Call it an early Christmas present for the golf world. Call it an eye-opening, fixated weekend where everyone finally got a look at the Man In Red.
Sunday red and black at the PNC Championship let us all know how much we’ve missed him and now how hopeful the golf world is when it comes to Tiger Woods.
The final round at the Ritz Carlton Golf Club was all about Tiger and son Charlie. It didn’t matter that Team Daly would eventually win this thing by a couple of shots. No, it was all about Tiger and the things he could and couldn’t do and little Charlie, whose game looks simply extraordinary for a 12-year-old.
At times Tiger flashed the old brilliance that makes him Tiger Woods. But make no mistake, he’s a long, long way from playing real live PGA Tour golf. He rode in a cart, he passed on tee shots every time Charlie nailed one and Charlie nailed them often. Tiger walked with a limp, he showed fatigue and admitted it. “I don’t have endurance. I haven’t played. This is, what, my fourth, fifth round the entire year. I don’t have any golf endurance. I’m not in golf shape. I’m not even in practice shape.”
Tiger verified that which we all knew. This is just the start of perhaps his longest journey back and it’s a small miracle that the journey is there for him, considering what happened last February and the gruesome consequences.
Yes, there were those Tiger moments — like the four-iron into the par five third on Saturday from 220. Flew right over the flag, settled nine feet from the cup and Team Woods missed that one — big miss when you end up losing the tournament by two shots. Still, it was Tiger hitting his number, his old number, his pre-accident four-iron number.
“If I want to compete out here at the Tour level I’m going to have to get the endurance back and hit thousands upon thousands of golf balls. It just takes time,” Tiger proposed and everyone needs to give him that time. The Masters in April? Doubtful, very doubtful. “No way,” said Tiger’s old pal John Cook who was part of the Golf Channel coverage team.
Tiger said he liked three shots during Saturday’s first round, one of them came at the par three 17th. “I smoked a seven-iron at 17. I didn’t believe I could get it there, but it was one of my old shots, so to be able to turn that thing down and hit that thing and squeeze it out there like that — that was nice, even though it wasn’t pin-high, but just the shot, the feel and the shape is what I was seeing.”
Testimony from Justin Thomas, who with father Mike played alongside Tiger and Charlie on Saturday, was encouraging:
“Man, I was so impressed by the speed that he had and the shots he was hitting,” Justin observed. “At least from my perspective, it looked like a lot of the moves and everything were there.”
Tiger and Charlie put on a show over the final round on Sunday. They went on a tournament record-setting tear of 11 straight birdies. Hale Irwin and son Steve made 10 straight 15 years ago. Two pars on par fives proved costly in the competition. They finished 25-under, two short of Team Daly and those pars at the par fives — five and 18 — made the difference. You don’t win scrambles with pars on par fives.
Didn’t matter.
Tiger was back, even if it was “hit and giggle” golf as Woods described it.
Yes, there’s a lot of hope but at the same time, there is the reality of the rehab road. Tiger grimaced more than a few times over the weekend. He walked in slow motion. He flashed driver ball speeds in the low 170s, which is around Tour average — but Tiger’s never been into “average.”
His bar has always been set higher than the rest.
First thing he has to be able to do is simply walk 18 holes in a day. Then walk 18 holes for two days, then three, then four.
“I couldn’t walk this golf course even right now, and it’s flat,” Woods reminded everyone. “I don’t have the endurance. My leg is not quite right yet and it’s going to take time. I told you in the Bahamas, I’m a long way away from playing tournament golf. This is hit, hop in a cart and move about my business just like I would at Medalist (his home course in Jupiter). Being able to play tournament golf and being able to recover, practice and train and hit balls after a round and do all of the things that I need to be at a high level, I’m a long way away from that.”
So let the speculation begin.
Tiger will be back, for certain. That’s a fact.
We just don’t know where and when.
There’s one guy who does — Lee Trevino — and he’s talking, but then again, he’s not:
“You’re not getting nothing from me,” Trevino said on Saturday. “I know when he’s going to play and when he’s not. He already told me all that stuff. He and I are good buddies. We’ve been good – I’ve known him since he was eight-years-old. Appreciate him very much. I know what he’s going through. I’ve gone through these back operations and stuff and whatever time limit you give him, he’ll beat it.”
2 Comments
baxter cepeda
I was hoping you would address Trevinos input on Tiger because it makes Cooks—and chamblees— tirelessly pessimistic lines obsolete.
If you read between Lees lines, it sure sounds like Tiger will play the Masters; as Yours truly has been saying for many months.
I don’t know how Tiger is going to get from shot to shot at the National, Joey may have to give Tiger some piggy back rides or drag him sometimes or something, but the way that man in red is hitting it, it’s hard not to see him give it a go 3 and a half months from now.
Augustas big hills were always going to be the proverbial last climb in tigers recovery (at least in my eye). I never thought he had a chance to win but felt playing would be a final big step to being ready to compete. But now I’m wondering if I have been underestimating Tiger myself.
Tigers game looks Amazing. From knee knockers to short game and wedges, to towering long irons to drives in the 170 plus ball speeds, it’s all there now. He even hit some very impressive shots off slopes, the few that were around this Florida track.
Do I think he will win the Masters? probably not. But I’m not putting it past him.
Do I think he will play the Masters?
Absolutely. As Stephen A would ask: Why?! !! !
All you have to do is stop listening to Cook and Chamblee and start listening to Trevino. As much as Mr Trvino said “your not getting nothing from me” Merry Mex can’t help himself, saying “whatever time limit you give him he will beat it”.
The obvious time limit people are putting on tiger is that he won’t be ready to walk Augusta Nationals iconic hills. At least most people.
I will add, having walked as much as 2 rounds a day as a spectator at Augusta National the two years we got to attend, it’s a feeling of walking on clouds. You just don’t get as tired walking around that place as you should. Things that usually hurt don’t seem to bother as much there. I believe this is the case for everyone- players, members, patrons, volunteers, security —everyone —but especially Tiger (and Lefty).
I’m not saying tiger isn’t feeling the effects this Monday morning. I’m not saying he is ready today. Tiger does truly have a ways to go. But thanks to Mr Trevinos mouth without a cause, And more and more evidence that tiger has clearly been sand bagging us, it’s increasingly clear yours trulys Prediction that tiger will play the Masters is becoming more and More realistic.
Tom Edrington
We’ll come up with our opinion on Tiger’s return shortly.