Former, current pros believe Tiger can win
Can Tiger Woods win?
Ask this under normal circumstances and the response is likely a sarcastic return question, one concerning the Pope’s religion or the habits of a bear in the woods.
But this week at the Masters, after nearly five months of self-imposed exile from competitive golf, the question is finally compelling. Can Tiger Woods win?
“Nothing’s changed. Going to go out there and try to win this thing,” Woods said with a smile at his news conference Monday.
As Woods seeks his 15th major championship in pursuit of Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18, it’s instructive to review what Woods accomplished in 2008.
After finishing as the runner-up to Trevor Immelman at Augusta, Woods underwent minor knee surgery that kept him off the course for two months. But when he returned, Woods had perhaps his greatest win. Playing on a broken leg and a torn ACL, Woods limped to a playoff win over Rocco Mediate in the U.S. Open.
In that instance, Woods showed he could overcome a long layoff brought on by physical problems.
This time, however, the circumstances of Woods’ layoff are different. How will he rebound following the emotional wringer he has been through since his SUV accident Thanksgiving night triggered revelations of more than a dozen extramarital affairs?
Will the emotional toll be similar to that he experienced in 2006 after the death of his beloved father, Earl? After a two-month layoff, Woods missed the cut at the U.S. Open. The last time that had happened to Woods at a major championship was when he was a 20-year-old amateur.
“When my dad passed, coming back and playing was a lot more difficult than I thought,” Woods told reporters, comparing his 2006 layoff with his time off in 2008. “All the things I had to go through and my preparation for tournaments my dad taught me. Overcoming and getting out and playing and practicing, I didn’t want to do that because I’d always think about dad.”
On Monday, Woods asked reporters to refrain from asking other players about him. But the following day at Augusta, Woods was the main topic of conversation. Former U.S. Open winner Geoff Ogilvy has little doubt Woods can rebound and win this week.
“We’ve spent 15 years underestimating what he can do,” Ogilvy said. “I have 100 percent confidence in his ability to win the tournament. Not saying he’s going to, but I think he can.”
Jack Nicklaus scoffed at the notion that Woods couldn’t win, saying that he won after taking longer breaks. But in those days, before golf’s money-making “silly season,” the sport was an eight-month proposition. All the players took a long break.
The man most in touch with the state of Woods’ game is swing coach Hank Haney, but he has little idea how Woods will fare this week.
“I don’t know what to expect, and I don’t think anybody else does,” Haney told the Golf Channel on Wednesday. “We’ll have to see.”
According to Haney, Woods has shown progress each day this week at Augusta. Practice partner Fred Couples suggested Woods had a rough time Monday.
“Mentally I think he’s right there,” Couples said. “But his game, it’s a Monday practice round. I’d say he wasn’t sharp, but who would be? He hasn’t played a tournament in six or seven months. But I have a funny feeling on Thursday he’ll be there.”
