Tiger proves golf is a mental game

By: Larry Fitzgerald
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
Originally posted 08/11/2010

Who would have thought that the same thing that happens to thousands of golfers could happen to Tiger Woods? Sometimes players win tournaments one year and then you never hear about that player again. Somehow they lose the ability to play well and win.

Last weekend, Tiger’s game with the world watching was in a complete free fall as he finished 78th in the Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone in Akron, Ohio. This was not a regular tour event with 156 players; only 80 players were invited. The winner was Hunter Mahan, who shot -12 and was paid $1,400,000.

Par, by the way, was 70, while Tiger’s scores for four rounds were 74-72-75-77.

That’s18 over par, for which Tiger earned a check for $35,000. This was by far the worst I’ve ever seen Tiger play. I could not watch it on TV — he looked like an average professional golfer.

Only the top players in the world qualify for the WGC event, so there was no cut after 36 holes. If there had been a cut, Tiger surely would have missed it.

It’s August — football season has started, and Tiger has not yet won a tournament in 2010. Last year he won six tournaments, and who can forget how he blew a two-shot lead in the final round of the final Major, the PGA Championship here at Hazeltine National in Chaska.

“It’s been a long year,” Woods said of his slump. Right now he’s a shadow of his former self. He has only himself to blame, but he has lost a lot — his marriage, his family, many of his sponsors. But most importantly, he has lost his credibility. People can’t take him at his word anymore.

After his struggles last week, he said he has not had as much time to practice lately because he has been spending time with his kids, as he should. Family does come first, and don’t get me wrong, but that sounds like an excuse to me. Golf is your profession, your job; you have done great things and achieved greatness and fame and wealth; but don’t blame your kids or spending time with them for struggling at golf.

One of the things I always admired about Woods was how he always gave 100 percent on every shot, and he always played to win. I don’t believe most of the other golfers play to win. Playing to win means you’re ready to fight to make par. No excuses — if he did not win, he at least fought to the end.

Back in the summer of 1999, Woods came to Minnesota and held his first-ever Tiger Woods Foundation Clinic. It was at Hiawatha Golf Course in South Minneapolis. I made certain that my two boys, Larry, Jr. and Marcus, participated and had the opportunity to be around him. Even though they were football players, I felt they could learn mentally from such a great young player. And they did.

Later that summer, Tiger won the PGA Championship in Chicago. It was his second Major victory. It was also the last Major of the 20th Century. Woods has 14 Major titles now, and this week at Whistling Straits outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin he will tee it up trying to win number 15.

His mental resolve has been stripped, it appears, by his well-documented personal issues. Since that car accident around Thanksgiving last year, his marriage and personal problems have taken something away. Hitting a golf ball does not appear to be as important to him as it was before.

Fighting to win against the best players right now does not seem to motivate him. Chasing history and Jack Nicklaus’ 18 Major wins don’t seem to motivate him right now. Time has a way of changing all of us.

Woods is only 34 years old, and he is hardly finished, I hope. But he has allowed what happens to other golfers to happen to him. It’s no fun watching him play bad; he established a high standard of excellence.

His game has slipped, and only time will tell if he can get it back. He is still the number-one-ranked golfer in the world and has been since 2005. But it appears he is about to lose that position soon.

 

Larry Fitzgerald can be heard weekday mornings on KMOJ Radio 89.9 FM at 8:20 am, and on WDGY-AM 740 Monday & Saturday mornings at 7:50 am and Fridays at 3:50 pm; he also commentates on sports 7-8 pm on Almanac (TPT channel 2). Larry welcomes reader responses to lfitzgerald@spokesman-recorder.com , or visit www.Larry-Fitzgerald.com .