Tiger’s Comeback Tougher Than Ali’s
Tiger Woods will have a difficult comeback.
Tiger hasn’t played golf competitively in four months. As far as we know, until this week he hasn’t played a single hole since mid-November.
Tiger has returned home and is “trying to get back into a routine that includes golf and fitness.” Trying to get back into a routine? That sounds ominous.
The man is coming off two significant derailments: Reconstructive knee surgery (summer 2008) and a self-imposed exile (winter of 2009-10).
In a 41-month stretch from 2005 through the 2008 U.S. Open, Tiger reeled off 25 PGA Tour titles (six of them majors). Is that guy gone? How many times have we seen an imposing golfer lose his way and never regain his mojo? Remember when Tom Watson stopped making big putts? Remember when Greg Norman lost his confidence after too many collapses?
Golf is a mental sport.
You need a ton of self-confidence, you need an unwavering belief in your own talents and you need to be able to tune out any and all distractions. Hell, Tiger could barely handle someone’s camera clicking during his backswing. He’s going to be able to handle … this?
When Ali returned from his exile with rusty skills, he stopped dancing as much, absorbed more punishment and learned to pick his spots. As his skills slipped even further later in his career, he absorbed insane amounts of punishment and banked on his innate will to prevail in the end.
That’s the main reason he can barely say a sentence right now. If Tiger comes back with similar rust, I can’t imagine him being able to change his style on the fly as Ali did. Either it comes back or it doesn’t.
Don’t discount Tiger’s advancing age (34) at this point. Watson never won another major after he turned 34; neither did Arnold Palmer, Fred Couples, Seve Ballesteros or Curtis Strange. Nick Faldo won only one major after 34 — the 1996 Masters that Norman choked away.
Only Jack Nicklaus thrived from 34 to 40 (16 PGA Tour titles, three majors), although Norman (eight Tour titles, one major) and Lee Trevino (six titles, one major) also fared pretty well.
Tom Kite peaked after he turned 34. Nick Price won two majors at 37; Mark O’Meara won his only two at 41.
And sure, Tiger was better than all of those guys. But none of those guys had to keep winning while rebuilding his life after a DEFCON 1 public humiliation.
Ali had the buffer of a boxing ring and just a few fights per year.
Golf? Doesn’t work that way. You’re walking among fans for hole after hole. They’re right there. Always. Studying every move you make from as close as five feet away.
And you can’t come and go; you need to be out there swinging your sticks week after week after week in city after city after city. Which means this will be a traveling sideshow, at least for the first few months.
Back In The Spotlight
How will the fans react? Do we know? Do we have any inkling? I could see the turmoil eventually turning him into a sentimental underdog; selfishly, we’re ready to see him reclaim “best golfer ever” status.
That’s the most idealistic view of how it plays out. But we don’t know. And I guarantee you, neither does Tiger Woods.
Remember, everybody has been rooting for him since he was wowing Mike Douglas as a 2-year-old. Although we’ve seen tournaments when another golfer swayed the gallery from him, Tiger always knew where he stood with fans. But what about now?
Golf and tennis are the two worst possible sports for any elephant-in-the-room situation, thanks to dead silence nearly all the time. Every cheer for a competing golfer will feel even more biting than usual. Again, think of how he reacted on the golf course pre-Thanksgiving. How will he handle it?
The 2008 U.S. Open catapulted Tiger to a different level. Winning it on one leg did for him what the Foreman fight did for Ali and the 72-win season did for MJ: It made everyone say, “We’re now at the point that I’m going to be telling my great-grandkids that I watched this guy. So let the winning continue!
As long as we don’t have a hometown favorite involved, we’re always going to root for greatness over anything else. That’s the best place to be as an athlete — people pulling for you, always, week after week, with the athlete feeding off their strength. Can he win that back?
The biggest wrinkle nobody is mentioning: What if this starts out badly? What if Tiger plays a couple of tournaments and just stinks? What if he can’t get anything going?
What if the dominant story becomes, “Will Tiger Woods ever get it back?” What if he’s dealing with that question constantly, day after day, week after week, city after city, over and over and over again, and that doubt seeps into his head?
Ali fought only every few months and had the luxury of picking cream-puff opponents if need be. Tiger will be competing against himself week after week, not just his potential, but the ghost of what he could once do.
There’s no greater pressure in sports.
Forty years later, many people wonder whether Tiger Woods might fold under the pressure of his comeback. It’s a fair concern.
The pressures aren’t nearly as meaningful as the ones surrounding Ali, one of the most important, courageous and influential athletes ever, but they remain pressures nonetheless.
Add them together, and it’s no contest. When Ali actually returned in September 1970, it was a cakewalk compared with what Tiger will face this month or next month or whenever he actually returns.
Courtesy of ESPN
IMAGES: Fairway Fashion Goes Loopy
Christina Kim during the first round of the HSBC Women's Champions.
Oh Christina – what were you thinking! Bright colours to disguise the fact that your support underwear is showing. Not a good look…
Udorn Duangdecha during the Maybank Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur.
Little-known Udorn Duangdecha was definitely out to make a name for himself at the European Tour’s latest stop. Not sure that outfit will go down well at Royal Cape Golf Club…
Japan's Sakura Yokomine of Japan during the HSBC Women's Chamionship.
Long socks are the cool look on the LPGA Tour this year – but not so sure about them in black. You be the judge!
Rickie Fowler gets out of the bunker during the recent Honda Championship.
Puma’s latest ‘Bright Young Thing’ is American Rickie Fowler, who shows how you can wear pink and still look really funky. Nice one!
Suzann Peterson about to tee off during the HSBC Women's Championship.
The Swedes always look stylish – here’s Suzann Peterson in an all purple ensemble.
Shingo Katayama and his caddie at the Maybank Malaysian Open.
Japan’s Shingo Katayama goes for the fluorescent look – nice!
Woods Turns Down $75m Sponsorship Offer
Tiger Woods has turned down a $75 million sponsorship offer from Paddy Power, the Irish bookmaker said on Friday, adding it would make an improved offer to the golfer.
The 14-times major champion winner was dumped by sports drink brand Gatorade last week, the third major corporate sponsor to abandon the American since details of his adulterous affairs surfaced late last year.
The Dublin-based company said its initial offer to Woods, who was estimated to have earned $100 million annually in endorsement deals before taking an indefinite break from golf in December, covered a five-year period.
Woods did not set a date for his return to competition when he spoke to media last month for the first time since the scandal over his private life erupted.
Paddy Power lost 1.5 million euros (R151 million) by paying out to those who had gambled on Woods after just 36 holes of last year’s U S PGA Championship, which the world No 1 eventually lost to South Korea’s Yang Yong-eun.
With thanks to the telegraph.co.uk
Daly Hits Back At Golf Writer On Twitter
John Daly was so irritated that a Florida newspaper wrote about his PGA Tour disciplinary file that he referred to the writer as a “jerk” on Twitter and posted the writer’s mobile phone number for his followers to call.
The Florida Times-Union reported on Tuesday that the file was now public record through Daly’s unsuccessful libel lawsuit against the newspaper. The file is 456 pages and notes that Daly has been suspended five times and cited 21 times for not giving his best effort.
“Here’s the jerk who writes non-news article on debut of my show – call and flood his line and let’s tell him how we feel,” Daly said on Twitter, adding the cell phone number of golf writer Garry Smits.
The story appeared the day Daly’s reality show made its debut on The Golf Channel.
Smits, the golf writer for the Florida Times-Union, said he received about 30 calls after a series of three tweets late on Tuesday night, and nearly 100 calls by early Wednesday afternoon. Smits said most of the callers hang up, and about 30 left messages.
“His fans are very unhappy,” Smits said.
Daly removed the tweets by mid-morning on Wednesday. Bud Martin, president of SFX World and Daly’s agent, could not be reached for comment. The PGA Tour would not comment on Daly’s tweets.
“Over the haters – To me, this isn’t journalism, it’s paparazzi-like gossip. Please try harder to find some real news next time Gary,” said Daly’s second tweet.
It was followed by, “Gnight all but here’s Gary Smits cell number in case you didn’t get it … non sports writer.”
The PGA Tour does not comment on player discipline, but it was forced to turn over Daly’s file to attorneys for the newspaper’s parent company when Daly sued for libel. The file is now public record.
The lawsuit was dismissed a year ago, and Daly was ordered to pay nearly $272 000 (R2.049 million) in legal fees.
The 456-page file includes several newspaper clippings and incidents that already have been reported during Daly’s tumultuous career. It also included some startling numbers – he was placed on probation six times, ordered to go to counselling or alcohol rehab seven times, cited for conduct unbecoming a professional 11 times and fined nearly $100 000 (R753 000).
Daly has not had his full PGA Tour card since 2006 and has been playing on sponsor exemptions.
With thanks to the telegraph.co.uk
The Real Bad Boy Of Golf
John Daly has a very long rap sheet.
John Daly has been suspended five times and cited 21 times for not giving his best effort, according to a 456-page rap sheet kept by the PGA Tour that is now public record because of libel lawsuit Daly failed to win.
The Florida Times-Union reported on Daly’s disciplinary file, which the tour had to give Morris Publishing Co. during Daly’s libel lawsuit against a columnist who once worked for the newspaper.
The lawsuit was dismissed in March 29.
The disciplinary file grew to 456 pages over 18 years of Daly’s career, starting in April 1991 when the tour said Daly cursed a playing partner and ending in the fall of 2008, when Daly was suspended for six months.
The two-time major champion was placed on probation six times, ordered to go to counseling or alcohol rehab seven times, cited for conduct unbecoming a professional 11 times and fined nearly US$100,000, according to the file.
Most of the incidents have been widely reported, such as Daly trashing a hotel room in 1997 during The Players Championship or getting into a scuffle at Firestone with a 62-year-old man whose son, Jeff Roth, said Daly had hit into him at the World Series of Golf.
Even so, the PGA Tour does not disclose its discipline, and Daly usually makes for good reading.
Despite the file becoming a public record, the tour stayed with its position of not commenting on discipline.
The Times-Union said the file also contains letters from fans and tournament officials, some flattering and some not.
One fan wrote to former PGA Tour commissioner Deane Beman after Daly was suspended: “I’m disappointed the suspension is indefinite. Please reconsider and get John Daly back so many of us can get enthused about the PGA.”
Another golf fan wrote, “How long does it take for this young man to grow up and remember that thousands of young junior golfers are out there watching him make an (expletive) of himself?”
Daly won the 1991 PGA Championship as the ninth alternate, and won the 1995 British Open at St. Andrews. His last victory was the 2004 Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines.
He has not had a full status on the PGA Tour since 2006 and is playing mainly on sponsor exemptions. The Golf Channel is producing a reality show on Daly that was to begin Tuesday night.
Courtesy of stuff.co.nz
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