Fans can reasonably argue that truer words were never spoken when Tiger Woods said “I just want to go home” after an abbreviated stint at the British Open. Even with relatively benign conditions greeting Claret Jug hopefuls through the first two rounds of competition, the reigning Masters champion didn’t just fail to make the weekend; he got nowhere close to the cut line, a seven-over first-18 78 derailing his chances at Royal Portrush. And by the time he met members of the media for his post-mortem, he looked deflated to the point of uttering a sentence that threatened his status as the sport’s ultimate grinder.
Granted, Woods appeared far from prepared when he arrived in Ireland for the year’s last major tournament. He had two rounds to his name in the last month, no prep work relating to the challenge of links golf, and absolutely no knowledge of Royal Portrush prior to his practice sessions with the first round already drawing near. All these, plus mediocre work on the range, led him to admit that his game wasn’t where he wanted it to be. And coupled with the fact that cold weather has become his kryptonite in light of his myriad physical frailties and advancing age, the outcome he carved doesn’t seem all that shocking in retrospect.
Parenthetically, it didn’t help Woods that he tweaked his surgically repaired body on the very first hole of his very first round. Nonetheless, the result of his exertions at Royal Portrush reflected his new normal, which compels him to spend considerably less time honing his craft and more time resting, often with his family. And resting is what he will do until the second week of August. Up next on his agenda is The Northern Trust, triggering his participation in the FedEx Playoffs. How he will fare at Liberty National after yet another long layoff remains to be seen. And all the conjecture will continue to pick up from there, what with two more weeks of play awaiting him.
“Anything can happen,” Woods pointed out as he assessed his schedule. And he’s right. These days, he’s as concerned with the there and then as the here and now — which is why he’s consigned to picking and choosing. “I want to play here as long as I possibly can. And you have to understand, if I play a lot, I won’t be out here that long.” In other words, he has learned to accept that, with his significantly reduced exposure, he won’t always be good enough to contend, let alone win.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
