It’s the question for which there is no answer, at least not today, the eve of the 2015 U.S. Open and the 115th playing of this magnificent championship:
What are Tiger Woods’ chances?
It has been seven years since he won his last major title, the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.
Woods, who is trying to remake his golf swing for at least the third time, comes into this week fresh off an awful performance at one of his favorite tournaments, the Memorial and the Muirfield Village course that he has practically made his own, despite the Jack Nicklaus family ownership.
There are more questions than answers for the entire field with this never-seen Chambers Bay links layout with greens looking more like burial grounds for dinosaurs. There are even more questions for Woods.
Can Woods eliminate his “Devil Ball”? That’s the shot that appears out of nowhere, it can go 50 yards left or 80 yards right, it can lead to a huge number, it can lead to numbers like the 85 he shot during the third round at Memorial.
Woods, as always, downplays the process that seemingly has robbed him of his ability to resemble the player who has 14 major championships on his resume.
Witness by his Tuesday meeting with the press:
“It’s not really anything major, trying to make a shift under game-time situations, it’s tough and trying not to revert back to old pattens. But like I said, the shift isn’t very much. We’ve implemented a lot of big stuff already so now it’s just fine tuning.”
There you have it, sounds like what he told the world when he first started working with Sean Foley.
Now, Woods isn’t even mentioned with the favorites. He’s no where to be seen in the World Golf Rankings until you go almost to 200. He’s at No. 195, a slot behind the great Julien Quesne and in front of the immortal Jacques Blaauw.
Chambers Bay should give Woods something he hasn’t had in a while — room to drive the golf ball. By U.S. Open standards, it lacks the penal rough of the traditional northeast venues, although if Woods strays far enough, and he can, it can get ugly in the taller fescues that can be 12-14 inches high.
The answers will begin to form on Thursday afternoon in prime time. Woods will tee off at 5:28 EDT (2:28 PDT), paired with Hunter Mahan and Charl Schwartzel. There will already be numbers on the board from early competitors who have completed their rounds.
Woods, once the world’s best player, is now the world’s biggest curiosity factor.
Can he contend? What about the “Devil Ball”? Is he good enough to compete with the best players today?
So many questions, no answers yet.
