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Tiger Woods Comeback

JB

JB

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It is being painted as getting close to "being back", so I wanted to get THPers comments on the following statistics that might say otherwise.

Right now he is 175th in driving accuracy, despite taking less than driver quite often.
He is outside the top 100 in Greens in Regulation
Right around 120th in Total Putting
Right around 75th in Final Round scoring average.

He appears to have something really solid for 2-3 days per tournament and these are on courses he knows extremely well.

Are we at a point where its wait and see he is still just coming back? Or are we at a point where this is what to expect and getting hopes up for dominating fashion for 4 days is more likely to be seen on ESPN Classic than it is on the Golf Channel? Let's try to take the dislike and the pom poms out and have a conversation about the actual comeback. :D
 
I think this is just part of getting back into "playing shape". The 2-3 good rounds then the 75 just shows fatigue may be an issue, physically but mostly mentally. When your away from elite competition for so long it takes a while to get back into things.
 
Canadan said:
This thread needs a picture.

aa02776958c6956213aeb253c3c0acb4.jpg
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I was just going to text you to send me this picture haha im going to find this and buy it
 
I feel like he just needs to be in the moment again. Dominant Tiger didn't have blinkers or a rear-view mirror. He just started rolling and didn't stop.

What I saw at the Open was pretty similar to a lot of other golfers out there. Get rolling, get in the moment, and then roll backwards a bit. If he can find that extra gear, I think we get Tiger back.
 
I agree it's fatigue at this point, physical but I also think more mental right now. He is showing more signs of family life and he is working around trying to balance the two. I think he'll win again.
 
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PhillyV said:
I think this is just part of getting back into "playing shape". The 2-3 good rounds then the 75 just shows fatigue may be an issue, physically but mostly mentally. When your away from elite competition for so long it takes a while to get back into things.
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If it's fatigue, would his best scoring round be Saturday?
I can get on the playing shape, but we are talking about a guy that has been in peak conditions for decades. I'm not sure that's it this time.
 
If you can't drive the ball you can't score. He was able to overcome that previously because he was so much longer than everyone else. That isn't true any longer. Maybe he has a magical weekend here or there but in general I think the era of Tiger as the serious contender is over.
 
I don't know if Tiger will ever "be back". The competition is so much tougher now then it was when he was dominant and he seems to be missing that killer instinct he used to have. I do like that we have seen him at least be somewhat competitive this time around vs what we got in the past. He will win again I think. Still nothing better than watching Tiger play well.
 
tequila4kapp said:
If you can't drive the ball you can't score. He was able to overcome that previously because he was so much longer than everyone else. That isn't true any longer. Maybe he has a magical weekend here or there but in general I think the era of Tiger as the serious contender is over.
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It's an interesting thought, but here is another to consider. Rory is virtually right next to him in driving accuracy (173rd) so for all of the knocks of his putting being the problem, maybe there is more to it.
 
JB said:
If it's fatigue, would his best scoring round be Saturday?
I can get on the playing shape, but we are talking about a guy that has been in peak conditions for decades. I'm not sure that's it this time.
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Theres always going to be a difference between being in shape and being conditioned for competitive golf.
 
I genuinely believe if Tiger can figure out his woes off the tee, you will see what it's all about. He's currently 125th in SG: Off-The-Tee, yet inside the top 15 on Approach, Around, Tee-To-Green, and Overall. I also seem to remember that when Tiger was in his prime, par 5s were really just long par 4s and he would DOMINATE those to the tune of double digit red numbers over the course of 4 rounds and he's doing alright with that by the stats. His par 3s are the ones that seem to be killing him as he is outside the top 100 in par 3 stats and actually playing them .08 over par.

Overall, I think he is close, but not there just yet. He just doesn't seem like he can get on a roll and play the boring golf (with birdie looks very often) that many of the top guys are able to do.
 
PhillyV said:
Theres always going to be a difference between being in shape and being conditioned for competitive golf.
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So you think its just tenure and after some more events he will be there? Im asking genuinely because I am not sure I understand based on the guy we are speaking of.
 
I think he will win this year. He is playing well enough to win and just needs to remember what that feels like. He had a poor Saturday and shot himself out of the event, I don’t think it’s a reason to get alarmed. He is tracking in the right direction.
 
I think it’s just part of the process. The guy was 9 holes away from winning the UK British Open presented by Her Majesty. He’s not going to be able to run away with tournaments like he did back in the day, and he’ll have to figure out a new way to win.


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Tadashi70 said:
I think he will win this year. He is playing well enough to win and just needs to remember what that feels like. He had a poor Saturday and shot himself out of the event, I don’t think it’s a reason to get alarmed. He is tracking in the right direction.
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Is he? What is tracking in the right way? He is giving us 2.5 good rounds of golf and 1 below average round.
 
At the start of the year I said if he plays all year it would be an accomplishment. I highly doubt we ever see the “old Tiger” but I would say he’s back in the sense that I don’t think any of us would be surprised to see him win again. There was a time where we couldn’t say that. Going into any tournament he has a legit shot now. In that sense I think you can say he’s back.


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JB said:
So you think its just tenure and after some more events he will be there? Im asking genuinely because I am not sure I understand based on the guy we are speaking of.
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I think he just needs to get a feel for his own game plus get a feel for what it takes to win on tour today. Its a different game now compared to a decade ago. Many on tour have the same ball speed and distance. But none of them today have the killer instinct he showed he once had. I agree with Tadashi, hes showing he can stay healthy which was always the first and main concern and now its just about getting that first win on this "comeback".

And FWIW, i dont think this is a comeback because I dont think anyone will ever be able to get to where he was with the game. But I do think he can get back to winning tournaments and winning a Masters or two
 
His mental game is just not there. He makes mistakes when he shouldn't unlike the Tiger of yesteryear.

He made the same mistake with his chipping this past weekend as he did at The Open. Chipped off the green right into the rough off the green a few feet in front of him. That's a mental error every which way. At The Open he hit from fescue to fescue and was heard on camera saying "Not again!" Another mental error.

He's not mentally sharp anymore. Sorry for the cliche but the Eye of the Tiger isn't there anymore. Either it's mental fatigue, or he is trying so hard to claim what he had, that he's losing focus the moment he feels it slipping, again, unlike the Tiger that was so dominant.
 
Canadan said:
I think he had a real chance overseas. Just tapered off. Felt weird.
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It does feel weird. Similar to Tampa. Each tournament 1 round is off and the generation winning right now is of a different mindset. The galleries are the differentiator and how they will react when dealing with that, but the statistics say he is further away then us as fans of the game do.
 
JB said:
Is he? What is tracking in the right way? He is giving us 2.5 good rounds of golf and 1 below average round.
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He came close at the British and in Tampa. I think the five drought has dulled his winning senses. I think once he puts three opening rounds together he will get that feeling. I also think he needs to play more like he did on Saturday at the British. Stop playing safe and get after it.

This thread will be a distant memory once he starts winning. It takes time to get that killer instinct back.
 
Tadashi70 said:
It takes time to get that killer instinct back.
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I sure hope so, because right now, he doesn't have it at all.

The question is, how long are people going to say "it's Tiger's week this week!" before eventually losing interest? That's really my issue with the non-stop coverage, even when he's nowhere near the top of the leader board. Once he wins, if he does, I totally get it. But right now, that carrot is getting old.
 
Tadashi70 said:
He came close at the British and in Tampa. I think the five drought has dulled his winning senses. I think once he puts three opening rounds together he will get that feeling. I also think he needs to play more like he did on Saturday at the British. Stop playing safe and get after it.

This thread will be a distant memory once he starts winning. It takes time to get that killer instinct back.
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How long do you think that takes?
We past 10 years since his last major win, right? I get the injuries and I understand that it can take time. I question the idea that he is close, because not a lot of measurables are saying that. I said before that I believe he will win again, and I honestly still believe that. But as each week passes, I am questioning myself.
 
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