Tiger Woods One Year Later

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Last year on this date I was in the television studio appearing on ESPN to discuss the much anticipated press conference by Tiger Woods addressing his off the course transgressions. The golf world took a collective gasp as a pale and weary looking Tiger Woods approached the podium and delivered one of the most scripted and uninspired apologies I have ever heard. It was a public relations disaster to say the least. Tiger left everyone asking the question “what did he say?” It was just the beginning of a year that Tiger Woods probably wants to lock away in vault somewhere forever.

Now that the storm has passed and Tiger is back on the golf course the question that looms more than ever is when will see the Tiger of old? When will we see Tiger make that Sunday charge up the leaderboard and bring the rest of the field to their knees? I wish I had the answer to those questions. Tiger displayed a glimpse of his old self at the 2010 Chevron Challenge. He lost a playoff to 2010 U.S. Open Champion Gramae McDowell in one of the most exciting displays of shot making and putting I had seen all year. I'm sure that golf fans couldn’t wait until his first start of 2011 to see if Tiger could pick up where he left off in 2010. Sadly, we are still waiting. Tiger Woods has been anything but the golfer we grew accustomed to seeing over the past 16 seasons.

When he is asked about his game Tiger points to the fact that he feels that his swing is coming into form and that his swing change will begin to produce the results he wants soon. However, the golf world wonders if Tiger will ever regain the form that earned him 14 major championships. At times he looks lost out on the golf course making practice swing after practice swing as if he is desperately searching for the missing link in his game. Despite a few rounds in the 60’s in 2011 Tiger seems to always find a way to shoot over par with loose shots and poor putting so far this year. Tiger fans and golf fans alike sit glued to the television waiting anxiously to see the old Tiger will some how pop out his shell and play the type of golf we are all used to.

Maybe I am sounding the alarm too soon or maybe I am jumping the gun a bit, but I too want to see Tiger contend on Sunday afternoon. I have to admit that I am spoiled and I want to see the miraculous shots and the spirited fist pumps after he drains a crucial putt. I want the Bob May Tiger Woods showdown at Valhalla golf. I want the Rocco Mediate and Tiger Woods blow for blow showdown type of golf.

Hopefully Tiger can get his game back on track and give us want we want. WINS!


Edward S. Wanambwa
Senior Editor
GolfWiz Blog
http://www.thegolfwriter.com/