The U.S. Open is two weeks away, approaching quickly.
Seems Tiger Woods didn’t have any Memorial Day plans and with rain falling all over his palatial digs on Jupiter Island, he thought it might be a good idea to get the heck out of dodge.
So the 14-time major champion put his crew on alert and told the folks at Palm Beach Executive to fuel-up his $53 million G-550.
Quicker than you can say “road trip” Woods was on his way to Southampton.
On Monday he was on the grounds at Shinnecock Hills, where things will get pretty lively in about 10 days.
One thing Woods may or may not have thought about on his trip is that he’s got an anniversary coming up. It’s not the good kind.
When he tees it up at Shinnecock in two weeks, it will mark 10 years since his last major championship. Goodness how time flies.
Hard to believe that Woods has gone zero-for-plenty in the majors since that win at Torrey Pines in 2008 when Rocco Mediate tried to pull off a David vs. Goliath. Apparently Woods never read the bible because Goliath prevailed, albeit in a playoff.
A lot has happened since then and a lot has happened to Woods since Memorial Day of last year. It was a short year ago that he was found asleep at the wheel of his Mercedes-Benz on a road in Jupiter. He was arrested for suspicion of DUI, booked and his dazed-and-confused mug shot splashed all over the world’s websites, newspapers and tabloids. Woods was battling addiction to pain pills and his golf future was in total doubt.
He has completed one of life’s amazing less-than-a-year turnarounds.
For a guy who didn’t know if he’d play again after yet another back surgery and an addiction battle to boot — Tiger Woods has done really, really well.
From Southampton it was on to Columbus and The Memorial, his last event before the U.S. Open. The Memorial is another tournament he used to dominate.
“Used to” is the key word there.
These days, Woods is simply happy to be back in the mix.
