Jack: Tiger must learn again to win
Woods has improved faster than anticipated but hasn’t reached top
DUBLIN, Ohio – Upon his return to the PGA Tour this year, Tiger Woods said he needed to find a rhythm to playing professional golf again and the patience — and time — to adapt to his new fused back.
He conquered both quicker than he anticipated. He’s missed just one cut in eight starts after playing four times in 2016 and 2017, has risen from No. 656 in the official world golf rankings to No. 83, and despite issues with his driver, short irons and putter, he has been in contention four times late on Sunday, his best finish a tie for second in the Valspar Championship.
One thing, however, remains for the winner of 79 PGA Tour titles and 14 major championships to overcome.
“We all have to learn how to win again,” said Jack Nicklaus, founder, host and past champion of this week’s Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village.
The Golden Bear said he had to learn how to win again during his magical run to the green jacket and his 18th major triumph in 1986 at age 46. He hadn’t won in two years and was laboring in the final round. Finally, he made a birdie putt on the ninth, another on the 10th and his memory bank kicked in and history was made as he became the oldest winner of the Masters.
“Finally, I remembered how to play,” Nicklaus said Tuesday in his annual gathering with the media. “I was struggling, couldn’t get anything going. All of a sudden, you make a putt and you remember, particularly if you’ve been a champion at one time. That’s what I had to draw on. Tiger has it to draw on.
“But he has got to get through the barrier of not having done it for a while (Woods’ last win came in 2013). When you haven’t won that always happens and that’s human nature. But when you got a guy that’s as good as he is and as competitive as he is, he’ll break through that barrier. I mean, I wouldn’t be a bit surprised to see Tiger win this week.”
It will be a tall order. Nicklaus’ yearly bash boasts perhaps its best field ever, headlined by Woods, world No. 1 Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, Justin Rose, Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Patrick Reed and Rickie Fowler.
“Even though Tiger, I think, will play very well, he’s got a lot of competition,” said Nicklaus, adding that many of today’s stars learned how to win when Woods was sidelined with injuries. “He doesn’t have the fear factor that he had. (Players) don’t fold up their tents anymore because they have all learned how to win and learned how to play.”
No one has ever played Muirfield better than Woods. He has won the tournament a record five times and is the only back-to-back champion in its history, winning in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2009 and
2012.
Woods last played here in 2015, when he finished last and shot a career-worst
85 in the third round. He last played in The Players Championship three weeks ago and finished in a tie for 11th.
“I think he’s playing well, I think he loves the golf course, he’s always played well here, and his remembrance of what he’s done here will come back into his head. That will help him play better,” Nicklaus said. “I think that he is a tough competitor, he’s a hard worker, and he’s still driven.
“I think Tiger will be in contention for quite a while. I think that he’ll win when he believes it himself between his ears. But I think he’ll win. Do I think he’ll win majors again? Yeah, I think he’ll win majors again.”