A head vs. heart debate about Tiger playing in the Masters
Follow
By DERON SNYDER
My head and my heart engaged in a spirited debate after Tiger Woods played 18 holes Tuesday at Augusta National.
My glutes tried to make a point but they didn’t activate.
OK, that was a cheap shot. I really hope Woods’ inoperative rump doesn’t clench up and keep him from the Masters next week like it prompted his first-round withdrawal from the Farmers Insurance Open in February.
He took a leave of absence to repair his dreadful game and we haven’t seen him since. But his private jet was spotted in Augusta and his agent, Mark Steinberg, confirmed to USA Today that Woods flew up for a practice round. “He continues to work on the game and will advise in coming days what plan is,” Steinberg wrote in an email.
With that, my heart and head went at it.
HEART: You know what this means! Tiger is back, baby! Golf isn’t the same without him but we won’t have to worry about that next week. Count on it and don’t be surprised if there’s more. He wouldn’t bother going to Augusta nine days before the Masters unless he plans to play. And he wouldn’t play unless he intends to win.
HEAD: He should intend to contend and be happy with that. He hasn’t been a factor for a long time and there’s no good reason to believe the Masters will be different. He just fell out of the top 100 in the world rankings for the first time since 1996. Cal Ripken was still shy of Lou Gehrig’s “Iron Man” record in 1996.
HEART: Forget about whatever the numbers suggest. He’s still Tiger Woods and this is still the Masters. He owns Augusta National like no one else. He has 13 top-10 finishes – including four victories – in 17 appearances as a pro. His career scoring average is 70.86, the best among players with at least 50 starts in the Masters.
HEAD: That’s all ancient history. He hasn’t won at Augusta since 2005 and hasn’t won a major since the 2008 U.S. Open. Between injuries, a reconstructed swing and more injuries, the man has played just 47 holes this year – at 15-over par! He knows he stinks. Deep down, he probably wonders if he can regain his old form For now, he just looks old.
Read more…
