Hello Golf Friends,
Heeeee’s Baaaaack…..
As I write this I’m readying for Tiger Woods’ return to the competitive tee box. Today is the day. It’s been 466 days and three surgeries since he last hit a drive, shot, putt, or chip in a professional event. He didn’t wait long to create the hype we’ve always loved from him by making two eagles in yesterday’s pro-am. Not bad for a man who thought he may never play golf, and certainly not to a professional level he once attained. To see that “Tiger Smile” again on the golf course does my golf soul good!
Tiger Woods has had a HUGE impact on golf and the golf industry. He brought it into mainstream sports and put the “Cool” in it. Not since Arnie and Jack had a player made such a profound impact on the game including a rise in number of golfers playing, rise of minority golfers, rise in junior golfers, rise in TV ratings. When Tiger was at his best, golf was the game to play and watch. And what if he returned to the form that put him in the hunt to reach Nicklaus’ major record again? We won’t see that until the 2017 Master’s Tournament. But if he stays healthy, progresses…. Hmmm…. You never know!
I’m not focused on his personal life and it doesn’t matter to me anymore. It’s his life and he made choices, just like all of us. The most important thing we can do about our choices is learn from them; to try to make ourselves better people. From all accounts, he seems to have all of that back in order.
I work with many golf students who have rods, pins, and screws in their bodies. They just want to play the game again and continue to improve and enjoy playing golf. Tiger? He just wants to play decently again, continue to improve, and enjoy playing golf. And remember… Tiger’s decent golf was once the best in the world golf!!!! He wants to continue to challenge himself to get better; to get his blood boiling; his juices flowing; and to feel the nerves that hit you during competition…. And to do it on his terms! I applaud his tenacity and hard work preparing his body to be ready to play competitive golf again! I applaud him stepping back into the world limelight, and hopefully with a different sense of what that means and how to handle it. He can control it and not let it control him.
He might should 70 today. He might shoot 80. He might make the cut. He might miss the cut. None of that matters to me (well, I’d love to see him in the hunt on a weekend again!) except that he’s playing again!
And, on this day of December 1, 2016, I know that the most watched sports event will once again be golf related…. NOW PLAYING, FROM JUPITER, FL….. TIIIIIGER WOODS!
Wishing a great holiday season with family and friends!
Until next month,
Paul Meyer The Complete Golfer Golf Academy 813.502.9900 thegolfingguy@msn.com