Word is quickly spreading throughout the golf world that Tiger Woods is healthy, and ready to return to the PGA Tour.
That is great news for television networks, and I believe it is great news for the PGA Tour. Let’s face it, whether you like Woods or not, he still adds quite a bit of intrigue to any tournament he enters.
But how will he do?
Woods will never be the dominant player we witnessed prior to his 2008 escapades. Not only is he nearly 10 years older, but the competition on tour has all become younger and stronger.
I can’t remember a time when there were so many great young players. It’s exciting to see, and American golf is definitely in good shape moving forward.
Even if Woods come back better than some might anticipate, I can’t imagine him reaching a consistent level of play worthy of being mentioned with the best players today.
He will likely have a few great rounds mixed in between a number of average and below average rounds. Unlike the Tiger Woods of the past, this Tiger has little to no margin for error.
When Woods was dominating the world of golf, it was well known that he had the ability to win without even playing his best golf. We would hear things like, “Tiger can win with his C game.” Fast forward to today, and Tiger will only be able to compete with his ‘A’ game. In fact, if he expects to win again, he will need to bring his “A+” game.
Woods can no longer intimidate players the way he used to.
We became accustomed to players shriveling under the pressure of playing with Woods on the weekend, and also crumbling at the moment of the loud roars signifying that he had done something remarkable. That intimidation no longer exists.
Woods has now become a victim of his own success.
Modern day players grew up idolizing Woods, and his influence impacted the way they trained and practiced. Players are now stronger because of Woods, and mental coaches are more prevalent because of the intimidation factor that he made so famous.
For the sake of the game of golf, I would love to see Woods come back and be a relevant player on the PGA Tour. The game would thrive with him back in the mix.
Will it happen?
Not likely. However, if you are like me, you’ll be watching with plenty of interest.
