Tiger Woods: 10 Reasons He Didn't Win at Pebble Beach

Sunday at Pebble Beach, Tiger Woods had everything lined up to pull out a victory.

And then he faltered down the stretch, missing putt after putt in another final round collapse.

We've become accustomed to seeing Tiger mentally spiral out of contention over the past two and a half years. Check out the 10 real reasons Tiger couldn’t pull of a win at Pebble.

Putting

The man who calmly sank a 60-foot putt on one leg at the 2008 U.S. Open has vanished.

In Sunday’s final round at Pebble, he shot 3-over-par (75) and nine strokes behind the eventual winner Phil Michelson.

"I didn't hit it as bad as the score indicated, but I putted awful," said a composed Woods, who three-putted twice. "I just couldn't get comfortable."

He finished the week tied for 62nd in putting. Putting, what once separated Tiger from the field, now has become his Achilles' heel.

Mental Toughness

From losing his family to his infidelity exploits, Tiger’s mental capacity to focus for four days on a golf course has yet to materialize (can’t really blame him).

Putting is mental, and it looks like the previous number one golfer in the world gets the yips when it matters most. Who's going to embrace him at the 18th tee after a dramatic victory, his caddy?

Perhaps Tiger is dreading the caddy bear hug. It's definitely a solid downgrade from wrapping his arms around a Swedish supermodel wife.

The Long Ball

There was a time when Tiger could drive the ball farther then everybody.

Those days are long gone. Now at 36 and a handful of arthroscopic knee surgeries later, he's changed his swing more than a woman changes her outfit on date night.

The Dustin Johnson’s and Hunter Mahan's of the world are younger, healthier and able to drive the ball past Woods.

Phil Mickelson

This guy gets as much credit as Siegel and Shuster got for creating Superman.

40 PGA tour event wins and four Major championships. Most professional golfers would give a kidney for that kind of career achievement. But because Phil played during the era of Tiger Woods dominance, Lefty's looked at as an underachiever.

He's been called a choker because of three second place finishes at the U.S. Open in 2002, 2006 and 2009.

Golf legend Jack Nicholas placed second in major championships 18 times. This Sunday afternoon Phil was on fire, walking on the green like he was storming the beaches of Normandy.

Father Time

Tiger’s 36. Not old for a normal golfer, but his violent swing style has caught up with him and his rigorous training has as well.

Looking like Ed Reed on the golf course comes with a price. He’s been swinging the club since he came out of the womb, and his body has been showing signs of breaking down.

While most golfers are in their prime at their mid-30s, Tiger is on the downswing of his illustrious career. Only the "Golden" Bear himself has been able to turn back the clock, as he won his last Masters at age 46.

European Invasion

The field has gotten better and broader with more Europeans joining the fray, competing ferociously and winning.

Young-gun Euro's like Rory McElroy, Charl Schwartzel and Martin Kaymer are just a few of the foreigners who come prepared and confident when they tee it up on American soil.

They have the perfect demeanor a golfer needs to mentally withstand 72 grueling holes at a course like Pebble Beach.

The Field Has No Fear

The tiger that sits atop of Woods' club has transitioned from terrifying to elementary. The young guns like Jason Day and Ricky Fowler didn’t play against Tiger in his era of domination.

There’s no fear factor.

The mental mind control Woods once eloquently demonstrated on the golf course has been replaced with a collective exhale of his competitors. The only greatness these younger players see of Tiger Woods is if they buy his "Greatest Hits" album on DVD.

Another Last-Round Meltdown

If golf changed the game to a three-day tournament, Tiger could pass Nicholas and reclaim his world number one ranking faster than you can say Eldrick.

Unfortunately for Woods, Sunday is not a day of rest on a golfer's calender. This is the day when Tiger would once upon a time optimize his aggression, mocking his foes with his red shirt, as he crushed each fairway and tapped in each putt with more grace than Fred Astaire.

Now, the final rounds of golf are the ones Tiger slips, falls and can't get up.

Practice

What are we talking about? Practice?

Yes, even Tiger Woods needs to practice to maintain a level of respectable greatness. Since his life unraveled, insiders have said he doesn’t practice obsessively like he used to.

With the number of physical and emotional scars over the last few years, his priorities have strayed from chipping and putting. This could explain why routine putts have become a chore.

Is it me or does he look like he's trying to win a free game at Gary's Mini Golf Course. Doesn't he know that no one can get the ball directly into the clown's mouth?

Karma

Karma is a you-know-what, my friends.

This might be the most important reason Tiger's game has diminished to the point of almost unrecognizable. It's nothing tangible, nothing physically fixable but everything spiritual and emotional.

He’s fighting an uphill battle.

Golf more than any other sport is one where you need to catch a break or two. The difference between winning a tournament or sulking home with a loss can come from a bad “break” on the green.

With everything Woods has had happened, the role model status gone, the breaking up of his family, countless endorsements lost and the endless infidelity, the course is not being too kind to him now like it once had been.