By now, Tiger Woods ought to have had an opportunity to defend his Masters title. By now, there ought to be a solution for his rabid followers about simply how a lot time they need to commit to cheering him on within the U.S. Open.
However in a 12 months the place solutions are arduous to come back from wherever, there isn’t a easy one about his possibilities of successful a fourth Open championship.
It’s so difficult that even Woods appears to be having issues figuring it out.
“This 12 months I actually haven’t putted in addition to I wished to, and the instances I did make a couple of swing errors, I missed it within the fallacious spots,’’ Woods mentioned Tuesday. ”Consequently, I simply didn’t have the precise seems to be at it. I’ve compounded errors right here and there that ended up not making me in a position to make pars or a birdie run, and consequently I haven’t put myself in competition to win occasions.’’
Don’t really feel unhealthy if that appeared troublesome to comply with. With Woods we’ve been guessing at issues for years.
Is his again OK? Is he rusty from not taking part in sufficient? How in regards to the putter?
And add this one into the combo for this event: On the age of 44 will he be capable of match gamers 20 years youthful on the subject of hacking out of the tough and steadying himself on the 6-footers for par?
We’ll know quickly sufficient, with Woods teeing off early Thursday at Winged Foot in a pairing that features two gamers who, in contrast to Woods, have much more skilled golf of their future than they do of their previous. One in every of them, newly topped PGA champion Collin Morikawa, wasn’t even born when Woods received his first PGA event in 1996, whereas Justin Thomas, till final month, was formally the most effective participant in golf.
Oddsmakers don’t precisely fancy his possibilities, making Woods a 35-1 shot to edge nearer to the most important document he doesn’t maintain in golf — the 18 majors received by Jack Nicklaus. Woods himself doesn’t sound terribly assured, even when he’s not fairly prepared but to take his place as an elder statesman of golf.
“I believe it will get more durable to win as all of us age,’’ he mentioned.
Compounding the problem for Woods this week isn’t essentially the size of Winged Foot, which stretches practically 7,500 yards with a par of 70. He’s loads lengthy to nonetheless be aggressive with gamers like Thomas and Morikawa, even when they may possible be outdriving him within the opening rounds.
It’s what occurs when he can’t discover the golf green and must scramble that would be the hardest half. By all accounts, the tough at Winged Foot is brutal, which implies Woods might want to overcome errors off the tee with the sort of quick sport that has received him 15 majors.
Sadly, the putts beneath 10 ft that was once computerized for Woods are computerized now not. It does not assist that he missed the FedEx playoffs and hasn’t performed competitively in three weeks.
There’s additionally the truth that in six rounds in two main championships at Winged Foot, Woods is a mixed 18-over-par. That features the 2006 Open at Winged Foot, the place Woods shot 76-76 and missed the reduce.
Nonetheless, as his magical win on the Masters final 12 months reminded everybody, it might be a mistake to promote him quick.
“Once I received the Masters final 12 months I used to be not feeling notably effectively previous to that,’’ Woods mentioned. ”My neck was bothering me. I didn’t play in Bay Hill. For some motive I felt bodily higher and my coaching periods felt good. I modified shafts in my driver proper earlier than the occasion, and I used to be in a position to begin turning the ball over. Then swiftly I put myself in competition and I wasn’t actually — I wasn’t main however I used to be close to the lead, and every day I progressively acquired slightly bit higher, and are available Sunday, I put all of the items collectively.’’
May that occur once more at Winged Foot, a course that doesn’t have the huge fairways of Augusta Nationwide and is lined with deep tough? A course that Woods doesn’t know practically as effectively and hasn’t had earlier success?
Woods isn’t making predictions, and anybody else is solely guessing. Issues are inclined to occur in golf that may’t be predicted, as evidenced by Morikawa’s win on the PGA Championship final month in his first main as knowledgeable.
One factor is evident: Time is working out on Woods if he’s so as to add 4 extra main titles to interrupt the document he needs essentially the most. And snagging one throughout a pandemic could be an ideal springboard heading into the Masters in November, the place he would be the defending champion.
In the meantime, don’t overlook. He’s Tiger Woods.
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Tim Dahlberg is a nationwide sports activities columnist for The Related Press. Write to him at [email protected] or http:twitter.com/timdahlberg
