We won't be seeing this at Congressional...
Of course, our imagination is really all we've had to work with when assessing Tiger's condition. Details surrounding the specific diagnosis have been a bit thin on the ground - since the Players at least (by contrast, after the Masters, Woods told us on his web site he had suffered a 'Grade 1 mild medial collateral ligament sprain' and a 'mild strain to his left Achilles tendon'). While some commentators seemed hopeful he would make it back in time for Congressional, others sensed we might actually have seen the last of him or, if not the last exactly, then certainly the best of him.
After withdrawing from the Players at TPC Sawgrass four weeks ago, Woods was asked to compare his current injury with that which caused him to hobble around Torrey Pines during his incredible victory at the 2008 US Open. "My leg was broken there," he said, "so no, this one is not quite that bad."
He hadn't seen his doctor at that stage obviously, so he probably wasn't to know, but it does seem the injury he sustained at Sawgrass is really a whole lot worse. Might it be a Grade 3, even 4 or 5, severe medial collateral ligament sprain?
Before the '08 US Open, Woods's doctors advised him against playing but said his condition wouldn't deteriorate if he did. That was all Woods needed to hear. "I am going to play and I am going to win," he said defiantly, before doing both.
Clearly, whatever it is that ails Woods right now could very definitely get worse and, who knows, cut short his career.
Paul Azinger certainly fears as much. The 2008 US Ryder Cup captain told waggleroom.com earlier today that the combination of Achilles Tendon and knee injuries was "serious stuff". "It must be pretty serious," he added, "if this is keeping out a guy who won the 2008 US Open with a torn ACL and a fracture in his leg."
Needless to say, the speculation now turns to if and when Woods will return. He states on his web site that he hopes to be back for the AT&T National at Aronimink, just two weeks after the US Open.
If he isn't able to pull himself off the treatment table for the US Open in eight days' time, you have to doubt he'll be ready for the AT&T in 23. And how about the Open Championship in 37 days, or the PGA Championship in 65?
Woods's long-time ambition to equal and eventually pass Jack Nicklaus's record haul of 18 majors is becoming an increasingly dim and distant prospect. His self-belief and mental strength have apparently diminished over the last couple of years, his putting is not nearly as convincing as it once was, he still hasn't mastered the swing Sean Foley has been teaching him, and his left leg is more fragile than ever.
...nor this.
Alliss is right; Woods's career may end with him stuck on 14 majors. But no matter how low he falls (he's currently 15th in the world rankings), Woods will always boast the asset without which all his other attributes would be more or less useless - talent. And with the amount of talent he has, you can't ever rule him out of any tournament...well, unless he withdraws perhaps.
A full field of 112 players turned out for Saturday's Two-Man Scramble at Lake Padden. Congratulations to Greg Cummins and Sam Reier who won the First Division Gross prize with a 65. Dean Carpenter and Gary Bring took the Net prize with a 58. Results here. The June Open (Saturday June 18th) is the next event on the Men's Club calendar, and will be the season's third major. The format is individual Gross and Net from the Green Tees. Info here. Mark Rachor leads the ProGraphics Challenge at the halfway point in the season.
Belated congratulations to Chris Jorgenson and Kevin Stray who won the Spring Shootout at North Bellingham with a gross 193. Results here.
