Tiger was Knocked Down but not Out

Woods couldn't have been happy with his final round 75

    After the 3^rd round of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am Tiger Woods had the field right where he wanted them and after starting out with rounds of 68-68-67 he played excellent golf and Sunday was his day to wear his traditionally power reds.

But a funny thing happened on the way to his 2012 coronation.

It wasn’t Charlie Wi or Dustin Johnson or Ricky Barnes that spoiled Tiger’s hunt but an old foe who out Tiger’d Tiger. Phil Mickelson has had a suspect 2012 but said going in that he was close to putting together a solid tournament and with Tiger paired alongside him he rose to the challenge with a final round 64. The turnaround truly began on number five when Mickelson hit it stiff on the par three. But the real punch in the nose happened on his second shot on the par 5 sixth. He was on in two just 15 feet from the hole and made an eagle to go five under for the day and now has a two-shot lead. Woods birdied the hole but fell two behind his playing partner. In Mickelson’s case, he did what Woods used to regularly do and that is to rise to the occasion and play spectacular in the final round of an important golf tournament. The drubbing was monumental. Mickelson shoots the 64 to Woods’ 75. That’s a route and Tiger is rarely on the losing end of a drubbing to anyone let alone to golfer more motivated than him.

     Woods came on tour in 1997 as Mozart and everyone was intimidated by this golfing prodigy and for good reason. But now Woods is older, coming off of injuries and truly no longer has the mystique that separated him from the field. It is like we are still seeing Tiger but the Weird Al version of this former great. He will win some PGA Tour golf tournaments but he will have to win them the way the other pro’s do and grind out wins. His days of wire-to-wire victories in any given tournament let alone a major will number less than the fingers you have on one hand. I believe Tiger will win another major or two and will get the cheers he received when first coming on Tour. This might be the time where we find out what he is truly made of as he has always had the drive to win and play great golf not just on talent but on an inner drive that most golfers do not have. He has to do it in his mid-30’s and that is where most golfers from Palmer to Snead went into decline. Only Hogan and Nicklaus kept winning at this age and Hogan provides the best light for Woods to follow.

During Happier Times During a Ryder Cup

Tiger has to find the fire that he had for so long. He doesn't need the money. He doesn't need the fame. He has those. He needs to play for the respect from the public which he doesn't really care to have. He has to find that inner fire and it's up to him.