What to expect from No. 51?

What the PGA Tour’s “Fall Series” lacks in sheer star power, it makes up with compelling finishes. Even with the big guns typically shelved for the remainder of the season, the drama doesn’t cease in the year’s final stretch. With fringe players vying for position on the money list—the top-125 players get their tour card renewed—there is still a sense of urgency, and as a result, some fantastic golf.

At last year’s Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospital Open in Las Vegas, the event that kicks off the “Fall Series,” Jonathan Byrd notched his fourth career victory in unbelievable fashion, recording an ace on the fourth playoff hole. Not something you see everyday, right?

And I’m guessing you probably didn’t see it.  Even the most avid PGA Tour fan—myself included—will probably choose football over golf on a random fall weekend. 

You can throw any preconceived notions about the tour’s season-ending stretch away this year, though. There’s this guy that’s decided to join the autumn golf party. You may have heard of him; he’s this dude named Tiger. Woods’ presence in San Martin, Calif. this weekend should only add to what tends to be an exciting—and often overlooked—part of the year.  So, yes, the most recognizable golfer on the planet will bring more eyeballs to the Frys.com Open, but what can we expect from him?

Woods, whose world golf ranking has plummeted to no. 51, will try to break his two-year winless streak in a tournament he’s never entered. The flexibility in what is typically a non-negotiable playing schedule was a criterion for making the U.S. Presidents Cup team, who will be competing in November in Australia.

Last time you saw Tiger, he was probably raking a bunker at the Atlanta Athletic Club. Honestly, it’s been that kind of year for him. Every time he seems to be regaining some of his old championship form, he ends up right back in a bunker—both literal and figurative. For no reason other than pedigree, I’ve been premature in predicting his revival. Because of this, and his underwhelming performance at the PGA, I am no longer willing to say “this will be the week.”

In all honesty, I have no clue whether Tiger Woods will ever win again. That’s kind of a profound statement, and one that I thought I’d never type or say. It is understandable, though, that people may be growing tired of this rhetoric. After all, Tiger’s fall and his subsequent inability to rebound have become tired talking points for golf fans.

What should you expect from him this weekend? I have no clue. Part of me still finds this “anything is possible” factor really exciting. The other part, though, is still uncomfortable with all the uncertainty surrounding Woods’ golf game.

One thing is for sure, I’ve never been more interested in what the world’s 51^st-ranked player would do next. Well, that may not be true; I am a golf nerd, after all. But what about you? Even if you could care less about golf, you’re probably wondering what Woods’ next chapter will be.

Maybe it starts this weekend at a tournament that is more substance than flash. For the man whose mere presence was once a spectacle in and of itself, it could be just what the doctor ordered.

Maybe he just needs no one to be watching.