So today, Tiger Woods announced that his return to golf will be at the Masters, the site of his first Majors win and where he’s won 4 times. It will probably shape up to be the most covered golf tournament of all time. The media presence will be unprecedented and will probably be one of the biggest circuses of all time.
Ever since Tiger Wood’s took an indefinite leave from golf, the sports world debated how Tiger would perform when he returned to play. Would he still be able to break Jack Nicklaus’s record of 18 Major Wins.
In terms of his playing abilities, I dont foresee winning 5 more Majors to be that difficult for Tiger. Last year, Tiger had an 8 month break while he rehabilitated his knee. While he didnt win a major upon his return, the 8 month break didn’t affect his playing abilities, and he was always in contention in tournaments.
The biggest unknown is his mental and emotional capacity and strength. The media has always respected his privacy, and he’s never before had to answer to the public and address the public at lengths. He’s always been able to just concentrate on golf. He won’t be able to hide from the public scrutiny anymore. The press and paparazzi will now continue to follow his every move. Who knows how Tiger will handle the invasion of his personal life.
Tiger has in the past shown flashes of annoyance as well. He’s been known to lash out at fans who flash cameras when he’s about to hit the ball. What happens now if fans start heckling him about his personal life on the golf course? Will he be able to deal with this?
Tiger is one of the greatest competitors of our lifetime. How he responds and handles the increased public pressure and scrutiny will go a long way into determining if he’ll pass Jack Nicklaus’s record.
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