Tiger Fails to Show Up

Tiger Woods had not lost at Torrey Pines in 7 years. All that changed this afternoon when he finished with 9 5's on his score card, something all golfers should agree is a bad sign. After the poor performance Tiger was asked all the usual questions, "can you diagnose this afternoon?" And Tiger gave all the same evasive answers, "Well, I started out great, but went down hill from there..."

That's not a diagnosis. That's a surface deflection to keep us focused on his game and away from his private mental life. I think that Tiger takes himself too seriously right now, I'd like to see him study someone like Watson, who in general seems to enjoy himself more on the course, and not ironically is looking to pull away with the victory.

Aside from his being too hard on himself, I think Tiger doesn't find the time to practice like he used to. He just doesn't seem to have the game he once did. It sounds over simple, but hey, back when he had ridiculous stats and was making almost every putt from within ten feet he used to get the big W's come Sunday rather than dropping five shots to finish barely under par in a tournament that the winner will easily be around 15 shots below par. What is going on with Tiger Woods? If I had to speculate I'd say a combination of over expectations that don't get met along with an in general more distracted less detail oriented preparation style and Tiger Woods is no longer the man he once was.

This new Tiger is depressing me, I want the old one back. Tiger of course played it off like he is feeling pretty optimistic. Saying, rather snarkily given the interviewer's question about his schedule specifics for when he returns to the States after his trip to Dubai this week, "I will be playing in the future." He smiled and then walked off. All I can say is, we know you'll be playing, but will you be playing like the Tiger of past of the current Tiger who seems to blow up under pressure?

My Agenda

No athlete since Michael Jordan has captivated the world like Tiger Woods. I have an outsider looking in view on sports lately. It wasn't always that way, but for the past few years I've been anything but your typical sports fan. It's rare for me to become excited about particular athletes. I get way more excited about artists. I'm the kind of person who is more likely to become drawn to a painter I find intriguing than a star athlete. I find that the greatest art lives forever, and the creative spirit lasts a lifetime. Compare this to athletes who have a short and exciting career only to be left 'grazing in the pasture, waiting to die', as Jordan put it in a recent interview. Indeed, I am much more interested in say film makers than sports figures, in men and women who can have the prime of their careers stretch over the entire course of their lifetimes. That is, unless of course, we're talking about Tiger woods.

TW is the big exception for me. Everything about the man fascinates me. His persona, his focus, his swing and often the many problems with it, his ability to come through in the most crucial of moments, and yes his recent sex scandal(s). I want to dedicate this blogspot to the shameless overhyping of this absurdly famous mortal. I want to analyze and perhaps over analyze everything from his inner mental torments to his outer physical condition. I want to meditate on how changing your sex life MUST have a massive impact on your mental approach to a game as deeply mental as golf. I want to understand the man now that his life has irrevocably been altered, to know the new Tiger that has been forced to 'tone it all down a bit.' His public image has been damaged, but I'm not writing to be another pundit ripping his character flaws. I'm writing to bring a fresh look at what it takes to dominate, and how perhaps dominating many... many... relationships and being as sexually active as he was active on the golf course was perhaps a crucial piece of the psychological puzzle that allowed Tiger to defeat so many athletes of a similiar skill level to his own in the moment they all envision and prepare for the most.

As the Masters approach this March, I will get more and more involved in bringing the hype. Hyping out his return in current media fashion. Making sure that every little angle has been analyzed. Will his new sex life allow him to continue being the ruthless competitor unstifled by even the harshest of adversity? Or, will his new, more mellow spin on life and relationship forever damper his ability to crush opponents in the clutch and love doing it? Golf is a complex psychological game that has a lot to do with ALL of your life. The reason Tiger was able to downright steal tournaments from other competitors I'm sure involved a deep psychological story. A chess match one plays with one's own soul. It will be exciting to see if the greatness inside of Tiger can continue regardless of the new lifestyle... Only time will tell.