5 Reasons Tiger Woods Will Never Truly Make a Comeback

Tiger Woods may have entered the Masters as the hot favorite to win, but he left it as just another player that failed to make an impact on golf's biggest stage.

And those words may well be the future of Woods: just another player.

Since that incident or incidents, Tiger's career has never been the same and the simple truth is that his career will never reach the lofty heights that he once was perched at.

This is not coming from a Tiger-hater; nor is this article stating that Woods will never win another trophy in his career to come.

Rather, it's five reasons why Woods won't ever truly make a comeback to what he once was.

Five reasons why the the man once considered to be the greatest golfer in the world won't ever be able to claim that title ever again.

1. Consistency Issues

One of the biggest reasons why Tiger will not return to his form that took him to the No. 1 ranking in the world for several years is his lack of consistency across the PGA Tour.

Throughout 2012, the American has finished top five on three occasions, but he also has a 15th, a 17th and now a 40th to his name as well. Consistency wise, he may be taking steps forward, but he's also taking steps backwards at the same time.

Since that life-changing week in 2009, Woods has only finished top-five in tournaments 10 times—an average of just 30 percent. For a man that went period where he couldn't lose tournaments, 23 finishes outside the top five in two years is a drastic change and something that he's never recovered from.

Woods may still win tournaments—like he's shown us so far this year—but he will continue to be plagued by consistency issues which will stop him from returning to what we know he can be.

Whether it's just one poor round, or an entire poor tournament, the consistency issues are still alive and well in Tiger's game as he's shown us already this year.

2. Emotional Issues

Tiger never got rattled in the past.

He could be playing terribly, driving pathetically and putting woefully but he would always keep calm and he would always bounce back in to form.

Even over the past two years, with all that's gone, Tiger still managed to put it all behind him and finish top-ten at the Masters.

Not now.

The now infamous club-kicking incident encapsulates perfectly the frustration that Woods is facing with his own inability to play consistent, quality golf.

Tiger's frustration with wayward drives and missed putts all come to a head when he kicked away his 9-iron in disgust, leaving commentator Nick Waldo to state:

"

I think we can safely can Tiger has lost his game, and his mind...

"

I'm not trying to discuss whether the golfing great was justified or not in his on-course tantrum; what I am saying is that it shows perfectly that Tiger isn't as emotionally stable as he once was.

Even after the round, with all the camera's and media attention fixated upon him, you could almost hear frustration and tiredness in his words:

"

Certainly I'm frustrated at times and I apologize if I offended anybody by that. But I've hit some bad shots and it's certainly frustrating at times not hitting the ball where you want to hit it.

I was so close to putting it together today... I'm telling you it was so close to being a really good round of golf; I just didn't take the opportunities when I had them.

"

Woods went on to say:

"

What's frustrating is I know what to do, and I just don't do it. I get out there and I don't trust it all. Especially on a golf course like this, it doesn't take much. You're a yard off here or there, which happened to be quite often, and next thing you know, I'm 40, 50 feet away.

"

The emotionally-solid Tiger simply is nowhere to be found—which is perfectly understandable given the pressure and expectation that he faces every time he hits the ball.

But the emotional issues will continue to haunt Woods and continue to prevent him from making a complete comeback to what he once was.

3. Accuracy Issues

Coming in to the Masters, Woods was ranked number one in total driving and ninth in greens in regulation—leaving many to comment that Tiger was 'back' because he was back to his accurate best.

I wrote before the beginning the tournament that these accuracy comments weren't at all as confidence boosting as they may have seemed, and it turns out I wasn't far off the money as Woods struggled all weekend with accuracy driving and hitting.

Tiger Woods in 2012: GIR Percentage

Less than 75 yards — 98th (88.89%)

75 to 100 yards — 167th (66.67%)

100 to 125 yards — 102nd (75.00%)

125 to 150 yards — 58th (73.81%)

150 to 175 yards — 42nd (68.63%)

Post-Masters, those numbers are even worse for Tiger, who now ranks 36th in driving accuracy and 31st in greens in regulation percentage.

Bubba Watson's miracle shot on the second playoff hole proves that you can win tournaments despite putting your tee-shots in to the trees, but you can't be doing it as often as Woods has been if you want to win.

Until Tiger rectifies his accuracy issues—which most likely stem from his change in swing—he won't be able to achieve the success that he once had and he definitely won't be able to launch a successful comeback to the PGA Tour.

4. Par-Five Issues

Straight from the horses' (or Tiger's) mouth:

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If I looked back on the week, I played the par-fives atrociously. This is a golf course you just have to dominate the par-fives and I did not do that at all this week.

"

Augusta had been a place in the past where Woods would simply shine—especially on the par five holes, where he would often show his true class over the field.

However, now, the par-five domination simply isn't there; nor has it been all year.

His average par five performance for the year is just 4.51, ranking him 82nd across the PGA Tour in a category he once made his own. In 2011, that ranking was 181st when he averaged 4.59 per hole.

The holes where Woods should be dominating, he isn't, and as a result, cannot make up ground on the rest of the field. Without his usual par-five birdies, Tiger will never return to the skill level and prowess that he once played at.

5. Health Issues

The final key reason why Tiger simply won't come back to the form that he once had is his health—perhaps an odd reason in light of his 2008 US Open win with a broken leg.

But keep in mind that Woods isn't going to get any younger, and that at 36, he's less than ten years off the oldest age that any player has won a major at.

Which, with niggling injuries, could mean that Tiger has only say 30-odd genuine chances at winning another major title and proving to everyone that he's made a legitimate comeback.

Throughout his illustrious career, Tiger has had injuries with his ACL, tibia, Achilles' tendon, ankle, neck and calf and one can only speculate how long it will take before these injuries catch up with him.

A full list of Woods' injuries can be viewed here.

Whether or not the formed World No. 1 requires further surgery in the future or not, his past history of injuries will continue to harass him as he gets older and his body physically doesn't respond as well as it used to.

Together with his consistency, emotional, accuracy and par-five issues though, Tiger Woods simply will never make a complete comeback and will never return to the golfing prowess that he should be known and remembered for.

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