Tiger Woods, the greatest golfer of my generation, has been on a well-chronicled downward slide for years. On the surface, his demise began on Thanksgiving in 2009 when he was involved in the low-speed accident outside his home. From there, the truth about his serial cheating came out and his game has never really recovered - though there have been several bright spots along the way.
The aforementioned bright spots - 8 wins and nearly $17 million in earnings from 2010 - would make a brilliant career for many, but fall short of expectations Woods, himself, set.
Since he turned pro and began dominating the sport, the comparisons have always focused on Tiger’s place in history. Is he the greatest of all time and will he surpass the 18 major titles won by Jack Nicklaus? For many, the latter was answered by “when,” not “if” he will reach No. 19.
Unfortunately, the questions have evolved:
* When will Tiger catch Jack?
* Will Tiger catch Jack?
* When will Tiger win another major?
* Will Tiger ever win another major?
* Will Tiger ever win another tournament?
* Will Tiger make the cut?
* Will Tiger complete his round?
* Finally, will Tiger ever play again?
Speculation that we may have seen the last of Tiger in a competitive round was ended once he announced his return at this week’s Masters. The rest of the questions, however, remain ... starting with Tiger’s ability to complete a full round of 18 holes.
With a wealth of terrific players, including Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Patrick Reed and Jason Day, professional golf is flush with great story lines and personalities. While interest spikes when Tiger is in the field, the sport will not fold without him.
The world loves a comeback story and I, personally, am pulling for Tiger to return to form. The sport has changed - in large part because of Tiger’s success - so I doubt he (or anyone) will ever be has dominant as he once was, but a win at Augusta will go a long way toward jumpstarting the career of my generation’s greatest golfer. The question is ... How do you define a “win” for Tiger?
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