Tiger Woods and his story book tumble published a new chapter today, when he withdrew unexpectedly from the Players Championship after just 9 holes and posting a very Un-Tiger like score of 6-over par. This was the first round of competitive golf Woods has played since finishing 4th at The Masters last month. Tiger had taken some time off to nurse both knee and achilles injuries he sustained (and played through) at Augusta National. This no doubt is a major setback in what was hyped as a year in which Woods and his camp seemed satisfied with the progress made not only in his personal life, but with his golf game as well. This latest injury casts a long shadow on the rest of his year, and brings questions of his durability and longevity back into play. So, the question is "Is Tiger Woods Done?".
I believe there are a number of factors at work here. The first, and most critical, is the state of Tiger's life off the golf course. You could make the argument that no professional athlete has ever faced a situation of this magnitude in the prime of their career. As a result of his transgressions, Tiger lost it all; his family, his reputation, endorsement deals, his privacy, and the seemingly invinceable aura that surrounded him. Woods maintains that he's made changes to his personal life, and that he's now in a better place. I think that for a man who lived a lie for as long as he did, he didn't allow himself enough time to get right.
Confidence. Anyone who has ever played golf knows that it's just as much, if not more, mental than it is physical. In Tiger's case, his confidence meter is on empty. On the surface, you might not be able to see it. He conducts interviews in the same manner as before, he walks with his chin up, and he still displays the competitive fire that helped define his career to this point. After Y.E. Yang was able to run Tiger down in the final round of the PGA Championship a few years back and beat him, you could see the wind coming out of Tiger's sails a bit. Golfers no longer fear him when he makes his charge. Gone is his image of the town bully that no one wants to stand up to. Living up to their slogan of "These guys are good", the PGA Tour's golfers are starting to hit their own big shots, make their own big putts, and throw their own fist pumps into the air. Simply put, the field isn't afraid of Tiger anymore...and he knows it. It's time for Tiger to give them a reason to be afraid, for the sake of his confidence.
The Health Factor. For years, golf experts debated just how long Tiger Woods' body could withstand the demands of his swing. No one swings the golf club as hard or as fast as Tiger Woods. It's a fact. His swing has been clocked at over 130 mph. That power has afforded him the flexibility and ability to hit some of the most difficult shots from the most difficult spots of any golfer ever. All that power comes with a price it now seems. The incredible amount of torque Tiger puts on his lower half has forced him into a number of medical procedures on his knee and now seems to be affecting both of his achilles muscles. No one will forget how Tiger winced through an 18 hole playoff to win the U.S. Open in 2009. People at the event said that you could hear things cracking and snapping inside his knee every time Tiger loaded up and swung his driver. The harsh reality is that adjustments need to made to Tiger's swing for the sake of his body.
Be Comfortable in Your Own Skin. This in my opinion, is the biggest nemesis standing between Tiger Woods and golf immortality. It's obvious that Tiger is the ultimate competitor. What he needs to understand is that it's o.k. to be human. Everyone was looking for something from Tiger after the scandal of his multiple affairs came out. I think we were all looking for him to be someone he never tried to be before in his life. Be normal, show emotion, let your guard down, and stop sounding so rehearsed. From all appearances, Tiger Woods doesn't like the person that he is deep down, so he keeps trying to release new versions of himself. Let's start with the affairs. Tiger was living the life that most of us dream about. Lots of money, famous, big home, beautiful wife and even more beautiful children. How does he handle all that? He sleeps with porn stars, Waffle House waitresses, and call girls. As for the golf course, he's switching swing coaches like you and I change underwear (let's hope), and he's obviously not comfortable with his loss of distance off the tee. He hates it. Soon he'll be switching clubs, if he feels it's necessary.
Do I think Tiger Woods is done? Not by a long shot. He can be the golfer that everyone thinks he can still be, but he's at a crossroads in his life. What's worked for him to this point is no longer going to get it done for him. As so many of us will experience, there comes a time in your life when you have to re-invent yourself in order to survive. I believe that these injuries are a blessing for him, and a sign to him that he returned to golf a little too soon. He still has work to do on Tiger Woods the man and Tiger Woods the father, before he can return to work on Tiger Woods the golfer.
TR
