Tiger Woods: Mind Games Will Doom Tiger at Honda Classic

Tiger Woods used to make fantastic comebacks based on his putting and fierce mentality alone.

But, sadly, this isn't the same Tiger, and his former strengths have turned into weaknesses as he gets set for this week's Honda Classic.

This isn't the same Tiger who hit a six-foot birdie to force a playoff in the 2000 PGA Championship. Or the same Tiger who nailed a 15-foot putt in the dark at the Presidents Cup in South Africa. Or even the same Tiger who hit a 12-foot birdie on the 18th hole at Torrey Pines to get into a playoff at the U.S. Open.

No, this is the Tiger who has missed numerous putts at Pebble Beach and the Match Play Championship to start off 2012.

With Pebble Beach in his grasp headed into the last round, Woods missed a five-foot birdie putt on the second hole and a three-foot putt for par on the seventh hole, essentially giving the tournament away. Headed into that final round, Woods had scored two 68s and a 67. He scored a 75 to close out Pebble Beach.

Last week at the Match Play Championship, Woods missed two birdie putts inside 10 feet on the back nine. Yet, he still had a shot to extend his second-round match against Nick Watney on the 18th hole. With a birdie putt just outside five feet, Tiger choked, not even glancing the hole.

Woods has been reduced to asking Steve Stricker for putting advice. Not that Stricker is a bad guy to ask, but since when has Woods ever asked anyone for putting advice?

Woods is aging at 36 years old, but, ironically, it hasn't been his physical limitations that have doomed him the last two years; it's been his mental game.

If Tiger is to make a last gasp in a major, he has to find that fire, tenacity and poise he once had. Without it, he is doomed.

Heading into the Honda Classic, Woods hasn't shown any signs of having the mental game to pull through.