There was a time when Tiger Woods would have been so ticked off by a poor round to the point of frustration. He would have headed straight to the range to correct his swing, striving to let the dark be his light in order to prep for the immediate future. Continuous improvement was his mantra, never mind the stakes, never mind the circumstances. The high number he just shot occupying his mind, he would have tried to scratch an itch in the belief that a remedy was in store. Then, he insisted that a remedy was always in store; it was just a matter of finding the right one.
That Tiger Woods is no longer around these days. He has been replaced by a more mature, more experienced, and, therefore, more considerate version who has learned the value of acceptance. The effects of multiple injuries and surgeries, including a serious flirtation with forced retirement, have mellowed him considerably. And, given his advancing age, he understands that he will not always be at his best. In fact, he will be far from it often — derailed by factors that used to be extraneous. Plenty can get him now. The cold. Or an unexplained stiffness. Or a mood swing. Or a family obligation. Any and all reasons that he used to chuck by the wayside in pursuit of success.
Which, for all intents, was why Woods proved mostly resigned to his plight yesterday. He appeared irked when he shot 73 two days prior, and not simply because he stood as host of the Genesis Invitational. After progressively hitting new lows to his current campaign, however, irritation was replaced by forbearance. He greeted the weekend with fatigue, and he went away with a 74 and a 77 for his efforts. He still displayed his usual focus with and in every shot, but skill failed to accompany will — because he was older. Because he was just plain old.
Interestingly, Woods declared his desire to further prune his commitments in the aftermath. His aim, he said, was to compete in a mere 12 tournaments through a given season. He wants to preserve his energy, and, by extension, himself. It鈥檚 why he won鈥檛 be at the Mexico Championship this week, the lure and allure of participating in a no-cut, limited-field event in order to gain crucial world rankings points for an Olympic berth notwithstanding. And it鈥檚 why his schedule heading into the Masters isn鈥檛 a lock as yet. How he feels prior to committing is crucial.
One thing鈥檚 sure, though: Woods will get up for the tournaments he cares for the most. He鈥檒l leave nothing in the tank for the majors. He鈥檒l be dead set on defending his title at Augusta in April, on contending at Harding Park in May, on doing better at Winged Foot in June, and on turning his acquaintance with Royal St. George鈥檚 into victory in July. At 44, he鈥檒l be hoping for his best. And, at 44, he鈥檒l need no small measure of luck to brandish it.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since 大象传媒 introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
