New swing. New coach. New body. New living arrangement. New life. Now add new caddy to that list. As I have mentioned time and time again, we currently live in a world of instant gratification. We want success now. We are impatient, and we are spoiled by success. Most of us don't know how to handle disappointment. Yes, Tiger has not won in almost two years now. People don't want to accept or embrace the fact that he has gone through a slump like this before. I am certainly not dismissing the effect that the scandal has had on this current quagmire. This has been a totally different monster. However, Tiger can come back. I'm confident that he will. What does coming back mean?
The Tiger Era is over. It was not going to last forever anyway, even without the car crash, the knee problems, or the infidelity. From what I have gathered from my friends and others is that "Tiger will never be dominant again." Um, yeah, obviously. Let's be real. Tiger changed the game when he debuted. Players are now hitting the ball further. They're learning the game earlier. That means that the competition has stiffened up a little bit. Here are the facts: the only number that has driven Tiger's career is 18. He has 14. Jack won #18 at the age of 46. Tiger is 35. Golf is a sport that has no end in sight, proven by the Champions Tour, not to mention Tom Watson's timeless performance at the Open Championship two years ago at the tender age of 61. The bottom line is, no other number matters. If he reaches it, it won't matter how he got there, how many majors he choked, or how dominant he will never be again.
There seems to be a story of redemption nearly every time we open our eyes. There once was a basketball player who hit a low point in his life after he cheated on his wife and was almost sent to prison for sexual abuse. He redeemed himself by earning the respect of his teammates and harsh critic of a coach to win three more championships. There once was a football player who spent two years in prison for arranging dogs to fight and subsequently killing them. He served his time and came back to have his best year as a professional football player. Why can't we write a story about a golfer whose life went spiraling out of control because he committed mistakes, and he ultimately ended up at perhaps his lowest point? Why can't the story end with this golfer redeeming himself years later and becoming the undoubtedly, absolute best ever?
Those who understandably dislike Tiger Woods because of his actions on and off the course, I get it. I know you are laughing at his every wrong turn, every falter, every failure. However, the reality about this situation is that it's not over. If any golfer can reinvent himself, it's Tiger. He's done it before. He is too good not to. This is a complete overhaul. It hasn't finished yet. When it does, Tiger will be only a shell of his former self. Those of us who understand not only golf, but life, embrace what he will become. Those of us who have gone through the trials and tribulations, fallen and gotten back up, know that it will only be a matter of time. And when that day comes, those of us who believed in him all along, will ultimately revel in his accomplishments, while those who doubted him will only be able to scowl.
The next time I open my mouth about Tiger Woods, I will only need to say four words, "I told you so."
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