I was a golfer before I’d ever heard of Tiger Woods — the pro at the local muni took pity on the skinny teenager with empty pockets — but Tiger Woods made me a golf fan. It started when Woods famously dominated Augusta as a 21-year old in 1997, another early signal that the kid might be something special.
Those were the days. Since then Woods, 42, has been diminished by injuries and self-inflicted personal troubles. He hasn’t won a tournament since collecting five trophies in 2013, which is the last time he qualified for the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club.
Woods is back at East Lake this year, if still disoriented. Woods said he played the back nine Tuesday thinking it was the front. They were switched two years ago.
“It’s a weird concept, but one that I’ll figure out here over the next day or so,” Wood said Wednesday.
That’s kind of how I feel about Woods, who won this tournament in 2007. The course of his career has changed since he last played at East Lake. Injuries prevented Woods from playing many tournaments in 2014 and 2015, and he didn’t play at all in 2016, so it’s a little weird seeing him back.
Woods secured his spot at East Lake (and the 2019 U.S. Open) with a 17-under score at the BWM Championship, tied for sixth. It was his fourth finish in the top 10 in his past seven starts.
Woods’ back has held up after he underwent his fourth surgery in April 2017. Bookmakers give him the fifth-shortest odds to win at East Lake. But can he really beat this elite field of 30 players?
It’s been so long since Woods won a tournament of any kind. His last major victory was in 2008. The wayward driver has been a factor, like for most of his career’s second stage, but it’s more than that.
“I haven’t driven it well, I haven’t hit my irons well, I haven’t chipped well, I haven’t putted well,” Woods said. “Just pick one of those things, and it happens to be that particular week. I seem to have gotten most of those things going well, but there’s always something missing. ... I just haven’t put it all together at the same time.”
Woods has been in contention, though.
He led after three rounds at Valspar Championship in March, shot a 1-under 70 and lost by a stroke. Woods had the lead on the 11th hole at the British before fading to a tie for sixth. At the PGA Championship, Woods made the turn one shot off the lead despite not hitting any fairways, shot a 64 but lost to Brooks Koepka by two strokes.
That tournament, like the British, featured many of the hallmarks of the Old Tiger: roars from overflowing galleries, tense drama, high television ratings. The only thing missing was Woods winning, which used to be the only thing for him.
Times have changed. Woods said 2018 has been an “amazing” year because he didn’t think he’d ever play again when his back made him immobile for months.
“I didn’t know how many tournaments I’d play in and, next thing you know, here I am in the Tour Championship,” Woods said.
Some people didn’t miss him. Many hardcore golf fans had Tiger fatigue when his media attention far surpassed his results. Woods’ personal issues didn’t bother me because I never saw him as anything more than a pro athlete selling an image, but I get why it turned off others.
Personally, I’m glad to see Woods playing good golf again. He is not the machine who dominated golf for a decade, winning 14 majors over 11 years. It was a lot of fun watching that Tiger, but I think he’s more interesting now.
I wouldn’t say Woods is relatable. He’s still rich and famous. But I found myself smiling and nodding as Woods talked about accepting that his back will never be the same. I identify more with the the Tiger whose trying to hold his body together than I did with the wunderkind who made it look so easy.
Woods inspired a generation of kids to take up golf. Some of them grew up to join the Tour, then they started beating Woods as he declined. Those golfers don’t wilt when Woods makes a charge on Sunday, like his contemporaries did when Woods was in his prime.
The challenge for Woods now is finding a way to win without the intimidation factor and big advantage in talent, and with a rebuilt body.
“I’ve come close to winning golf tournaments again, of putting the pieces together,” Woods said. “I’ve changed some of my technique as well as my equipment, and I’m very close.”
Tiger Woods made me a golf fan. Maybe it’s still not too late for him to recapture some of that glory and do the same for the next generation.
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