Golf has really missed Tiger Woods. Not to take anything away from the younger stars of the game, but nobody comes close to creating buzz and excitement like Woods. I’m sure the TV ratings for last weekend’s Valspar Championship went through the roof, as Tiger Woods remained close to the top of the leader board over the four days.
There wasn’t to be an 80th PGA Tour title for Woods, who finished one shot back of England’s Paul Casey, but there is no question that his play at the Copperhead course in Florida showed that more titles are now a realistic prospect. Next up, Woods will be teeing up at Bay Hill for the Arnold Palmer Invitational this week, an event he once dominated, winning eight times between 2000 and 2013.
And, of course, in just a few weeks, he’ll head to Augusta, where he’ll be aiming for a 5th Masters title. I understand that some bookies now have Tiger 2nd favourite for the Masters, which seems to be a little unrealistic given all he’s been through since his last Major win, all the way back at the 2008 US Open. However, Woods is once again a serious contender. Could a 15th Major win really happen this year?
As a fan of Tiger Woods, I’m delighted to see him back; fit and playing well. Having watched in awe of his phenomenal skill for so many years, it has been tough to see him struggle. Of course, his troubles away from the course must have affected him. But, on the course, he seemed to be trapped in a downward spiral, getting further and further away from relying and trusting his own skill, feel and intuition for the game. As former US Ryder Cup Captain Paul Azinger said, it was; “like watching a great artist paint by numbers”.
Despite being the greatest player of his generation, by some distance, Woods has, throughout his professional career, had a curious restlessness with his own game. Maybe this desire to always be improving has been a key part of his success; it’s hard to argue with 14 Majors and 79 Tour wins after all.
However, from Butch Harmon, to Hank Haney, to Sean Foley and latterly Chris Como; Tiger always seemed to need someone on hand telling him what to do. Not to comment on or criticize the advice those coaches gave Woods, but I’ve always been curious as to what advice you can give a once in a generation talent like Woods? And, why would Woods put such confidence and trust in their opinions?
That has been one of the frustrating aspects of watching Woods in recent years: he seemed to be constantly looking to others for answers. Many great players have fallen into that trap over the years, notably Sandy Lyle and Seve Ballesteros.
Rediscovering his feel for the game
Finally, however, Woods is rediscovering his feel for the game. I understand that much of the work he did with his last coach, Chris Como, was simply looking back at old footage of his play and tapping into the thoughts and feels he was using when at his best. Since announcing last year that he was going to be working on his game without a coach, he has continued to do that.
Of course, Woods at 41 is very different from Woods at 21, but I think that if he continues to trust his own talent and feel, then he could return to the top of the game. One comment Woods made after his final round certainly suggested his old instincts were coming back; describing the 44-foot putt he holed on the 71st hole for a birdie that gave him a chance to catch Casey, Woods said; “I was just putting into the picture, like my Pop told me to”.
In other words, seeing the shot and doing it; letting his feel and instincts play the shot.
For golfers of all levels, that’s a very important point. If you want to improve, you may work on your game on the range and improve your skills with assistance from a coach, but ultimately, once you get out onto the course that work has been done; now you're own your own, you must understand what to do and you must trust yourself.
If Tiger Woods continues to trust his own instincts and skill (and, let’s not forget, his body holds up), then I think it won’t be long until he’s back in the winners’ circle. It’s great to have him back!
