Tiger’s coming back next week, which is certainly good news for the PGA Tour and its sponsors.
The opinion that he’ll be better than ever is out there, and not just among Mark O’Meara and John Cook, two senior-tour players who are Tiger’s boys and thus have this weird and annoying spokesman/acolyte role.
Tiger has never been better than in 2000, when he won 10 times, including three of the four majors, and won the U.S. Open by 15 shots (which I still don’t believe). His last full shot of that year was a 6-iron to three feet of the 18th hole at Firestone in the dark. I don’t mean the gloaming. I mean it was dark.
When was the last time you saw Tiger hit a 6-iron to three feet?
The point is, in terms of full-swing ballstriking (not the short game, not putting), the farther Tiger’s gotten from 2000, the more bad full shots, and fewer great full shots, he’s hit. I’ve always assumed the reason for that is the swing change he completed 2-3 years ago, but maybe the leg was the problem. Certainly that makes sense- the foundation will be more solid now.
On the other hand, because his ballstriking has been worse in recent years his short game reached levels that had not only never been approached before, but never even imagined before. Just insanely, ridiculously good.
I know the general rules that apply to all other athletes in history don’t apply to this guy. But he is human. Sort of. It’s hard to believe his around-the-hole scoring ability will be at that otherwordly level right out of the chute. Might take a couple months to get back there.
The TV ratings, of course, will be back right away.
