Tiger Woods’ statement :: What we learned

So, Tiger Woods is taking an indefinite leave of absence from tournament golf after a wretched start to 2015.

The former world No.1 – now 62nd on the rankings – revealed the news in a statement on his website. It was just a brief statement, only 200 words all in, but it told us plenty about where Woods’ head is at…

He doesn’t know what’s wrong

Ahead of his first event of 2015, the Waste Management Phoenix Open, Woods told reporters how he and new coach Chris Como were ‘ahead of schedule on each stage of the game plan’. Now, he says he needs ‘a lot of work’ on his game and that he doesn’t think he’s ready to compete in tournaments. Hmm. Again, in Phoenix, he said that he had been ‘caught between techniques’ with his chipping and that it was now ‘better’. This this stuff happened…

Clearly, Woods is at a loss to know what’s up with his game, why he isn’t able to hit the shots he used to. And when you don’t know the problem, how do you even start to try fixing it?

His brittle body continues to weaken

On one hand, it’s good news the back problems that made Tiger walk off after just 11 holes of the Farmers Insurance Open last week is ‘not related’ to the surgery that forced him to miss a large chunk of last season. Or you could look at it this way: it’s yet another injury. Woods’ body has become more and more brittle, particularly since 2008 when he had to have reconstructive surgery on his ACL. To be blunt, he’s injury prone. And, at 39, that’s not exactly good news.

He could be back very soon

Yes, Tiger’s ‘leave of absence’ is indefinite in so much as he didn’t reveal when he’d next play – but he also added he wants to play in the Honda Classic… which starts two weeks today. Remember the last time Tiger said he was taking a career hiatus?

Standing in front of a blue curtain in the ‘Sunset Room’ at TPC Sawgrass on February 19, 2010, he acknowledged his off-course transgressions and said: “I do plan to return to golf one day. I just don’t know when that day will be.” Predictably, the internet went into meltdown, with many suggesting he might never play again. Forty-eight days later, on April 8, he teed it up in the Masters. Just because there’s no timeframe for a return, doesn’t mean it won’t be soon.

He’s not ready to quit

For me, the most telling part of Tiger Woods’ statement was this: “I am committed to getting back to the pinnacle of my game.” That’s one helluva goal. Bear in mind, for Tiger, the pinnacle is winning majors and being the undisputed world No.1. Right now, that’s a long way off – but at least the fire still burns. His wretched loss of form and fitness over the past 18 months had led many to question whether he still had a desire to be the best. If his statement is to be believed, he does, which means he won’t be needing slipper anytime soon.

He’s still one of the game’s biggest draws

Say what you like about golf ‘no longer needing’ Tiger. Fact is, when news of his latest career break broke last night, the web went wild. Social media posts were uploaded in their thousands and stories were hurriedly written by golf journos and bloggers around the world. You don’t do that for guys who aren’t a big deal. Rory McIlroy might have supplanted him as the game’s dominant player on the course but, off it, Tiger’s star power remains largely untouched – no matter how much that bugs some people.

Tiger Woods :: Will he win again?

Do you think Tiger Woods will get back to winning ways again? If so, when do you think he will next celebrate a PGA Tour victory? Leave your thoughts in our ‘Comments’ section below.

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Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor

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