Surely the end for Woods

On the face of it, Tiger Woods’ latest medical bulletin will encourage many who hope to see him return to full health and former glories. This latest back surgery, according to manager Mark Steinberg, is the fail-safe solution to Woods’ lingering ailments. Once this latest six-month recovery is complete, he should be ready to compete again.

But I’m indebted to Kevin Van Valkenberg of ESPN, who took the trouble to go back and collate all the statements made by Steinberg about Tiger’s previous back surgeries.

On each occasion he says almost exactly the same as last week: the surgery was “successful”, this is the procedure that will lead to a full recovery, Tiger will compete again in full health. It’s golf’s equivalent of Groundhog Day.

It’s also worth remembering that the previous surgery was 18 months ago; Tiger took more than a full year off to heal.

After that he managed seven competitive rounds (if you count his own knockabout tournament in the Bahamas as competitive) before having to shut down again.

It’s impossible to believe Steinberg at the best of times, but particularly now about his primary client’s health. Each missive quotes Tiger’s mysterious “doctors” (there’s always more than one, strangely) saying this is the solution.

To be honest, with their track record, Tiger’s doctors seem like quacks.

At least this time the Texas surgeon who performed the fusion on part of his spine (does that sound routine to anyone?) is willing to put his reputation on the line by saying Woods can play competitively again. But he would, wouldn’t he. In Lorne Rubenstein’s in-depth interview with Tiger for Time magazine more than a year ago, Woods said he’d walk away rather than risk further damaging his body with more surgery.

This is a democracy and he’s got a perfect right to change his mind. But it smacks almost of desperation that he was so definite then but is now prepared to go under the knife again.

The optimistic missives from Tiger’s entourage about his ability to compete again increasingly seem to have more to do with maintaining the brand image he unveiled last year than with reality.

If playing like 2000 or 2005 again was always a pipe dream, we all hoped for one last sighting on a major leaderboard, sending a frisson of excitement through the gallery and of fear among the young guns of the game.

Instead we probably have to accept that this is the end, as sickening and as premature as that feels.

Golf has actually already moved on from Tiger. The last Open and Masters as dramatic spectacles have been every bit as epochal as any he played in.

Hopefully, for his own health and what he can offer to the game as an elder statesman, Tiger can move on from competitive golf as easily.

Poulter not finished yet

I’m at a loss to understand some people who seem to be smugly happy with the fact that Ian Poulter has lost his PGA Tour card after missing the cut in Texas at the weekend.

Poults is not to everyone’s taste, but is an admirable figure – one of the few who have built themselves from modest beginnings by hard work and determination to be an elite player.

He’s the antithesis of the usual country club brat, and maybe that’s why he provokes hostility from some.

Maybe Poults has hit the career buffers but, if he’s healthy, I wouldn’t bet on that. He has plenty of playing invitations to call on, and maybe we will see him playing a bit more in Europe. It’s certainly worth a wager that someone with his self-confidence and force can make his way back up the world rankings.

Birkdale a champion’s venue

Poulter’s closest flirtation with a major title was the 2008 Open at Royal Birkdale, and he often recalls his final putt.

“I called my caddie over, which surprised him because I never asked him to read putts,” he said.

“I said to him ‘remember when you’re a kid on the putting green and you’re imagining this one’s for the Open? Well this one is’.”

Poulter made the putt, but behind him Padraig Harrington came home in four-under to retain the Claret Jug.

Harrington won at three-over, which ranks as the third-highest winning score since the Second World War behind Hoylake in 1947 and Carnoustie’s infamous six-over in 1999.

On a tough weather week, like it was in 2008 and in 1998, Birkdale is a beast. It’s also one of the best attended venues on the circuit, with 200,000 turning up even in the wind and rain 10 years ago.

They expect roughly similar this July when the Open returns to, by common consent, England’s premier golf course.

Interestingly the R&A have, for the second year in succession, reduced the yardage of the Open venue, albeit minimally.

They’ve also thankfully ‘softened’ the 17th green, where new contours made it like crazy golf in 2008.

“The optimistic missives from Tiger’s entourage seem aimed more at maintaining his brand image and less at reality

Picture: PA. Tiger Woods is out for another six months following a fourth back surgery.