The official host of this week’s stop on the PGA Tour is none other than Eldrick Woods.
The man who used to play like a Tiger and still calls himself by that name, is glad-handing everyone this week at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club outside of Washington, D.C.
It’s called the Quicken Loans National and maybe this is as good a time as any to review the 2015 performance of Woods.
To date, Woods has played in eight events. He’s missed three cuts, withdrew from one, tied for 17th at the Masters, tied for 32 at Greenbrier, tied for 69th at the Players and was 71st at the Memorial. He’s won a paltry $225,198. He’s 197th in the FedEx Cup standings and he’s now 266th in the world rankings.
Perhaps it is time to ask if the Tiger Woods-Chris Como experiment is a massive failure?
Woods hired Como as his new swing coach in November of last year at the recommendation of his pal, Notah Begay.
Once you’ve achieved an advanced understanding of the game, and surely Woods has with 14 major championships, it shouldn’t be that hard to figure out what’s gone wrong.
With Woods, however, things have only gotten worse as time has passed. After great success with Butch Harmon and good success with Hank Haney, he moved on to Sean Foley. Woods stayed with Sean Foley for four years then walked away.
So how long will he stick with Como?
It became painfully evident in the Open Championship that Woods cannot hit the most standard of golf shots. He began the tournament by chunking an iron off the first tee. No big deal, not a demanding tee shot, he still had a wedge into a hole that offers little to think about. What happened next was a chunked wedge shot into the Swilcan Burn. Seriously?
Woods looked lost over the next 35 holes and missed the cut in a major for the second time in a row, the first such lapse in his storied career.
Which begs the question: how long will this continue?
Unless he wins his event this week, he will remain ineligible for the WGC championships and next week is the Bridgestone at Firestone, a course he has owned in the past. The PGA Championship follows.
Another dilemma for the PGA Tour is that right now, Woods isn’t even eligible for the FedEx Cup playoffs, the season-ending series that gives meaning to the final month(s) of the PGA Tour.
That can’t be sitting too well with the higher-ups in Jacksonville Beach.
Can’t be sitting too well with Woods, either.
How long will the Chris Como experiment continue?
It is still an experiment.
Woods looks lost, and that’s a compliment, if you think back about the things Paul Azinger and Curtis Strange said about him during ESPN’s Open Championship coverage.
Right now, Tiger Woods is nothing more than a field player.
Will he change that this week?
Not sure anyone is willing to bet on it.
39 Comments
Lar2015
So why would Tiger not go back to who helped him get there is it a problem with Butch Harmon or Hank Haney would they be accepting or are bridges burned ,seems like a logical solution to a problem growing and festering
Frank
EGO!
Michael
I think you hit it on the nose .
Nick Zane
How about we quit focusing on Woods so much and pay more attention to the pros that are really doing the job. Nothing against Tiger, but come on. As much as I greatly admire his past accomplishments, they are just that – past! Let the guy have a life. I know the networks/media see him as news that sells, but it’s getting so damn old. There are so many other great stories in golf to focus on. Tiger has made incredible contributions to promoting the game of golf, on and off the course, but now it’s time to move forward.
Frank
How true.
Matt S.
Well said. I too admire Tiger very much but it IS time to move on. Personally I feel the issue is with his head and not mechanics. With the right professional/psychological help he would be freed of his inner demons and “play like a kid again”. If that mindset could be unleashed then we would see that great champion of old IMO.
dan w
I and many others are sincerely hoping to see the “old” Tiger regain that form, but he’s got to send Chris Cuomo packing.
Skip
dan w……actually there are more of us that hope he doesn’t regain that form. It’s called Karma and it couldn’t happen to a more deserving human being.
Jim McLain
So true. And continuing to focus on him now is counter productive as it ignores some really bright lights in the game while showing his flaws. I think his trying be the old Tiger without giving himself time and training to get there is like watching Mike Tyson trying to knock out people after he was past his prime, nothing but ineffective lunges. Tiger was great, and may one day be great again, but we need to give him the same coverage as any other mediocre golfer until he plays his way back into the spotlight. The game is still in there but I don’t think any trainer who doesn’t make him correct his game plan when it isn’t working is not the right trainer for him. I build custom clubs and fit people according to what they can actually do, not what they managed to do one time.
Dennis Brady
Super BIG ego
Skip
It is time to stop putting TW up on a pedastal. Now is the time to really focus on the ANTI-Tiger….Mr. Jordan Spieth. Spieth is everything that TW was NOT….Spieth is HUMBLE, QUIET, PERSONABLE, ENGAGING, and doesn’t throw clubs, or CURSE at the top of his lungs in front of women and children. He has shown that he is resilient and has the game to play anywhere under any conditions. Let’s focus on his accomplishments and not on the CHEATER. Once a cheater, always a cheater. And YES he DID cheat at the Masters 2 years ago with the illegal drop on the 15th hole. He knew the rules, and yet he broke them anyway hoping no one would notice. He should have been disqualified…end of story.
dan w
you don’t know that he made a wrong drop intentionally.
Skip
Actually I do…..TW is a fanatic when it comes to rules….for example years ago in Tucson he had help moving a HUGE boulder in front of his ball. He knew that the boulder could be deemed IMBEDED, and then had help from the gallery moving it. He knew at the Masters that you have to drop the ball at the nearest point from where you struck the last shot. He chose to move back a yard to keep from hitting the same shot.
4hdcp
Nice to know there’s a psychic on the page, who can read minds from a TV screen. SKIP is FOS, and needs to STFU..
Skip
4hdcp…..I have lost more knowledge of the game than you will ever have…so why don’t YOU STFU ….oh and btw…I will play you for any amount you can muster up….I do hold a PGA card, and did play on the European Sr. PGA tour for years…so if you want to back up that potty mouth….bring it
Skip
Hey you pos….Jordan Spieth will most likely win more majors than the scum bag you so adore. Sounds like you may be on of the bit*hes that had sex with that POS. You must like the tasted of chocolate…roflmao
Skip
I’m betting that you MIGHT be a 4 handicap at your local muni 9 hole course. On a REAL golf course I doubt you can break 85
Jerry Bonus
Hank or Butch or how about just think back to your younger days and use your original swing
You don’t have to change anything. Use your head and just give the original swing the test.
joe slayton
tiger,needs to swap distance ,for accuracy(singles,double as oppose to home runs,club head not getting there as fast as it used too)Hit fairways and polish up his short game ,he could return to top 10″
Skip
Wishful thinking on your part. TW is washed up…he will never return to prominence as a threat again. I am betting he doesn’t make the cut at the PGA at Whistling Straits…or at least I hope not….he is and always has been a POS
dan w
obviously another Tiger hater so our comments are biased ad don’t out for much!!!
Skip
Dan W…..YES, you can count me as a TW hater all you want. He is a vile human being, a cheater, and is getting everything he has coming to him. He can’t keep his “Johnson” in his pants. He ended up cheating on Lindsay Vonn with some hooker in Vegas. Once a cheater, always a cheater.
4hdcp
@SKIP And you sir, are what the cat wouldn’t EVEN drag in: a jealous FPOS scum bag, who can’t keep his hate to himself!
Frankly, no one gives a f**k what you think or say about Tiger, because he will be remembered in the record books as one of, if not, the best to ever have played the game!
Steve
I am a big Tiger fan. I wish he could swallow his pride and return to Butch. (if Butch would have him) ……..Tiger and his current coach have over complicated a simple back and through body move.
Mike
Don’t fix what isn’t broken! I’ve always admired his game but he’s also a self-centered arrogant narcissist who’s ego will never be satisfied.
Skip
I did admire his physical talent…but as a human being, he is simply a dirt bag. Just happy that we have someone like Jordan Spieth come along to remind us that golf is still a gentleman’s game.
Len
You’re an editor, yet you don’t understand the proper meaning of the phrase “it begs the question”. It doesn’t mean what you think it does, i.e. it doesn’t mean that something calls for a question to be asked. “Begging the question” is a logical fallacy in which a premise is validated by its own essential restatement, as in “a man is bad because he is evil”. Here the word “begs” means to avoid or to dodge the issue. The word begs in this context has nothing to do with pleading or demanding. Look it up. There’s are entire websites devoted to it.
Unajacket
Tiger, only 2 years ago won 5 times & was voted Player of The Year for 2013, what has happened since is really weird! He is on the verge of catching Sam Snead for all time PGA wins which would settle his legacy!!
Skip
Unajacket……HIS legacy is that he is a cheater, and regular scum bag POS.
Doug
The thing that’s wrong with Tiger Woods is not his swing, Mr. Woods does no longer has the desire to play championship golf. The things that he has gone through in the last several years has been devastating to his ego and self confidences . His personal life is a mess out side of his children. Not to say the pressure coming from Nike!!! I’m sure TW merchandise is taking a hit, as well as Nike profit. After Jordan winning the Master and U.S. Open Under Armor sales double in just three weeks, You know Nike is taking note of that. So the pressure is coming from all sides. Until Tiger Woods makes up his mine he wants to play championship golf it’s not going to happen. Come on Tiger get your head out of your ass and show us your a champion.
Marie Sommers
I really get tired of all the hateful things said about Tiger. He is a champion and you can not take that away from him. His record is impressive. His building of two schools for the children is exceptional. His love of golf is without a doubt admirable, He is trying hard to get back to where he was and if he never does, so what. Please give Tiger a handshake and wish him well instead of tearing him al apart. For my part I would rather watch him win or lose instead of anyone else. He does have charisma. So win lose or draw I will always remain loyal to Tiger. What say about those who have never won.
Skip
Marie….you must be one of the hundreds of women that had sex with the POS. Did he settle out of court discreetly with you too? He will be remembered more for his cheating than he will for anything else. Live with it….or maybe you are lobbying for Lindsay Vonn’s place….good luck with the cheater.
Hs
Tiger is great inside the ropes it’s the outside stuff that bothers his game. He still we be considered as one of the best golfers ever. I think his legacy has been stamped and sealed.
Hs
So sorry skip but he who is without throw the first stone.
Skip
HS, I am not throwing stones….I am simply telling it like it is. YOUR hero is and always has been a vile, ugly human being. Self centered, arrogant, and just plain NASTY. What does it say about you if you condone using such foul language in front of women and children, and on national television? If you do condone it, then YOU are just as much a dirt bag as TW.
Tom Coyne
1. Tiger has had so many injuries that his golf game reflects all of them in every shot and he is trying to overcome them but they they are going to influence his game forever.
2. He needs to change to a coach that sees his swing for what it is and use it to the best. For example to back off and hit it at 85% instead of 110%.
3. Perhaps a review of his equipment and the basics is the answer. That’s what I’ve been teaching for years and it seems to help the gereatrics players. Not saying Tiger is there yet but he is damaged and he has aged, perhaps more than most, “better than most”.
You can give him my email if interested.
Jan
Tiger is a narcissist, and he won’t go back to swing coaches he has had in the past, because he would have to apologize, and that will never happen! He can’t admit any faults, and that is the weakest kind of man. The way he treats his fans is despicable too. My hope was that this long fall would teach him humility and some empathy to others. I don’t see much humanity in him, and I can’t and won’t ever again praise him. Fans are earned, not just expected.
Skip
Jan, well said and right on the money. TW only cares about TW no one else. He is not the first to lose his game…Look at what happened to David Duval after he shafted Titleist and went to Nike….he has never been the same, and hopefully TW will continue on that path of destruction that he so well deserves. I watch JUST to laugh when he makes bogies, or worse, then applaud when he misses the cut….now all the TW groupies are up in arms and don’t know what to do now that their KING has been dethroned. Just another wonderful day in the neighborhood for me….I played professionally for years on the European Sr. PGA tour so I have some knowledge of the game and the players in the game. Jordan Spieth is the breath of fresh air the game has been needing for a long time…I am more focused on his accomplishments than the demise of the POS they call TIGER
Danny
Skip, you may be the dumbest a**** that ever posted anything on the entire web. I will bet you any amount that your welfare check will allow you to bet that NO ONE will ever win as many majors as Jack or Tiger, especially Jordan. Not that Jordan is not a very fine player because he is, but when Tiger was at his prime, there were maybe 3-5 guys who could compete. Tiger hit it MILES longer, yards higher and putted better than anyone for over 10 years. Jason Day was bombing it 75-80 yards farther that Jordan at the PGA. There are far too many really good players playing the game now for ANYONE to dominate for years like Tiger. And for those who think Tiger needs to change things, you are correct. He needs to get a “head” coach because most of his problem is the 6 inches between his ears. Watch tape of him on the range and then when on the course. His swing is completely different, his head drops 3-4 inches and his swing is all over the place. But as far as Tiger being a POS, he single-handedly changed the game and brought millions of players and viewers to golf.