Return of the Tiger?
Tiger Woods has been in the news for all the wrong reasons lately. Since his extra-marital affairs were made public by the tabloids last year, he has been surrounded by a whirlwind of controversy and has suffered a slump in his form. His 20 week break from
professional golf at the end of 2009 did little to stem the rising tide, and ever since his return in April 2010 he has been struggling to find his game. On October 31st 2010 he was finally displaced from the number one spot on the world rankings
after a record 281 consecutive weeks by England’s Lee Westwood.
No wonder, then, that people are beginning to question whether the Tiger’s days are numbered. But amid all the hullabaloo and the torrent of gossip-obsessed press it’s easy to forget what a great player Tiger Woods really is.
Despite losing several endorsements after his marital infidelities came to light, he is
still the richest sportsman in the world (raking in an estimated $105m in earnings according to
Forbes). He is the only player in golf perhaps who matches (or maybe even surpasses) the status of the legendary Jack Nicklaus. His dominating form in the game caused concerns that he was actually bad for golf, because whenever he was playing opponents
were simply relegated to competing for second place. Add to that his being named the “Athlete of the Decade” by the Associated Press and the Sports Illustrated “Sportsman of the Year” more than once and it becomes clear that he is more than just a very good
golf player.
So when he claimed that he had every chance to reclaim his number one position once the WGC-HSBC Champions got underway at Sheshan International, Shanghai, golf enthusiasts around the world held their collective breath.
Woods had usually put on a strong performance at the HSBC Champions, finishing the runner up at both the inaugural tournament in 2005 and the tournament in 2006. As it were, this year he went up against some real stiff competition. Also looking to win at the
biggest golf tournament in Asia were Lee Westwood, who displaced Woods at the head of the world rankings, Phil Mickleson, the defending champion and twice winner of HSBC Champions, and Martin Kaymer, the PGA Championship winner.
Woods had a competent start, firing 68 to trail Westwood by 2 shots and Molinari by 3. Till Saturday, however his position had deteriorated. His initial 15-foot birdie putt at the opening hole gave him a shot at winning and covered for his five shot shortfall.
This was a move on his part to initiate a winning streak. However, instead of a winning streak the move proved to be the first and the last one on that day.
By the end of round 3 Woods had fallen 11 shots behind Francesco Molinari; it was, to put it into his own words “Not a very good day” for his golfing career. Molinari went on to win the tournament with Woods finishing T6, 12 strokes behind him. Since his season
ended on Sunday, for the first time since turning pro in 1996, Woods was unable to win the PGA Tour.
Dejected and winless for an entire year now, Woods returned to the place of his last major victory: The Australian Masters. After starting well in the defense of his title Woods fumbled, putting lapses leaving him 4 shots of the lead after the first round.
As conditions worsened, so did Tigers game as he stuttered and failed to adjust to the pace of the greens. In the last round, however, he miraculously seemed to find his game again hitting two birdies and two eagles in his final 6 holes to finish fourth, only
three shots behind the winner Stuart Appleby.
Despite evidently getting better and regaining his form over time, will Woods be able to regain his once god-like status in the pantheon of golfing legends? He identifies his problems being straddling between his old techniques and new ever since taking on
a new swing coach, Sean Foley. At this point in his career, it seems like Woods has nothing to lose and everything to gain. More importantly Woods is confident; he claims to be making progress quickly and there is no doubt that once he hits his old rhythm
there will be no stopping him. Will 2011 be the year of the Tiger then, as so many have been before?
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