Tiger on Course For Record

Earlier this year, Tiger Woods retained the top rank among professional golfers. This was significant achievement because it marked the return of this individual to the top of his sport and inspired confidence among his supporters that his earlier troubles notwithstanding, he would win another of the top four golf majors and be on his way to beating the record held by Jack Nicklaus. In truth, I have been very bullish about Tiger Woods and considered that this was the year when he would not only retain top rank in the PGA rankings but would also take at least two of the majors.

As the season gets towards the end, it is evident that Tiger Woods will accomplish only one the two goals contemplated here. Whereas he retains the number one spot, he has failed to add to his stock of majors and the doubts have resurfaced. And the disappointment among the pundits has been aggravated by some missteps that Tiger Woods has taken by shifting the position of the ball during play. Ewan Murray, writing for The Guardian here not only questions the frequency of the illegal moves that Tiger has been involved in but insinuates that the "dishonesty" may be characteristic of a player whose troubles commenced with infidelity. This is not only unfair but illustrates the point that this blogger has made about the tendency of the punditry to kick a man when he is down. Tiger is still far ahead of his peers and I would wager my small fortune that he will at the least match Jack Nicklaus' record. 

Is Tiger's Comeback Complete Now?

Its not too difficult to notice that whenever a professional is accused of an indiscretion, then his achievements also become questionable. Tiger Woods is a perfect example of this phenomenon in action. I have stated that the details of his personal life apart, Tiger Woods remains an exceptionally accomplished golfer with a skills set that does not evaporate merely because he has suffered from the difficulties of his personal life. Soon after the events were exposed, this golfer took a long break and upon his return, the uninformed pundits and commercial sponsors assumed that his best days were over and that his professional targets would not be met because he was past his best.

As stated here and here, I have always maintained that this view was completely mistaken and that Tiger Woods still had sufficient time and capability to meet the grand objective of matching the record of 18 majors. Having enjoyed the peace that may come from media focus on his main competitors and the new boys on the block, this athlete has gradually and steadily worked his way back to second in the worldwide rankings. Lorne Rubinstein's piece assesses the steady climb up the ranks and reiterates my belief that Tiger Woods has the goal of 18 majors well within reach. iInterestingly, he adds that it is even possible that Tiger Woods' skill set has improved over time and that he is one tournament away from regaining number 1.

  

Tiger Woods Finally Wins PGA Tournament

Its surely been long and arduous, mixed with some disappointment but Tiger Woods finally won after more than two years. reports of his personal indiscretions notwithstanding, my view in several blog posts here, here and here has been that the skill level required of a golfer of such calibre remains with one for a considerable period. It was really just a metter of time before Tiger won resoundingly again, as happened over the weekend at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Florida.

While the tenor of the CNN story is more measured and neutral, I think that many people had unwisely written off this athlete. All the naysayers and his competitors and former colleagues who have been critical played to the nature of sports journalism. The defining nature is to highlight momentary difficulty and try to show who is in decline against new entrants to the game. I am glad that Tiger is back and that he is doing his best where he has been among the best. he has time yet to make history. May this guy continue to prosper as his work ethic shows that he deserves it.     

Tiger Wins Again

I have stated here and here before that the general view among sports commentators that Tiger Woods is unlikely to regain imperious form and win golf tournaments had to be wrong. As the Guardian reports, Tiger's performance at the Chevron World Challenge tournament shows that this player still maintains the skill set that has enabled him to retain the admiration of dispassionate sports fans.  In my view, while one win does not mean that the player will continue to do so, it merely states that the bets against Tiger winning a major again must shift decisively because this player has time, history and skill on his side.

It is understandable that there are the questions about what the strength of the field was, but a number of those on the list were far ahead of him and yet he won. Skeptics must be allowed their say but many professional golfers would like to take away the Chevron Challenge prize while only a select few do.

Watch the guy.