Tiger Woods is eyeing a return to competitive golf for three tournaments in October. He may not return to his masterful form, but it can still be a success.
The golf landscape has changed since Tiger Woods last teed up in a PGA TOUR event. It has been more than a year since Woods last played and a new generation of golfers have emerged. The world Woods enters will be very different.
Woods is not going to come back and dominate. It is hard to tell what Woods will be when he returns for three tournaments in October. None of those tournaments will be official PGA TOUR events. Eventually he will return to a regular schedule and continue his quest for the all-time majors record.
That task is going to get tougher with age and now the competition. Woods will measure himself solely on major championships won. That is always his measure for success. That may be unrealistic in the end.
What would be realistic is for fans to see Woods more often and get those glimpses. Woods can have a successful comeback to a more full PGA TOUR schedule and compete in majors again. That would certainly make fans happy in the long run.
Woods has come back from injury before. And while none may be quite like this, his return to the PGA TOUR can still be a success for a number of reasons.
5. He has done it before
This is not the first time Tiger Woods has faced and returned from injury in his career. Woods has dealt with knee injuries in the past and back injuries too. He has revamped his swing trying to relieve pressure in those areas.
The latest injury came after a swing change that never quite felt right. That may be a product of his lingering injury issues. It appears this time he has taken his time with his return. These three tournaments in October might very well be a test for Woods to see if he is truly ready to go — or how far he has left before returning to the tour.
Woods has always come back from his injury after an adjustment period and dominated again.
Woods underwent knee surgery in 2008 but returned a year later with six wins in 17 tournament appearances. That included his epic win over Rocco Mediate in the 2008 U.S. Open where he essentially beat him and the field on one leg. Woods went back under the knife and missed time.
He returned to a full schedule in 2012 with three wins in 19 appearances. Some of the invincibility was gone — Y.E. Yang beat him at the PGA Championship in 2009 and Woods has not won a major since.
Woods has not won a major since that initial knee surgery after the U.S. Open, but he has still been extremely successful. He has won 14 tournaments, won the FedEx Cup and made more than $27 million from 2009-2013.
Even that five-year run would be enough for most golfers.
Woods may not get to the compete at every major level he was at in his career. But he certainly can dominate regular PGA events once again and wrack up wins to add to his already impressive resume.
4. Woods is the rescue master
If Tiger Woods had one thing that differentiated him from every other golfer on tour, it was his rescue ability.
Woods may be known for his clutch putting and long drives, but what always made him incredibly good is his rescue ability. He could drive the ball into the left rough and somehow pop the ball onto the green and grind his way to a par.
This is what made Woods so special.
His short game betrayed him with the new swing as he dealt with his injuries. But if Woods is healthy, there is no reason to believe he cannot find his short-game touch again. Or be able to blast incredibly creative shots out of the rough to save himself.
Woods was great when he was in the fairway. His brilliance came from how he saved himself from his mistakes.
That golf mind is still there.
Jul 18, 2015; St. Andrews, Fife, SCT; Tiger Woods walks to where his tee shot landed just short of the 18th green during the second round of the third day of the 144th Open Championship at St. Andrews – Old Course. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
3. Anyone can win a major
The best players more likely than not are going to win a major. Woods proved that time and time again as the favorite for major after major during his career. The best players still are the odds-on favorites to win.
Recent major winners include Jason Day, Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth. Those three figure to dominate the conversation.
But there are plenty of players who won major championships that got hot that week.
Y.E. Yang took down Woods. Angel Cabrera held off Woods before at the U.S. Open. Danny Willet won the Masters this year.
There are even some all-time greats at older ages who competed for majors. Think Tom Watson at Carnoustie or Phil Mickelson finally winning at the Open Championship when he thought he never would.
The right course, the right week can mean everything for any golfer. And Woods — like so many of the all-time greats — can get hot like anyone else can.
Woods may never dominate the majors like he once did, but he is still capable of winning one somewhere. And Woods judges himself on the majors. He can still compete at least.
Sep 28, 2014; Auchterarder, Perthshire, SCT; European Ryder Cup team lifts up team captain Paul McGinley as he holds the trophy at the conclusion of the closing ceremony for the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles Resort – PGA Centenary Course. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
2. Team success
Golf is not just an individual pursuit. Golf can be a team sport.
Woods is still going to get captain’s picks for the Ryder Cup and Presidents’ Cup just for his name recognition. And he can help his team’s win in best ball and 4-ball competitions during those tournaments.
That takes tremendous pressure off of Woods to be on for every shot.
Woods is a masterful match play player. He has struggled some in the Ryder Cup. In Ryder Cup, Woods is 13-14-2. He is 24-15-1 in Presidents’ Cup play.
Those are still major trophies and an opportunity to help grow the game and be around the best players in the world. They do not have the same prestige as the individual tournaments, but this is another way for Woods to reclaim his persona and brand.
Woods has tried to find some balance in his life. Being around other golfers and being “just one of the guys” would go a long way to restoring his image and perhaps some confidence long term.
Getting into one of the team competitions, especially his first year back, would be big to putting him in a pressure situations and major tournaments without putting all the pressure on him.
Tiger Woods presenting to Mrs. Todd's 3rd grade class for Career Day! Thanks for taking the time to meet our kids!❤️ pic.twitter.com/2PtF4tLUUq
— Maria Lloyd (@PrincipalLCE) September 6, 2016
1. At peace with life
Tiger Woods though may have something now that he may not have had at any time before in his golf career. He may finally be at peace with his life.
Woods’ downfall on the golf course coincided with his downfall with his family. It started a long stretch of soul searching and understanding. Woods took a break from golf to get his life in order.
Injuries may have forced him to assess his personal life and deepen his relationship with his children.
By all accounts, Woods is a good father. Recently he was spotted at his daughter’s career day. That is a sort of every day thing a father should do for his children. And it suggests Woods has found something to do other than golf.
Returning to the course could be the last thing he needs for normalcy. And knowing golf is not the most important thing in life may relax him in his preparation and in his play. He should return a refreshed and better balanced and focused player.
Woods may not return with the same dominance or fire, but he is still Tiger Woods. He will find a way to compete and win. Even at his age, it is a matter of time before he starts winning again.
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