IFTHEGREATNESSWINDOWISCLOSEDFORTIGERHE’DBETHERULERATHERTHANTHEEXCEPTIONByRonSirak•@ronsirak April21,2017

WordthatTigerWoodsnowhasasmanybacksurgeries–four–ashedoesMastersgreenjacketswassad,butitshouldnotbesurprising.Thegreatnesswindowdoesn’tstayopenforeverandifthatwindowhasclosedforWoodsitwouldbewellwithinthenormalcareer-spanofagreatgolfer.

Elevenmenhavewonsevenormoremajorchampionships.Throwoutthetwoexceptionswhoprovetherule–JackNicklauswonmajors24yearsapartandGaryPlayer19–andtheaveragerunformalemajorwinnersis10.1years.Ninewomenhavewonsevenormoremajors.Throwoutthreeexceptions–PattyBerg,21years;BetsyRawlsandJuliInksterboth18years–andtheaveragerunforafemalemajorwinneris10.6years.Tigerwonhis14majorsinan11-yearspan.Maybetimesimplyranoutonhim.Ofcourse,Woodscouldbecomeanexceptiontothelongevityrule,butNicklaus,Player,Berg,RawlsandInksterdidnotfacethephysicalissuesofWoods,ortheothercomponentsoftheperfectstormthatshipwreckedhim.Checkoutthesenumbers:Amongmen,BenHogan,TomWatson,BobbyJones,ArnoldPalmer,NickFaldo,SeveBallesteros,PhilMickelsonandByronNelsonwonfivetoninemajorsinsixtonineyears.

Amongwomen,MickeyWright,AnnikaSorenstam,KarrieWebb,InbeePark,PatBradley,SeRiPak,BetsyKing,KathyWhitworthandYaniTsengwonfiveto13majorsinthreeto11years.WhatWoodsdidbetween1997,whenhewontheMastersby12strokesinhismajorchampionshipdebutasapro,and2008,whenhewontheU.S.Openonabrokenleginaplayoffafteramiracleputtonthe72ndhole,wasasastoundingastheachievementsthatbookendedthem.Inhisfirst46majorsasapro,Woodswon14andfinishedinthetop-10on15otheroccasions.Whathashappenedsincethatlastmajor–andinJunenineyearswillseparateusfromthatspine-tinglingtourneyatTorreyPines–isjustasremarkableinamorepainfulway.WithTigeralmostcertainlyoutforallthe2017majors,bytheendofthisyearthenumberswillreadlikethis:Inthe38majorssincethe2008U.S.Open,Woodswillhavefailedtofinish72holesinhalfofthem–skipping13andmissingthecutinsix.Perhapsmorepuzzlingisthis:Inthefirst17majorsWoodsplayedafterTorrey,hefinishedinthetop-sixninetimeswithoutwinning.Andonmanyoccasionshewentintotheweekendwithachancetowinwithoutgettingthejobdone.•In2009,hehadatwo-strokeleadafter54holesinthePGAChampionshipbutclosedwitha75tofinishsecondtoY.E.Yang.

•Inthe2011Masters,Woodswasthreebackgoingintotheweekendbutshot74onSaturdayandendedupT-4.•Atthe2012U.S.Open,Tigerwastiedfortheleadafter36holesbutfadedtoT-21.•Andatthe2013BritishOpen,Tigerwastwobackgoingtothefinalround,closedwith74andfinishedT-6.Formorethanadecade,Tigerpulledoffcountlessmiracleshots–6-ironoutofthebunkerattheCanadianOpen;4-ironoutofthebunkeratHazeltineinthePGAChampionship;thechip-inonNo.16attheMastersthatdoubledasaNikeballcommercial;the“better-than-most”puttatThePlayers–andmademoremomentum-maintainingpar-savesthananygolferinhistory.Butthenthemagicranout.Yes,therewereinjuries.Therewasanembarrassingscandal.AndtherewereperhapsthewordsoftoomanyswingcoachesrattlingaroundinTiger’shead.Butdon’tunderestimatethemagicfactor.Latein1997,attheendofWoods’firstfullyearonthePGATour,IaskedhimhowtheTigermaniatravellingcircusthatfollowedhimfromtournamenttotournamentimpactedhim.Tigersaid:“BytheU.S.OpenIwasmentallytiredandbythePGAChampionshipIwasphysicallytired.”

IaskedhowthatimpactedhisplayandTigersaid:“Ilostmyabilitytowillthingstohappen.”ThosewordscomingfromjustaboutanyoneelsewouldhavepromptedmetothrowtheBSflag.ButIhadalreadyseenenoughmagicfromWoodstofeelthatattimeshecouldwillthingstohappen.IaskedforanexampleofwhenhewilledsomethingandWoodsreplied,“35thholeoflastyear’sU.S.Am.Iwasn’tgoingtoallowmyselftomissthatputt.”Indeed,IwasthereatPumpkinRidgein1996whenTigerholeda35-footbirdietorallyfrom5-downandeventuallywintheU.S.Amateurforthethirdstraightyearina38-holebattlewithSteveScott.Andyes,Woodswilledthatballintotheholeonthe72ndholeofthe2008U.S.OpentocatchRoccoMediateandhewilledthatballhepointedintotheholeinhis2000PGAChampionshiptriumphoverBobMay.Butoverthelastnineyears,puttsthatoncelippedinnowlippedout.Theimpossibleup-and-downregularlyconvertedbecameapainfularrayofchunkedandbladedchips.Theotherguypulledoffthebigshots,theimportantshots.

EvenifWoodsbecomeshealthyenoughtoagainplaychampionshipgolf,youhavetowonderthis:Hasallthemagicbeenusedup?Onethingweknowforsure:Whatevercomesnext,Tigerhasleftuswithmemoriesthatwilllastaslongastheytalkaboutgolfevenifthatwindowisnowclosed.