhadtodealwith.From1962through1998,Nicklausplayedineverymajoronhiswaytoarecord18titles.Sincewinninghis14thatthe2008U.S.Open,Woodshasmissedthecutinsixmajorsanddidnotplayin10others.AndwhenTigerwonhisfourthMastersin2005,whowouldhavethoughtthatadozenyearslaterhe’dnothaveaddedanothergreenjackettohiscloset?Asofnow,WoodsplanstoplaytheGenesisOpenandtheHondaClassic.IsthatenoughtogetreadyfortheMasters?He’snotqualifiedtoplayineitherofthetwoWorldGolfChampionshipeventsbeforeheadingtoAugustaNational,buthecouldaddtheArnoldPalmerInvitationalbothbecausehe’shadsuccessatBayHillandbecauseitwouldbeanicetributetoTheKing.WhatlayaheadforWoods?Whoknows?That’swhywelovesports.Youhavetoplaythegame.Personally,IthinkTigerhasonemoreJack-Winning-the-Masters-at-46magicmomentwaitingforus,perhapsnotthisyearbutsometime.ButIdon’texpecthimtobecome24yearsoldagain.ThetruthisthatWoodshasbeenhitwithaperfectstormofhurdles,someself-inflictedandsomebeyondhiscontrol.Confidence-wise,he’snotbeenthesamesinceY.E.Yangendedhis14-for-14winningstreakwiththefinal-roundleadinamajoratthe2009PGAChampionship.Threemonthslater,thatpersonallifeNicklausreferredtocrashedintoafirehydrant.Therehavebeenthreebacksurgeries,fourkneeoperationsandfiveswingcoaches.SincelimpingtothatlastmajoratTorreyPinesin2008Woodshadhadtodealwithphysical,technical,personalandconfidencechallenges.Anyoneofthosewouldbedifficultenoughbutallfourareagrandslamofbarriersinthewayofareturntogreatness.

IsthisitforTiger?WhenIhearthatquestionIthinkofthenumberoftimesaTVcommentatorsaidTigerhadanimpossibleup-and-downandthenwatchedhimpullitoff.Butmymorerecentimagesareofthechippingyips,powerlipouts,gimpystepsandgrimaces.Iknowthis:Thenexttimeheteesitup,I’llbewatching.Nomatterwhat,Tigerremainsoneofthemostcompellingstoriesinallofsportsandlikelywilluntilhesays:“That’sit.”Thattimehasneverfeltcloserthanitdoesrightnow.