ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ

Iain, now that Woods drop in ranking and form has gone passed the 'career blip' stage and he is now entering a period where his career goes either one way or another I am wondering if anyone in the history of the game has ever stood comfortably at the top of the game, both in terms of ranking and popular opinion, dropped away significantly and then returned for a second spell at the top of the game?

Players have had multiple spells at the number one spot, but I suspect the majority of such players spend a number of brief spells at the top, or peaked, and then fell away.

Whilst players like Faldo, G.Norman and Nicklaus had resurgences after they lost their 'undisputed No.1' spot, none of them had more than transient returns to the top. Has anyone ever spent 2-3+ years at number one, been off the top for 1-2+ years and then come back to spend a further 2-3+ years on top?

Extra-Marital affairs Tiger Woods, you must have the wrong guy? Is there really a need to mention this in every article about Tiger?

First rate article Iain. The Tiger Woods story so far has a familiar resonance to any golfer who plays in their Monthly Medal - no I don't mean the affairs, the headlines or the bank account - I mean the fact that mental strength and belief are just as important as physical health and a good swing.
It is clear that Tiger's off course shenanigans have left him mentally scarred and until he can rebalance his own sense of self worth he will never recapture the dominance he once had. There is no question that Donald and Westwood deserve their position in the rankings, but the Tiger of old had a way of defeating his opponents before they reached the first tee, now he is seen as fallible, even human. I doubt very much that unless Tiger refinds his 'mojo' the physical ills will only get worse as he tries to force his body to make up for his mental shortcomings.

although Westwood & Donald are trading position 1 in the world, on what appears a weekly basis, they will never be considered 'proper' number 1 until either of them has a major tucked away.

with regards to Tiger, the old cliche of "form is temporary, class is permanent" springs to mind...as is the case with westwood...he was down in the lowe echelons of world rankings not so long ago....

I think Tiger will bounce back, maybe not to his form of late 90's early 2000's, but he will come back to form...in the irish/american accent of G-Mac.."he just needs his gaame face on"

Don't bet against him! Tiger will reign supreme once again!

Excellent article Iain. The world of golf is undoubtably poorer without Tiger as he is one of the greatest spotsmen of our time and I like millions of others, the first person to look for on the leaderbord ( starting from the top !! )would be Tiger. There isn't quite as much interest without the man, as I am sure the sponsors would agree. Having said that, the winner of next weeks Open will be a well deserved true Champion, let's hope it another Brit. Come back quickly Tiger - fit and well so we can see the REAL deal.

All this user's posts have been removed.Why?

Of course he will be back. Annoying some and thrilling others.

At 13:16 8th Jun 2011, Calum wrote:

Extra-Marital affairs Tiger Woods, you must have the wrong guy? Is there really a need to mention this in every article about Tiger?


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Is there really a need for you to make the same comment about every article about Tiger Woods?

In answer to JoeG,
you kind of answer your own question as Norman did exactly that.

Not having read too much on the subject, as golf is not in my top 5 sports followed, but it may not be down to his mental strength. If his knee has had 4 ops already, and with damaged ankle ligaments currently, it may be his body gives up before he can play for long enough to regain his past form.

I do speak from personal experience, even though I have only ever played at a decent amateur level, it is still only amateur, but persistent injuries forced me to stop playing cricket in my mid 30's, well before the age at which I would still be an effective team member.

Also #7 has a good point. Even with half his money gone, he's still a very wealthy man.

Iain can you say from statistics what Tiger's record is pre ditching Butch Harmon and post ditching him. It seems to me that although the BH years coincide with the younger Tiger years he was also at his most aggressive then. Other coaches seem to have tried to introduce control into his game but that patently hasn't worked and also hasn't seemed to arrest his physical decline. Funny how his physique and fitness regime was paraded as the new paradigm for 'modern golfer'. Looks like it isn't the solution now for longevity... maybe Ray Floyd, Gary Player and dare one say Jack Niclaus should be consulted?

I'm sick and tired of the media going on about Tiger Woods and his marital affairs. As if he is the only one in the world that has done this. It's wrong but I believe this more to do with the underworld of golf as a whole due to the fact that he was young black and very gifted. Some golfers at the top didn't like the fact mentioning no names. But these golfers couldn't wait till Tiger made a mistake.

It seems extremely unlikely to me that Tiger will ever regain his pre-eminence in the game of golf. He gained it originally with a certain set of necessary conditions - mental, physical, emotional, environmental etc. Some of these have now changed, forever and he will be hard-tested to re-invent himself at the top of golf without them. Should he 're-find' himself, as some have suggested, it might be just as likely associated with another activity in his life, rather than golf.

There is no viscious circle unless Woods wants there to be.

In all reality he needs to go away and get it fixed properly, give up a year or two of playing the game if necessary. Provided he remains fit and rehabs properly he should be able to come back and give it a proper go later on.

It smacks of Woods trying to rush back all the time, before he's physically ready. And it almost goes without saying that he seems to not be mentally ready either.

But he doesn't seem to want to truly confront both of those things head-on, he just wants to try to thrash out his demons on the course and it's not happening.

Lets be honest.... Its gonna take more than just a repaired body for Tiger to come back to his best!..... He needs a complete 'no fear" attitude, as he did 10 years ago. Rory Mcilroy, fowler, mannersero, donald..... are playing with no fear (but perhaps not as individually dominant as Tiger was) but collectively will always be in the top 10 of most tournaments.... Expectations, when he returns, shall be sky high, pressure for him to perform will be immense and I honestly doubt he will be able to deliver......

Golf is not a team sport... (less not talk about the Ryder Cup).... he aint gonna get his peers to help him back on the scene.... the new breed are gonna keep improving and it seems when Tiger is back he will start back on the grid!

13.At 14:08 8th Jun 2011, gunnerboyd71 wrote:
I'm sick and tired of the media going on about Tiger Woods and his marital affairs. As if he is the only one in the world that has done this. It's wrong but I believe this more to do with the underworld of golf as a whole due to the fact that he was young black and very gifted. Some golfers at the top didn't like the fact mentioning no names. But these golfers couldn't wait till Tiger made a mistake.


This is the most idiotic comment I think I have ever read. To all people questioning why the media comment on Wood's marital affairs, it is because there is a direct correlation between these events occuring and his dip in form. The 2 are linked and therefore it is relevant to mention.

In response to gunnerboyds insistence that this is some sort of conspiracy because of Tigers ethnicity I would simply say one word. Idiot.

There is a certain irony in the fact that Tiger single-handedly turned golf into a 'physical' sport as much about strength and physical manipulation as self-confidence and imagination. He may now be hoisted on his own petard, because his body has been put through the rigours one year too many.
Seriously, I'd never heard before about a pro-golfer retiring due to injury. It never was that sort of game - unlike football, rugby etc. But it seems that there is a real possibility that Tiger's body can't reach the standards of the sport that he re-invented.
Am I sad ? Not especially. I think that even falling short of 18 majors, he will still be considered the greatest golfer of all time. To me winning majors is not the be-all and end-all. Does anyone think that Ben Curits and Todd Hamilton are greater golfers than Colin Montogomerie "....just because they've won a major..." ?

"Whoever picks up that trophy next week, there's not going to be an asterisk against the name saying Tiger Woods did not play. They will be a deserving champion."

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Unfortunately, there will be an asterisk. Not because an absent Tiger makes the field too weak. But because everyone in golf is so obsessed with Tiger, any tournament without him is haunted by his ghost.

The comparisons to three years ago are interesting. Why do you think he went against the advice of his doctors three years ago, but not this time? Is that because he feels he can no longer win, so it isn't worth playing through the pain?

The 'aura of invincibility' has indeed faded.

He will always be a potential winner, simply because he has the mental strength of a winner. Standing over that 8 foot putt that he simply, absolutely HAS to hole, he has the ability to ignore the pressure and retain his stroke.

So in my opinion whether he can come back is purely down to the medical side of things. If his knee recovers sufficiently to allow him to play, he will become a threat again. Not the all conquering Tiger of the past I suspect, but if he gets his health back I wouldn't bet against him winning another major or two, especially if he can get himself into a competitive position in one of them coming up the stretch.

At least one plus comes out of Tiger's downfall....the US Open coverage will show the other golfers in the field rather than the usual "we're switching to Tiger leaving the locker room"..."let's cut to Tiger tieing his shoelaces"..."we've just got a shot of Tiger adjusting his glove" and all the other obsessions the broadcast media had with the man to the detriment of the actual golf taking place...

As for his form, winning is a habit and it's clearly one he has kicked for now. He needs to go away for a long time and get his body and mind back "in the game" It's not as if he'll be forgotten. Then he should come back and start winning the minors before even considering taking on the majors. He'll soon be the dominant force he once was once he gets a string of tourny victories under his belt...

And if he needs me to coach that philosophy into him, I'm available at short notice and relatively cheap considering he has fallen upon hard times!

If we put all the personal stuff aside there is a more compelling reason why Tiger is having problems. The mechanics of his swing now look ugly. The smooth tempo and rhythm of the earlier swing are gone in favour of what you have to say is now a rather ugly, choppy swing. Is this to compensate for the toll taken by the injuries and the loss of flexibility in the knees and hips? You don't need to have a great swing to succeed, (Nicklaus' swing was famously described by John Jacobs as "rock and block"), but as Tigers swing has become more a "hitters" swing he seems less able to control the ball when he really needs to. My worry for him is that without the physical ability to return to the swing he had of old he will be like all the rest and vulnerable under pressure.

Surely I can't be the only one who is bored to death by the continual media fascination with Woods? Will he,won't he ? Who cares... he's yesterdays news.

He's ranked 15th in the World and only going in ONE direction as a result of his body breaking down ( no surprise, given the extreme forces he generated when swinging) and self inflicted wounds due to the arrogance of wealth and power.

Let's all move on... and celebrate the influx of great young players and the fascinating wrestle for the No 1 spot in the world rankings.

Should Woods however truly need inspiration, then look no further than Lee Westwood as the prime example of a successful golfer who was at the top then REALLY plummeted down the rankings before having the fortitude and guts to climb back to the to No 1 spot.

Hitting a little ball around a grass strip, requires practice and passion for the game. Until tiger can do both again he game is going to suffer. I think tiger needs to ditch the power game and start playing to his age. re:Luke Donald. Woods at his best was the short game king he just needs to slow down and start nudging up a club. He also needs to play some smaller tournanments when he's fit and get the winning feeling back. It must hard being that good and playing that bad.

My view is that Tiger's problem is wholly down to his physical ailments i.e. his left knee. He came back in 2009 and played great; the problems are not down his marriage breakup or Hank Haney (he always swings the club with such rotational efficiency like I’ve never seen before) but purely his physical problems and they are getting worse. I'm sorry to say I think he will retire from Golf sooner rather than later he can’t swing a golf club at his level with a plastic knee. Sorry I feel for the guy as he's given his whole life for golf and like Seve is going to be forced to retire.

Who cares if he never comes back .. the man is completely synthetic and humourless. About as much charisma as wet fish and chips ... and spits and throws his way around a golf course when things don't go his way. Good riddance and I am amazed he still has so many hero worshipping followers ... he cares zilch about y'all y'know.

Hello

There are some golf lovers who DO care about the behaviour of the people they follow.
While a great golfer ONE TIME, Tiger is far from that now.
He has also proved by his attitude both on and off the course that he is NOT a class act.
Personally, I don't miss him at all.
HIs legacy will ALWAYS include his activities away from the course

Tiger's mental strength has been compromised because perhaps more than any other sportsman he projected an image of himself to the world, and made that image into a commercial goldmine. Now that image is gone, he knows the public (and sponsors) no longer see him the way he wants them to, and he isn't the same person on the course. Combine that with physical decline and it's asking too much for him to come back and dominate, but we shouldn't forget that for all the turmoil, on Sunday afternoon at Augusta he had a four foot putt on the 15th for the outright lead. If that had gone in I believe he would have won the Masters. Those ranked above him aren't dominating because they're not equipped to - we can talk about the fearless rise of the young Europeans all we like but Donald and Westwood aren't that young and still haven't won a major and McIlroy won't fulfil his potential unless he learns to putt. There are plenty of talented contenders in the top 20 but anyone who says the sight of Tiger's name rising up on the leaderboard doesn't affect them is lying. Bottom line - I don't think he'll overtake Nicklaus and I don't think he'll be no 1 again, but if he gets back enough self belief to hole the big putts he can still win more majors.

Interesting blog, I've read one online which is getting pretty good reviews. All about Tiger's demise and if he will ever turn it around...



It's a decent read actually, even for someone who's not much of an enthusiast like myself.

Dumb article by a lazy golf correspondent. If there was an award for "Stating the Bleeding Obvious", Iain Carter would win it very often. There is absolutely nothing in this blog that we don't know already. And like #2 states, why is Tiger's extra-marital affair still a talking point? I notice that you never mention the number of times SIR Nick Faldo has been married. Is that because it had nothing to do with his golf? I know he's retired now. But when he was winning all those major titles, there was barely a whisper about his personal life. Why is it different with Tiger?

"When he does play again, he will return to a game that is starting to move on. After 14 years as the game's central driving force, plot lines are developing elsewhere. Europe dominates the rankings, with prospects like Matteo Manassero emerging on the scene."
I've always wondered what ACTUALLY happens when you say, "the game is starting to move on". Or do you mean just because the world no. 1 is European, the game has changed? That must mean that when a Fijian became world no.1, golf became a totally different sport. But I recall that Tiger won before and after the Fijian became world no. 1.

If you have nothing new to say, don't post a blog.

Maybe his biggest issue is not the physical issues but the mental ones, I mean golfers were beaten mentally by him in his period of dominance. Can he rebuild that aura ? I dont think so

Sure a great player but it seems ironical that the greatest exponent of the power game is struggling now physically at what is still a relatively young age..dare I say because of the power ?

I cant weep for him, in an era of soulless golf courses where players moan at the slightest hint of what might be a challenging hole, heaven forbid a bit of rough, maybe Woods travails might bring the game back to more skill and less power.

this is the pain a loving father goes through when he is missing his children. You may have all the money you want, but when it cant change the fact that your loved one are not with you, purpose disappears.

For his sake, and for golf's sake I hope he finds a solution soon.

TW should have taken a break from golf once he was in the middle of the media blitz surrounding his marital woes. I have always felt that he needed to go away from the public's eye to mentally heal and find himself. Who knows if he had done that he might be playing in this upcoming tournament, hopefully he is also doing alot of soul-searching for his mental state as well. And this coming from a person who is not a fan of TW. But I do respect his game and achievements on the course.

he is finished as a top golfer, he will come back at some point but he will never be the same again, and most of it is down to him as a person. some people just want more, regardless of what they have, serves him right !!

I think a mental rot set in for Tiger when Yang beat him 'in the clinch' at the PGA. He was visibly shocked by Yang's 'impudence'. This was further confirmed when he was again beaten 'in the clinch' by McDowell at the Chevron.

In any event, I don't believe there is any way back for that leg. Yes, he could still have a knee replacement but, by all acounts, that won't last forever although it may give him enough time to gather in those record-breaking majors.

All said though, methinks it's too much to come back from.

Given his mounting problems, some might call this a kind of golfing karma.(whistle)

"You". I'm not "You" ... I'm "Me" viz Gaelgowfer. Wot happened there?

Write Woods off at your peril. He is not someone who had his day in the sun and is incapable of returning to form. And this is golf we're talking about - where you don't lose a yard of pace and be incapable of competing.

There are also other stories like this one where a player at the very top goes into the doldrums and then comes fighting back - take Andre Agassi who was at the top of the rankings, took a massive fall from grace and then returned to win grand slams in the era of Fedrer.

Also, don't forget Lee Westwood also dropped out of sight only to come back. Sergio is now doing like-wise.

Like him or loathe him, Tiger is a magican and if he gets his head and body right he is capable of winning any tournament he enters.

Tiger is a victim of his own revolution. He apparently revolutionised the way golf should be played. Physical, aggressive and always on a knife edge. The body (and to some extent the mind) can only cope with that for so long. The more 'relaxed' players, the majority of other golfers, will last longer. Someone once said something about stars shining brightest last half as long, and this seems to be the case for Tiger's golf game.

youve written this article about 8 times in the last 2 years- its getting a bit old

I just wanted to comment on bryan's post (#4). It's a bit off topic, but keeps coming up in golf blogs.

The notion of "not being a worthy number one if you haven't won a major" is, in my view, nonsense. I believe that people who espouse this theory don't really understand professional golf. It's not like tennis, where there is often a dominant player (or a couple) who win most of their matches. Even when Tiger Woods was dominant (or Nicklaus before him) he lost more often than he won. That's basically because you are playing against everyone in a very large field, not just one guy at once. Furthermore, the margins are miniscule. In tennis (and most other sports) I would agree. I doubt that there has ever been a tennis #1 who hasn't won a grand slam event or say a F1 driver who has won the title without winning a race.

In golf it is different. If for instance a player came top 5 in every single event he played but didn't win, he'd probably make number 1, especially if he won a few. Most players win a handful of times a year at best. Tiger and Vijay managed 6 or 7 or whatever it was and that is phenomenal

Luke Donald is number 1 according to the ranking system as it stands, as was Westwood before him. The system is a way of trying to make the subjecive (who is the best golfer in the world) into something more objective.

I don't know the specifics of the system, but it balances all of the relevant factors (more points for big tournaments, more points for recent tournaments, rolling 2 years). Yes it could be tweaked but I have yet to hear anyone come up with a better solution. The current system takes a sensible period and a sensible points allocation.

I think people who have been brought up in the Woods era have an unrealitic expectation of what 'should' constitute number 1 status. Westwood, Kaymer and Donald all deserve the ranking. That's how the system works. Just because they haven't won a major doesn't mean they don't deserve it. Whilst a major is a special event, it is basically another tournament and you need a lot of things - not least luck - to come together to win one. Consistency should be the main criteria and that's what these three have shown.

I'd love Westwood and Donald to win majors, but if they don't, they will still probably go down as better players than people like Beem, Micheel, Grady, Lawrie, S Jones, Curtis, Hamilton, Yang, Immelman, Tway, Mize, Sluman, Brooks, Weir, Campbell ... I could go on

This is a really interesting article, but there is one 'small' point i think is incorrect:

'he was in contention heading into the back nine of this year's Masters only to fade meekly when the heat was on'

That isn't actually right is it? He was way out of contention before he started his final round, and the fact that he was in contention with 4 or 5 holes left to play was an amazing achievement. He was just too far behind to win it.

He does show glimpses of what he can do, but like you said, it comes down to whether he is actually physically capable of dominating again over a season or even a single major tournament.

That isn't actually right is it? He was way out of contention before he started his final round
==

He missed a straightforward eagle on the back 9 that would have given him the lead, although I don't think it would have been good enough in the end, but you never know

#5: Based on what?????

I wish folk would stop comparing owgr to the accumulation of majors. It is calculated over a two year period and should only be viewed as an instrument to determine who should qualify for the opportunity to play in the majors. Furthermore, look how long it took Tiger Woods to drop down to his current position. His golf (pun alert) has been rank for sometime and yet there he was, stuck at the top of owgr like a needle stuck on a record.

41. At 16:56 8th Jun 2011, hend085 wrote:
youve written this article about 8 times in the last 2 years- its getting a bit old
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No, surely Iain's recycled this old junk (with odd extra footnote) more often than that !

In response to Joe G (posted at 13:13 8th Jun 2011), Greg Norman was World No 1 for a few years in both the mid 80s and mid 90s.

He might come back but his body is wilting, the fact is he has had a lot of operations on this one leg, if it doesn't get healthy this time then adios Woods.

Either way, happy to see our guys in Europe doing so well, I for one am not missing Woods a great deal.

Somehow I do get the feeling that Tiger no long has the burning ambition he formerly openly displayed. These injuries are bad enough, but considering what athletes from other sports have to combat, I don't think he and his doctors are working hard enough! If the "mindset" isn't quite right, he may just need more time. Tiger is a SUPERHUMAN golfer, if he wants it, he will get it!

Jack Nicklaus was interviewed about 18mnths ago before Woods's spectactular fall from form and when asked whether Woods would beat his record of 18 major wins replied that he probably would "but then again he might never win another". Everyone thought he was bonkers at the time but it seems the greatest ever golfer is probably also the wisest as this prophecy is becoming increasingly likely to be fufilled. I'm sure Jack isn't worried anyway as he knows greatness is measured by more that tournament wins - try respect for the game, respect for opponents, respect for fans, sportsmanship, etiquette etc

geoff todd - comment no 51
You make an excellent point about Nicklaus - Woods hasn't had the worst sportsman's fall from grace by a long way but his struggles do highlight what a giant Nicklaus was, on and off the course. I read that when he lost the Open by one shot in 1972, which would have given him all four majors at the same time, journalists went to interview him immediately afterwards and found him playing with his kids because he hadn't spent enough time with them that week and wanted them to have some fun, despite his bitter disappointment. I love watching Tiger at his best but for me Nicklaus is the greatest champion of modern times in any sport, and the greatest role model.

Jack Nicklaus was interviewed about 18mnths ago before Woods's spectactular fall from form and when asked whether Woods would beat his record of 18 major wins replied that he probably would "but then again he might never win another". Everyone thought he was bonkers at the time but it seems the greatest ever golfer is probably also the wisest as this prophecy is becoming increasingly likely to be fufilled. I'm sure Jack isn't worried anyway as he knows greatness is measured by more that tournament wins - try respect for the game, respect for opponents, respect for fans, sportsmanship, etiquette etc

Complain about this comment (Comment number 1)

36 months can make a big difference, especially if you consider the fact that prior to US Open 2008, TW did not have extended periods out of the game. Post US Open 2008, he was out for months, then end 2009, etc. No game time and probably not much fitness time (he had other things to sort out) means more prone to injury.

Recovering from an injury at age 36 is much more difficult than at age 26. Here's another example. When at uni, I could drink loads of beer and stil make the early morning lecture the next day. Now, "some" years later, after a few drinks, the next morning, I'll call up and "work from home". Or course, I'll then try to hit a few balls at the local range, only to injure my back - LOL!!!

I know I'll be in a minority but in a selfish way I'm pleased that he's not playing as there's an outside chance I might actually see a bit more golf played than usual and won't have to put up with the cringeable fawning of the American golf commentators (channel that is rather than nationality) of whom Feherty is rapidly becoming the worst. Even when Tiger is way out of contention they show every shot he plays, which I can put up with, but not content with that you then have all the other time wasted just showing him standing around waiting for others to play shots (which you don't see) or chatting to Steve Williams. And that's without his attitude...

Granted there is a possibility that they will give Mickelson the full Tiger treatment but there is the outside chance that we might see a few more shots from some of the many other talented golfers in the field. Here's hoping

@ 51,

Hardly a prophetic statement from Jack there. He could be asked the exact same question now and come up with the same answer (with the exception of the "probably" bit). If Tiger gets his health on track, even if he has to sit out a full season, he could concievably play at a high leve for another 8-10 years and who would bet against him winning a couple more majors in that time. Or maybe his injuries are so bad he retires tomorrow. Who knows? Not you, me or Nicklaus.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

I don't think the issues about his wife are very relevant, but it might be more pertinent to note that he has not won since returning from drug addiction rehabilitation and that there have been some questions asked as to what effect that might have had on his competitiveness.

Still a very fine player when fit, though.

Ya, I'm also over it that everytime Tigers name is mentioned, his affairs are mentioned with it. I mean come on, get over it. Its not like it happens to anyone else, you not likely gonna hear this next season " and what a cracking goal from Ryan Giggs, and don't forget..he did his brothers wife"...

HE WILL RETURN but never as good as he was

Ian

Your comments in the first paragraph are simply ridiculous. TW was told in 2008 that playing on in the US Open would not result in any further damage to his knee. The same old blog from you is rather tiring and just sums up the quality of golf journo on this website.

Ian

Your comments in the first paragraph are simply ridiculous. TW was told in 2008 that playing on in the US Open would not result in any further damage to his knee. The same old blog from you is rather tiring and just sums up the quality of golf journo on this website.

Oops! Sorry, had already written that... seem to have caught Ian Carter disease!

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

I find it strange that so many people side with Woods and say leave him alone about his affairs (I image ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ rules require use of that entirely inappropriate word?). To be honest if I was any of his sponsors I would have taken him to court for false image/trades description. He was purporting himself to be a clean living, healthy, family man who was a superstar sportsman- a sponsors dream.

In fact he was a dirty, weak man who couldn't just resist the odd piece of candy, it seems he ate half the sweetshop, especially the open boxes of sweets that people finger before buying. Not only that but a liar of gargantuan proportions. Its one thing to have a single affair, but quite another to come home after every tournament with a new 'dalliance' to hide. HOW COULD HE LOOK HIS WIFE IN THE EYE???

Can you image how demeaning it is for her to find out that your husband has been having flings with pole dancers, porn stars etc. and that many of his inner circle also knew about it and also looked her in the face, and also lied.

Well, I will never buy any Nike wear again, nor employ Accenture. I probably wouldn't have drunk Gatorade, but if I had I wouldn't now. To be honest I'm not sure I could drink a drink called gatorade unless it tasted of alligators, but that's off point. Everyone I look at now in Nike gear I assume is a serial philanderer. Even Wayne Rooney.

I just cant imagine why having paid someone multi millions on the basis of an untruth that they cant reclaim those monies. Only when they have done that and given the money to charity will I respect them again.

Woods lifestyle should be based now on half his on course career earnings. The rest was all a big lie.

He'll never win another major. All about karma...

As expected, posts were "referred".

The ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is racially prejudiced. As are the Beeb's journalists. I have come to realise this recently.

Jack Nicklaus was interviewed about 18mnths ago before Woods's spectactular fall from form and when asked whether Woods would beat his record of 18 major wins replied that he probably would, "but then again he might never win another". Everyone thought he was bonkers at the time but it seems the greatest ever golfer is probably also the wisest, as this prophecy is becoming increasingly likely to be fufilled. I'm sure Jack isn't worried anyway as he knows greatness is measured by more that tournament wins - try respect for the game, respect for opponents, respect for fans, sportsmanship, etiquette for starters.....

I might be the only person thinking this, Iain, but I am getting sick and tired of this media narrative surrounding Woods, and the repetitive, gloating, 'how the mighty have fallen' tone. Frankly, it feels like lazy, regurgitative journalism: what's the story here? That Woods' injuries are forcing him to miss the US Open....does that necessitate the same old 'he's not the man he used to be' bile that we've been hearing for the past 2 years?

"We are equally unsurprised that he has decided to...steer clear of this year's US Open" - Cheap jibe.

"The legend that was has become like the ailing limb: in need of repair" - Cheap jibe.

"He...fade[d] meekly when the heat was on" - Cheap jibe.

"The waning of the legend continues" - Cheap jibe.

Maybe it is more indicative of a twisted streak in me, rather than the media, but - having never really warmed to Woods in the past - I find that these days I am increasingly on his side in the face of a self-satisfied, smug journalistic fraternity who seem intent on wallowing (and rinsing money out of) his misfortunes.

And don’t even think about coming back at me with the whole β€œhe tricked the public for years with his clean cut image”……..we never bought TW branded golf gear because he had a clean-cut image – we bought it because he was a great golfer…..if those were the criteria then I would have grown up playing footy with a load of lads in Greame Le Saux shirts!

…I just wish journos would give the gleeful moralising and tut-tutting a rest, particularly in light of the utter lack of morals that govern that particular industry (Woods never broke into anyone's property or hacked anyone's phone), and the billions of newspapers he shifted for them back when he was a β€˜good guy'.

Tiger.....what a magnetic character!
People still love the man....despite all his flaws, his supremacy on the golf course means he is still loved.
But I especially love the people on here who say they don't care about Tiger any more, who swear never to support him again, who decree never to buy Nike again.....yet here they are, compelled to be in the middle of a Tiger Woods debate, giving their opinion on the man.
You're clearly still hurting over Tiger's fall from grace. We're all hurting over his behaviour. He fooled us all. He let us all down. But the fact of the matter is that all will be forgiven - if he gets fit, if he gets his head together and if he returns to even close to his best form.
Think of Wayne Rooney and the Old Trafford crowd that were booing him at the turn of the year - once that overhead kick went in against City, all was forgiven! Sports fans are a fickle bunch.

Get well soon Tiger, we miss you!!

Another Derek Lawrenson article fleshed out and palmed off on the unsuspecting licence payer.

Just remember that, behind every great sportsmen there is a successful marriage, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and last but by no means least Jack Nicklaus .

I never realy liked Tiger. Think it was his "in the zone" attitued where he never appreciated the paying public or acknowledged them. His game was all about power. Ripping a 8 iron 180-190yds, every drive "in the hole" powered as far as possible, but he had much skill when around the green. When any athlete is young they can push the body to extreemes. To extend a career good athlets learn and adapt so their bodies can still cope. If Tiger can mentally accept that the mirical shot could hurt, so play up short and take the punishment, take a 6 or 7 iron for 180yds, accept that 280yd drive, on the fairway is good, then he may be able to come back.
This will need both mental and swing change adaptions but i dont think Tigers apparent arrogence will allow it. Time will tell.

I never realy liked Tiger. Think it was his "in the zone" attitued where he never appreciated the paying public or acknowledged them. His game was all about power. Ripping a 8 iron 180-190yds, every drive "in the hole" powered as far as possible, but he had much skill when around the green. When any athlete is young they can push the body to extreemes. To extend a career good athlets learn and adapt so their bodies can still cope. If Tiger can mentally accept that the mirical shot could hurt, so play up short and take the punishment, take a 6 or 7 iron for 180yds, accept that 280yd drive, on the fairway is good, then he may be able to come back.
This will need both mental and swing change adaptions but i dont think Tigers apparent arrogence will allow it. Time will tell.

i think he actually lost his invincible aura before his affairs were revealed.

the day he lost the pga tourney to the korean guy was the day that the whole of golf realised that he was human.

he has not been the same player since

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

why do so many blog commentators have such a problem with the mentioning of extra-marital affiars? the article is an alysis of Woods' current golf and the drivers behind his plummet in form. In my opinion, anyone that doesnt correlate the revelations into his private life to his current dip in form is grossy naive. I would be anoyed if the thrust of the article was judging Tiger about is extra marital affairs but it doesn't do that, it simply acknowledges that such affairs were a catalyst behind him losing his form. I want the Tiger we know and love to be back to his best

"He choose to have all the affairs, his wife dumped him and so did his sponsors, just deserts I say"

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Yeah - I would say so too.

So why don't we all just shut up about it now? Particularly paid journalists who ought to have found something better to talk about.

Sporting analysis, anyone?.....Na

'Iain Carter wonders if Tiger Woods can ever be top dog again '


Tiger, top dog? Top Cat, surely?

I enjoy reading articles like this, ones which draw attention to the frankly deserved downfall of a man who I have always detested. When in conversation with my golfing friends, on the course or over a drink, despite not being a fan of Tiger I would concede that his impact on the world of golf was unquestionable, his skills simply amazing etc etc.

But now whenever I see this miserable, ungrateful and characterless sportsman giving his latest one line answer to a question or comment, I thank the heavens for his catastrophic decline - a descent from greatness that has left the world of golf far far better off.

Monthly changes to the number 1 spot and excitement restored when watching a handful of players in contention on the final day of any tournament? I'll take that any day over Tiger.

as soon as he stopped being a serial cheater on his mrs and checked into s e x rehab clinic that was the start of his decline as the no1 force in golf

"I enjoy reading articles like this, ones which draw attention to the frankly deserved downfall of a man who I have always detested."

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Bitter anyone? The rest of your post suggests that you were particularly annoyed that he dominated for so long. Sure he has a seemingly dull, guarded personality, but the vitriol towards him is hypocritical as it has nothing to do with his affairs or perceived arrogance or stroppiness. It's becasue the jealous masses and self-rightious media love to see the mighty fall.

You age, you change. It is remarkable that Woods has retained the attributes of his greatness for so long. He is only human and this means that the human side - spirit - matters as much if not more than the physical side. It is to be regretted that we may never again see the pomp of the younger Woods. Even the greatest decline as age corrupts.

#85,
I concur. Would also like to add that the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ is irredeemibly prejudiced.

The more I think about this, the more annoyed I am.

The US Open is next week. Next week. And all the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ offer in way of juicy build-up is a regurgitated, negative and - frankly - boring article about a guy who - through no fault of his own - won't even be playing!!

AM I TAKING CRAZY PILLS?!!

Carter - pull you socks up!

Who knows? Maybe he'll get back to the top ... I hope so ... maybe he won't. A correction to the article though, he didn't 'fade meekly when the heat was on' at the Masters; he played a good back nine, missed a couple of short putts (for par at 12 and for eagle at 15) and the winner, Schwartzel, birdied the last four. No, Tiger looked back to near his best at Augusta.

The manufactured man has gone back to the factory. Hooray or will some all knowing all seeing person say that the US Open is devalued because Woods is not playing.

In my book the prestige is worth far more than when playing against someome who is a disgrace to his sport.

I don't really care who wins but it would be a great achievement for Rory is he does it.

No more MAJORS for wood until he has been rebuilt!!!!!!!