Tiger Woods pale to the end line on Sunday at the Genesis Invitational in his first PGA Tour begin for the reason that finish of 2020. Woods closed his week with a 2-over 73 to finish his match at 1 underneath and safe a top-50 end on the leaderboard. His 73 was the seventh-worst remaining spherical rating within the subject at the time he completed.
Not all of it was dangerous for Woods, although. In truth, simply getting via 4 rounds of golf must be thought of a victory on some degree for anyone who solely did that after all through the whole thing of 2022.
“It’s progress, headed in the right direction, yes,” stated Woods. “It certainly was a little bit more difficult than I probably let on. My team has been fantastic in getting my body recovered day to day and getting me ready to play each and every day.
“That’s the arduous half that I am unable to simulate at house. Even if I performed 4 days at house, it is not the identical as adrenaline, it is not the identical because the system being ramped up like that — the depth, simply the main target that it takes to play at this degree. No matter how a lot — I’m excellent at simulating that at house, nevertheless it’s simply not the identical as being out right here and doing it.”
Tiger definitely had his moments, too. Three closing birdies on Thursday in entrance of Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy. A 67 on Saturday in Round 3 that was higher than a lot of the prime gamers on the planet. Those have been unexpectedly joyous moments, each for him and for the 1000’s who got here to see him play at Riviera Country Club (to not point out everybody watching on TV). They have been a callback to yesteryear and a time after they would not have been fairly as astonishing.
Woods did not do something tremendously all week, though his iron play and swing velocity have been each higher than anticipated after such an extended layoff (it had been seven months since he teed it up in a aggressive golf match). He completed prime 30 within the subject in strategy play and persistently hit 175-180 in ball velocity along with his driver off the tee (PGA Tour common is low 170s).
More essential was his sheer presence. Woods within the subject offered the Genesis much more status than was already implied by its standing as one of many PGA Tour’s elevated occasions. It made Thursday really feel like Sunday, and it made the minimize line appear much more essential than it usually does since Woods was on it.
Presence is the first factor Woods has to supply at this level for a few causes. Even although it was surprisingly spectacular that he was in a position to stroll and play all 4 rounds seemingly with out huge points, it is nonetheless nearly inconceivable for him to place within the follow work essential to play at a degree of consistency that may end in true competitors. Whether his well being improves and he is in a position to put the hours of taking part in and strolling that he would really like or the extra tournaments he wants to remain sharp stays to be seen, though Woods himself has stated a number of instances that that is unbelievable. That presents an issue on the subject of his skill to win.
“I’m very good at simulating that at home,” he stated, “but it’s just not the same as being out here and doing it.”
And so what we’re left proper now, and sure into the close to future, is that this: varied glimpses of the traditionally nice participant he is been for the final 25 years that make you consider one thing irrational may happen. We obtained that on Thursday, after which we obtained it once more on Saturday. Those will concurrently mix with a peek at a future model of Tiger that actually would not have any swings left within the tank. Up and down. Down and up
He will likely be a person continually making an attempt to reconcile the logistics of his physique with the wishes of his coronary heart. Somebody who intellectually is aware of that what he had is rarely actually coming again as a result of his physique and his thoughts are so weary of the chase, however whose id is so intertwined along with his aggressive nature that he would not know what else he would even do.
That may not be the most effective model of Tiger, however to me, it is in all probability essentially the most fascinating.
Tiger did not dissuade the concept that he may maybe tee it up once more earlier than the 2023 Masters, which he’ll presumably play, though he reiterated one thing he is been adamant about: he is unlikely to play greater than 5 – 6 instances in a 12 months..
“Here’s the deal: Like I told you guys last year, I’m not going to play any more than probably the majors and maybe a couple more,” he stated. “That’s it, that’s all my body will allow me to do. My back the way it is, all the surgeries I had on my back, my leg the way it is, I just can’t. That’s just going to be my future.
“So my intent final 12 months was to play in all 4 majors, I obtained three of the 4. Hopefully this 12 months I can get all 4 and possibly sprinkle in just a few right here and there. But that is it for the remainder of my profession. I do know that and I perceive that. That’s simply my actuality.”
If this week’s successful 2023 debut was any indication, I would not at all be shocked to see him play Bay Hill in two weeks or the Players Championship in three. Whether that is sufficient prep to have an actual shot at Augusta stays to be seen, nevertheless it’s a far cry from the place we thought he can be as just lately as three weeks in the past.