Testing times for Tiger

AUGUSTA, Georgia – While Phil Mickelson savours his dramatic breakthrough victory at the US Masters on Sunday, Tiger Woods faces increasing media scrutiny after stretching his barren run in the majors to seven.

World number one Woods tumbled out of contention at Augusta National with a three-over-par 75 on Saturday, although he did well to card a closing one-under-par 71 after vomiting several times early in the round. The fact remains, though, that the 28-year-old American has not won a major since the 2002 US Open, the same year he parted with his swing coach Butch Harmon.He appears to lack the confidence in his swing that was taken for granted during his annus mirabilis of 2000, and his aura of invincibility has all but gone.Hardly surprisingly, many of his peers now believe it is time for Woods to re-unite with Harmon while some feel his hunger for the game has wanted a little since he became engaged to Swede Elin Nordegren last year.However, the eight-times major winner adopts a positive approach.”I’m disappointed because I didn’t win, I felt like I hit the ball well enough to do it,” he said, after tying for 22nd on Sunday with a two-over-par total of 290.”But I’m pretty close.I’m telling you, if you watch me hit the balls, I’m not that far off.I’m hitting well on the golf course.”LOFTY STANDARDSWoods is on much more solid ground, though, when he explains he is judged, probably unfairly, by the lofty standards he set in 2000.He was then virtually untouchable in the game and won the last three majors of the year in imperious fashion.”It’s different for me versus any other player,” he said at Augusta last week.”Some other player has a bad week, misses the cut, it’s no big deal, slips through the radar; whereas if I shoot one bad round, it’s a little bit different.”I think it’s just expectation levels.It’s not like I’m not trying out there.”I was compared to [Jack] Nicklaus when I first came out here or now I’m being compared to what I did in 2000, 1999 and 2001.It’s just the way it is.”If the media raise their own expectations too high, Woods found support at the US Masters from golfing greats Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, who finally bowed out of the opening major of the year after his record 50th consecutive start.”It’s probably a little bit frustrating for him,” Nicklaus said of Woods’s barren run in the majors.”I got a little frustrated at times when I went a few tournaments without winning a major.”I don’t think it will be long again before he does.He’s got too good a work ethic and golf game and he’s got too much of a purposeful outlook on the game of trying to make sure he makes things happen.CAREER HAUL”I wouldn’t worry too much about him, frankly.I think he’ll do just fine,” added Nicklaus, whose career haul of 18 major wins has been targeted by Woods.Palmer, with seven major titles to his name, was also full of praise for Woods.”My opinion of Tiger and his golf and where he’s going is not any less than it ever was,” he said last week.”I think that he has the ability and the stamina and all of the things he needs to go on.”But to break Jack’s record or to win more than Jack and I won together, that’s tough.And it wouldn’t matter how good or how great he stays or how long he plays.”Palmer did warn, though, of possible distractions for Woods – whether on or away from the course.”I think that those of us who knew Tiger, know that somewhere along the way, there are going to be some hitches,” he said.”Of course, between now and 35 could be the absolute best years of his life.It would be very easy for that to happen, meaning he could double or triple what he has done in the past in those next seven years.”But at the same time, other things are going to have some influence on him, and how much, no one knows.”I can’t crawl in his brain and tell you.I’m not sure he can crawl in his own brain and tell you what that’s going to mean.But it’s going to have an effect.”- Nampa-ReutersThe fact remains, though, that the 28-year-old American has not won a major since the 2002 US Open, the same year he parted with his swing coach Butch Harmon.He appears to lack the confidence in his swing that was taken for granted during his annus mirabilis of 2000, and his aura of invincibility has all but gone.Hardly surprisingly, many of his peers now believe it is time for Woods to re-unite with Harmon while some feel his hunger for the game has wanted a little since he became engaged to Swede Elin Nordegren last year.However, the eight-times major winner adopts a positive approach.”I’m disappointed because I didn’t win, I felt like I hit the ball well enough to do it,” he said, after tying for 22nd on Sunday with a two-over-par total of 290.”But I’m pretty close.I’m telling you, if you watch me hit the balls, I’m not that far off.I’m hitting well on the golf course.”LOFTY STANDARDSWoods is on much more solid ground, though, when he explains he is judged, probably unfairly, by the lofty standards he set in 2000.He was then virtually untouchable in the game and won the last three majors of the year in imperious fashion.”It’s different for me versus any other player,” he said at Augusta last week.”Some other player has a bad week, misses the cut, it’s no big deal, slips through the radar; whereas if I shoot one bad round, it’s a little bit different.”I think it’s just expectation levels.It’s not like I’m not trying out there.”I was compared to [Jack] Nicklaus when I first came out here or now I’m being compared to what I did in 2000, 1999 and 2001.It’s just the way it is.”If the media raise their own expectations too high, Woods found support at the US Masters from golfing greats Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, who finally bowed out of the opening major of the year after his record 50th consecutive start.”It’s probably a little bit frustrating for him,” Nicklaus said of Woods’s barren run in the majors.”I got a little frustrated at times when I went a few tournaments without winning a major.”I don’t think it will be long again before he does.He’s got too good a work ethic and golf game and he’s got too much of a purposeful outlook on the game of trying to make sure he makes things happen.CAREER HAUL”I wouldn’t worry too much about him, frankly.I think he’ll do just fine,” added Nicklaus, whose career haul of 18 major wins has been targeted by Woods.Palmer, with seven major titles to his name, was also full of praise for Woods.”My opinion of Tiger and his golf and where he’s going is not any less than it ever was,” he said last week.”I think that he has the ability and the stamina and all of the things he needs to go on.”But to break Jack’s record or to win more than Jack and I won together, that’s tough.And it wouldn’t matter how good or how great he stays or how long he plays.”Palmer did warn, though, of possible distractions for Woods – whether on or away from the course.”I think that those of us who knew Tiger, know that somewhere along the way, there are going to be some hitches,” he said.”Of course, between now and 35 could be the absolute best years of his life.It would be very easy for that to happen, meaning he could double or triple what he has done in the past in those next seven years.”But at the same time, other things are going to have some influence on him, and how much, no one knows.”I can’t crawl in his brain and tell you.I’m not sure he can crawl in his own brain and tell you what that’s going to mean.But it’s going to have an effect.”- Nampa-Reuters