FEBRUARY has taken a sad turn for golf fans, who mourned the deaths last week of two of the game’s most important figures, Charlie Sifford and Billy Casper. Wednesday brought the news that Tiger Woods was taking an indefinite leave of absence, leading many to lower the curtain on his legendary career.
Any reports of the death of Woods’ game are greatly exaggerated.
Yes, his chipping went from bad at the Hero Challenge in December to worse at the Phoenix Open two weeks ago, a contributing factor in his second-round 82, his career-worst score as a pro. And after Woods’s first-round withdrawal at last week’s Farmers Insurance Open, it was difficult to discern
Woods, 39, was wise to announce he was stepping away from competitive golf. All athletes at one time or another are faced with the challenge of regaining their confidence while playing before a crowd, whether an audience of their peers or, worse, millions watching on national television. To be one of the highest-profile athletes on the planet and be adrift in a roiling sea of scrutiny must feel like a public drowning.
Everything that Woods needs to save his game — hitting fairways and shoring up his short game — is within his grasp. All he needs to do is commit to following through on the action he has set into motion. No bailing out this time.
In February 2010, Woods announced he was stepping away from the game. At the time, it wasn’t his swing that was broken; it was his life. Woods resurfaced at the Masters in April that year, which was not sufficient time for him to deep-dive into his abyss.
Five years later, Woods has awarded himself a mulligan. No shame. With one more precious shot at renewing his pursuit of Sam Snead’s 82 PGA Tour titles and Jack Nicklaus’s 18 major championships, Woods must get his mind and body right.
His next competitive appearance should be as an assistant captain at the Presidents Cup in South Korea in October. Between now and then, Woods ought to focus his energy on rediscovering the joy of playing. The majors can wait. It won’t be a lost year if Woods finds his lost love for the game.
The last thing he needs to do is repair to the range and pound golf balls. He doesn’t need the fresh eyes of the swing consultant Chris Como — not now or for the next couple of months. For the foreseeable future, Woods should play golf the way he did as a child. It is not remotely the same as suggesting he swing the way he did then.
Every day he should play at least 18 holes, preferably with friends, and let his imagination run loose. He should throw balls into the woods and try to curve shots around trees. He should purposely hit from the fairway of one hole to the green of another — surely, no one at his home course, the Medalist, will mind — to infuse his routine with fun.
•Culled from The New York Times.
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