In theatrical parlance, it’s called the Greek chorus. And in the tale of two extremes that has defined Tiger Woods’ season, the voices from the periphery at times have been nearly as entertaining as the drama it accompanies.
Item: Woods is back to his winning ways – three times, in fact, which is more than anyone else on the PGA Tour. He just passed Jack Nicklaus for No. 2 on the all-time list. (Voices: He’s back!!)
Then again, Woods has an equal number of starts in which he didn’t finish 72 holes – two missed cuts and an injury flare-up. (No, he’s not!)
It’s made for a lot of noise – though as golf’s best cross the Atlantic for next week’s British Open, not a lot of resolution.
“If he’s playing well, he’s better than everybody else in the field,” said ESPN analyst Curtis Strange, twice a U.S. Open champion. “If he’s not, he’s average. It just depends on which Tiger shows up.”
Woods has given both sides enough ammunition.
The winner of 14 majors led after two rounds of the U.S. Open, with a 36-hole display of solid ballstriking not seen in years. (He’s back!!) And then he shot 75-73 on the weekend. (No, he’s not!)
In his next start, Woods outdueled a dogged Bo Van Pelt down the stretch to win the AT&T National. (He’s back!!) Six days later, he missed the Greenbrier Classic cut against a less-than-stellar field. (No, he’s not!)
And so it goes.
Woods hasn’t left the question marks of recent seasons completely behind. Never before has he missed more than one cut in a season. Nor did he seem all that chafed when it occurred.
“It happens, you know?” Woods said before exiting the Greenbrier. “I’ve been (out on tour) for a long time, and I think I’ve missed nine cuts.”
Royal Lytham & St. Annes, with its 205 bunkers and typically windy conditions, doesn’t leave a whole lot of room for error. It also has the Open’s most exclusive list of winners – all nine are either in the Hall of Fame or were ranked No.1 in the world at some time.
And in that sense, Woods would make a proper addition.
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