All eyes on Tiger, but don’t expect him to be his past self
Here we are once more, in the waning days of November, again paying attention to an 18-man tournament in the Bahamas. Tiger Woods now is approaching his 42nd birthday, not his 41st. He’s now coming off four back surgeries, not three.
So is anything different this time? Not really.
Just imagine how wildly the golf world will spin off its axis if Woods shoots a string of 67s in the Hero World Challenge, starting Thursday. He’s back! That would be cool, absolutely, but it’s also highly unrealistic.
Maybe, if he posted some 77s instead, fans and media alike would remember: Golf is hard, and there’s no way Woods will ever resemble his former self. That transcendent, dominant athlete is gone, shoved aside by time and injuries and, well, life.
But we pay attention every time Woods steps to the tee, precisely because he once was transcendent and dominant. This is akin to Babe Ruth stepping to the plate in the twilight of his career, or Michael Jordan stepping onto
the basketball court in a Wizards uniform.
We’re curious, for good reason. Can Woods become remotely competitive again? Or will he slide into sporting oblivion, forever stuck on 79 victories and 14 majors?
The hype surrounding Woods’ latest comeback only climbed when Rickie Fowler raved about how well Woods hit the ball during a recent, casual round. Then, on Monday, Woods played nine holes with Patrick Reed — and Reed marveled at the way Woods routinely outdrove him.
That’s nice and all, but it doesn’t mean Woods’ back or swing will hold up over four days and 72 holes. He didn’t exactly bubble with confidence during his Tuesday news conference, refusing to make any predictions about the state of his game or even commit to a “semi-full” schedule in 2018.
“I’m winging this here, because I don’t know what my body can and can’t do yet,” Woods said. “I just got the go-ahead a little over a month ago, but I still don’t know.”
Woods, realistically, has a three-year window to make noise on the PGA Tour. He turns 42 on Dec. 30, and history suggests it’s extraordinarily difficult for even the top players to win once they reach their mid-40s.
Jack Nicklaus won five times in his 40s, but only once after turning 45. Ben Hogan won six times in his 40s, but also only once after turning 45. Phil Mickelson has won four times in his 40s, but not at all since capturing the British Open at age 43.
And Woods won’t win at all in his 40s if his back again starts screaming in pain.
To his credit, he’s rejoining the fray with a fresh agenda. He’s not talking much about the four wins he needs to break Sam Snead’s all-time record of 82, or the five major championships he needs to break Nicklaus’ record of 18 (no way that’s happening).
Rather, he seems more consumed with giving his kids — 10-year-old daughter Sam and 8-year-old son Charlie —a glimpse of their dad in competition on the course.
“They always think I’m the YouTube golfer,” he said. “They’ve never seen me in action. I want them to see what I’ve been able to do my entire career.
“I don’t know how long I’m going to be playing, but I want them to come to a few events. I want them to feel it and understand it a little bit more.”
That’s a noble ambition. And if Woods really does stay healthy, it’s even reasonable to picture him showing his kids what winning looks like — especially at Torrey Pines, Bay Hill or Firestone, courses on which he’s already won eight times each.
But, even in the best-case scenario for Woods, this comeback will unfold slowly, step by step. Back injuries are the bane of tour pros, and Woods didn’t have a minor issue. Again, he’s had four surgeries.
Plus, the landscape has changed dramatically in the nearly 10 years since Woods won his last major at the 2008 U.S. Open. In the 38 majors since then, only Rory McIlroy (four) and Jordan Spieth (three) have won more than two.
Put another way: It’s harder than ever to win the game’s biggest events. That’s not the point anymore for Woods. But he’s making us pay attention to golf on the brink of December, and there’s nothing wrong with that.