There was a time in the not-so-distant past when Tiger Woods’ mere presence at a major championship would cause his stiffest competition to shake in its spikes.
When he reached the first tee on Sundays, dressed in his traditional red, there was always a sense of finality—as in, we’re about to witness history because all these other poor souls have no chance.
It was the most intimidating scene in sports; the successor to Michael Jordan preening around a basketball court or Muhammad Ali entering the ring. Tiger could hit a tiny white ball better than anyone on the planet, but that wasn’t as impressive as the aura he created.
Before an iron was struck, Woods was in every golfer’s head.
But as he arrives at the Atlanta Athletic Club for “Glory’s Last Shot,” it’s clear that Tiger has reached unchartered territory.
For the first time in his career, it feels like he has no shot.
Sure, given his disintegrating personal life and troublesome injuries, it’s been a while since Woods was anything close to a certainty. But even at his least prepared—the 2006 U.S. Open and 2010 Masters come to mind—there was a lingering notion that maybe he would contend, at least.
Not anymore. The guy who used to play Jedi mind tricks on major championship fields has become a prisoner of his own subconscious.
The legendary Bobby Jones, whose home course was coincidentally the Atlanta Athletic Club, famously said, “Competitive golf is played mainly on a five-and-a-half-inch course...the space between your ears.”
I vaguely remember the first time I heard those prophetic words of wisdom. My grandfather, who was my golf-watching companion, was a sucker for these kinds of witticisms or anecdotes, so naturally he repeated Jones’ quote at some point.
For a six-year-old kid, whose mind could barely grasp non-literal concepts, the idea was pretty strange. What do you mean the guy who hits it the furthest and straightest doesn’t always win?
Well, it turns out the old men were right. Physical ability and raw skill will only get you so far in competitive golf. Being able to stave off the self-doubt that creeps in and creating a mentally strong makeup is essential for success.
When he’s at his best, Woods has proven that he has gifts that make the ordinary weekend hacker drool. But as supremely talented as he is, he’s a 14-time major champion because of the seemingly bulletproof competitive psyche he had created.
Since the fallout from his much-publicized scandal, it’s like someone has taken out a 2-iron and unleashed several whacks at Tiger’s confidence.
There are still moments when it appears that he can summon his championship form, especially when he has a mid-iron in hand. But these are brief respites for a man who’s dealing with persistent self-doubt on a golf course for the first time.
You can see it sneak in when he three-putts or skulls a simple chip around a green. These were things that a focused, mentally strong Tiger Woods would almost never do.
Perhaps brought on by unrealistic expectations, he appears, at this point, to be trying to reacquire stability by implementing constant change. He fired long-time caddie Steve Williams, overhauled his swing and has even grown some Darius Rucker-esque facial hair
Seems like things a golfer who is mentally wandering and grasping at straws would do, right?
Still, though, Tiger promises that he isn’t just some “other guy,” and insists that he believes he can win every time he enters a tournament. For the time being, his words are hollow; in fact, they are downright unbelievable.
His career revival may come some at some point down the road, but it won’t be this weekend. It’s not because his swing is slightly off plane, or his putting stroke needs to be fixed.
No, Tiger, it’s all in your head.
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