Tiger Woods had an up-and-down round yesterday, but he looked none the worse for wear as he met members of the media in the aftermath. Considering all his responsibilities apart from participating at the Hero World Challenge, perhaps he understood that an even-par 72 wasn’t bad at all. It certainly could have been better; he carded a bogey and a double bogey in his last two holes after nicely getting back on track following a poor front nine. But it could have also been worse, what with his mind occupied by other off-course pursuits.
Granted, Woods is Woods, and his intrinsically competitive nature compels him to try to show his best every time he tees off. It’s why he managed to string together a sterling birdie-par-birdie-birdie-eagle stretch from the 11th that would have put him firmly in contention had he just coasted to the finish. It included a sterling drive on the par-five 12th in which his ball went a full 20 yards past much-younger playing partner Justin Thomas; after seeing the distance, he couldn’t help but good-naturedly needle his friend’s effort.
Then again, Woods already has countless miles on his odometer. He’s an old 43, and with hosting duties overlapping concerns as playing captain of the Team USA for the Presidents Cup, he finds his relatively brittle body and taxed mind under the wringer. The other day, he even had to be part of the Hero Shot, an event at nearby Baha Mar resort complex that also tested the short game of five other players. He wound up beating them all in effective measures of accuracy off an elevated platform through palm trees, over a reflecting pool, and to a makeshift green 130 yards away.
Given the proximity and importance of the Presidents Cup, Woods found himself answering more queries about it than on the state of his game yesterday. Not that he minded. At the same time, it’s fair to argue that he will be more prepped inside the ropes. It doesn’t matter that his is an unofficial event in the Bahamas. Forget that he’s swamped with work. When the ball is in front of him and he’s ready to swing, he’ll strive to carve his shot according to his intention. To him, winning may not be everything. When he’s primed to play, however, winning does wind up being the only thing.
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.
