Tigermania never again will be like it was when the skinny guy in the red shirt was overpowering Augusta National. Tiger Woods was a phenom and cultural force then. That’s many years and surgeries ago. But Woods’ comeback victory at the 2019 Masters showed us that the mania had been dormant, ready to ignite if Woods should ever rediscover his game.
It’s happening again.
It’s been a little more than a year since Woods was hospitalized for weeks after his right leg was shattered during a car crash in California. He couldn’t walk for months. Competitive golf, which for Woods means having a chance to win, seemed to be more “if” than “when.” It was time to accept that we won’t see Tiger playing ...
But wait! Woods still is listed among the players invited for next week’s Masters. That doesn’t necessarily mean he will play. Past champions always are welcome at Augusta. It’s up to Woods to say he isn’t coming. Pairings for Thursday’s first round typically are announced on Tuesday. Surely, Woods will be bowing out soon because there’s just no way ...
Hold on a minute. Last week a video was posted to social media of Woods and his caddie playing The Medalist course near his home in Florida. There was no golf cart in sight. Still, walking that course is nothing like taking on the many hills of Augusta, so everyone should calm down and ...
What’s that? Woods’ private plane was tracked flying in the direction of Augusta on Tuesday? A video showed the aircraft on the ramp at Augusta Regional Airport? OK, just because Tiger is at Augusta doesn’t mean he’s playing. He couldn’t even attend the Champions Dinner last year because of his injuries, so maybe he was in town early hanging out with friends and ...
But no! Multiple media outlets reported that Woods was practicing with his son, Charlie, and fellow Tour pro Justin Thomas. Woods is gauging whether his surgically repaired leg can handle Augusta. The buzz around this development is confirmation that an older and physically diminished Woods is still the top draw in his sport.
No other golfer has people hiding in bushes to secretly record video of them taking a swing. No other golfer becomes a trending topic on Twitter because internet sleuths are tracking their plane as if they are the new football coach at Georgia. Tigermania’s reach is less than it used to be. It’s still a thing so long as Woods is playing competitive golf, which he said he intends to do on a part-time basis.
Before this week, it seemed preposterous that Woods could make his return at Augusta this year. He last played a competitive round at the 2020 Masters, which was delayed until November because of the pandemic. Woods was well out of contention for the final round. He posted a 10 at the par-3 12th hole, his worst score ever on a hole as a professional.
Then came the single-car crash two months later. Woods later said he was “lucky to be alive and to still have the limb.” Walking again was the goal. Golf was on the backburner. Woods and his son played the PNC Championship in December, but Woods needed to use a cart for that 36-hole event.
Can Tiger really play the Masters less than four months later? Could he actually make a run for his sixth green jacket?
In February, Woods was downplaying the possibility. He said he couldn’t yet do all the things required to get ready for tournament golf. It’s not just the physical toll, Woods said, but the mental and emotional energy necessary to contend. He didn’t know when he’d be able to play an official event
“It’s frustrating in that sense because I’ve been down this road before with my back when I didn’t know when I was going to come back,” Woods told Jim Nantz of CBS at the Genesis Invitational. “It’s hard because it’s hard not to have goals out there.”
Then Woods showed up at Augusta this week with a goal of playing the Masters, and everyone who wants to see that happen lost their minds.
If Woods is in the Masters field, logic says the expectations for his performance should be very low. He’s 944th in the latest World Golf Ranking. Woods hasn’t played a competitive round in nearly 17 months. He couldn’t walk a year ago. But the usual rules of logic tend to get bent when it comes to Woods.
That’s why it makes a certain kind of sense that bookmakers put his chances of winning the Masters at 50-1. That’s way too short for a normal golfer facing the same circumstances. But we’re talking about Tiger. There will be plenty of takers at that price.
Woods was a 14-1 shot to win the 2019 Masters even though he hadn’t won at Augusta since 2005 or any major since 2008. Seeing him do it was the best experience of my career as a sportswriter. It was a surreal feeling following Woods in the final round. What stood out most was the disbelief expressed by those of us who witnessed Woods come back as his rivals faltered. It was like going back in time.
Woods’ appeal used to be that he was always a threat to win, which is a heck of a thing to say about a Tour pro. He was chasing history. Then Woods became a comeback story after all the injuries and self-inflicted personal turmoil. Now the story is whether Tiger can come back yet again.
Tour pro Rory McIlroy told reporters last week: “The sheer will and perseverance, it is incredible, and if he comes back from this again, it’s just (that) he likes to prove people wrong. He likes to prove himself wrong, I think. Regardless of when he does come back ... he’s a wonderful addition to the game. And the game of golf is better when he’s playing and when he’s playing well.”
If you don’t believe it, just look at the reaction to the possibility that Woods will play the Masters next week. If Woods does come back, Tigermania will be waiting.
