Finally, it’s time to talk about a golfer -- playing golf. Take that in for a moment and think about how simple yet complicated that is. The best golfer on the planet, and perhaps the greatest golfer ever to tee off, but sadly the planet has been consumed with his off-the-course bogeys. I’m sure there will be jokes about his final-round score and its inherent sexual innuendo. Instead, I’d like to focus on Tiger’s return to the game and his performance at Augusta.
This was not his best performance in a tournament, in a major, or even this major. His layoff was most evident in his inability to get into a consistent rhythm. He hit some very inaccurate tee shots, and a few bad second shots, and then followed them with outstanding shots that saved the hole score from getting out of hand. Anyone watching, though, knew that his putting was the difference between the fourth-place finish and the green jacket.
K.J. Choi, with whom he tied, played perhaps one of the best rounds of his career. He played as consistent as is possible until a couple of bogeys the last few holes. Comparatively, his partner for every round, Tiger, played very inconsistently and ended up with the same score. I think that is merely evidence of his greatness. He can play a round, or a tournament, far from his best and still be in contention.
He had his lowest first round at the Masters, a tournament he’s won four times, he’s ever posted. He tied the record for most eagles during a Masters with four (he also had two other eagle attempts hit the lip of the hole).
I know there will be much made of his demeanor this weekend. People will make a big deal about his few “outbursts” after some bad shots. He didn’t curse, at least that I heard, and he didn’t slam down any clubs. He did let one fall to ground during his follow-through. I know the media will harp on the fact that during his press conference that he intended to be more respectful of the game on the course by controlling his outbursts, both positive and negative. He was caught on microphone on Saturday saying, "Tiger Woods, you suck Goddamnit!" While it isn't a great thing to say, there isn't a competitor out there who hasn't said the same. His biggest celebration was a big smile and raising his two arms as an eagle drops in on his second shot on the 7th hole on Sunday. He hasn't made the transition completely yet, but there is no switch to flip, and a change was evident. There were no f-bombs and no fist pumps. It’s a big adjustment he’s trying to make, and one I find unnecessary, but it’s difficult to approach a game without passion and still keep the ultra competitive fires burning.
In the end, although it will be difficult for him to be, I am proud of Tiger’s eleven-under performance in his return to the game. He will walk away unsatisfied, as I would, because he didn’t perform as well as he knows he can. He will work feverishly on his putting and his follow-through on his approach shots (he had several on Sunday during which he followed-through with one arm). He’s proven he can correct mistakes, within a hole, a round, a tournament, and certainly within a season. He came back after a five-month layoff and finished a major in fourth place with an eleven under. I realize his expectation is to win an event when he enters it, but if this is a sign of things to come, I expect a successful 2010 season.
It was a comeback from a long, hard, fall from grace. A mental, emotional, and psychological trial-by-media took over the sports world. At the end of the day, imagine, a great golfer stepping on the course and it resulting in a good score posted. All this time we were worrying about a golfer as a person, maybe now we can get back to worrying about a golfer as a golfer.
