As he tries, tries again, Tiger still riveting
Do not fret if you are nursing a severe case of “Tiger Comeback Fatigue.” That’s completely understandable on the brink of another muchhyped Tiger Woods return to the PGA Tour.
So go ahead and turn away. Watch the Warriors. Plan a killer Super Bowl party. Peer ahead toward next month’s arrival of pitchers and catchers at spring training.
And then, Thursday at lunchtime, do not be surprised to find yourself checking the leaderboard from the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego. Just to satisfy your curiosity about how You Know Who is playing.
Love him or hate him, it’s impossible to ignore Tiger.
Much like he did last year, Woods will make his 2018 debut at Torrey Pines (he tees off at 10:40 a.m. in Thursday’s opening round). Much like last year, he’s coming off back surgery and an extended absence. Much like last year, he offered hope with a solid performance in the Hero World Challenge, his own 18-man exhibition in the Bahamas.
Now he tackles a full-field event, with a bustling gallery and familiar media horde tracking every shot, every grimace, every step from the No. 1 tee to the No. 18 green.
“Finally, rather than talking and speculating, we’ll get some answers on where Tiger is physically and mentally,” CBS analyst Nick Faldo said Tuesday on a conference call. “What we saw in the Bahamas looked really good. But you’re on a nice resort course, 85 degrees, no cut. …
“Now you’re coming to a proper tournament, with serious rough and different weather conditions. All those sorts of things are part of the test. Does Tiger have the stamina for tournament week? Does he have the consistency? What does he have?”
Woods hasn’t had much in recent years, wobbling along like a golfer headed for sporting oblivion. He’s 42 now, nearly five years removed from his last victory (August 2013) and almost 10 years removed from his last major championship ( June 2008).
He was indomitable back then, conquering Rocco Mediate on one leg to win an epic U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. That pushed Woods’ career total to 14 majors and inspired a wave of stories projecting when, not if, he would break
Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18. This column pegged it to happen in 2010, either in the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach or British Open at St. Andrews. That didn’t work out so well.
All these years later, Woods remains a riveting figure despite his well-chronicled travails. Not through force of personality — he’s relentlessly robotic and bland — but through the sheer power of his achievements.
Remember, he’s won 79 times on the PGA Tour. He held all four major trophies at once, the so-called Tiger Slam. He won the Masters by 12 shots (at age 21, no less) and the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach by 15.
That history helps explain why we still pay rapt attention, eager to discover how Woods’ transcendent career will end — with one last triumphant flourish, or with a sad whimper?
“He’s the most compelling story in golf, maybe in sports,” Faldo said. “Many other sports, once you’re not quick enough, you quite happily sit in the press conference and say, ‘It was a wonderful career, but I just can’t get across the court quickly enough.’
“There’s something about this game, even after time off. You can hit balls great on the range and then take it to the course and shoot 66. And then you wonder if you can do it for four days.
“That’s the great thing about golf — it keeps dangling the carrot in front of you. That’s the hardest thing, too. You think you can still do it? All right, go out there and try.”
Woods will try again this week at Torrey Pines, where his 2017 comeback lasted all of two days. He shot 76-72, missed the cut and launched yet another year marked by surgery and rehabilitation more than majestic drives and clutch putts.
He did look good last month in the Bahamas, swinging the club with long-lost abandon on his way to a tie for ninth. Woods also seemed comfortable, content, appreciative. The challenge becomes more complicated this week, but he’s still Tiger Woods.
So we’ll watch, comeback fatigue and all.