Tiger Woods, Wells Fargo Championship 2012: Tiger Is Sinking into Obscurity

We are beginning to get to the point where a victory for Tiger Woods, in any tournament, is a surprise. 

After bombing at the Masters, punting his club and losing his mind in the process, Tiger has started off the Wells Fargo Championship poorly. He's well back from the leaders after one round of play at Quail Hollow, with countless others in between.

Despite Tiger's past infidelities, we all truly want to see him play well again. Woods' phenomenal stretch of victories—which included 14 major championships and four green jackets—captivated the world while he became one of very few men who made the frustrating game of golf look easy.

But let's be honest. We are grasping for some semblance of the old Tiger when the old Tiger disappeared a long time ago. 

I'll admit it: I was guilty of believing in Tiger after he won at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March. I thought that he had conquered the demons inside his head, the same demons who have had a hand in his free fall. Then, well, the Masters came, and Tiger blew up on the golf course. His demons had come back to haunt him, and we were all witness to a pathetic display.

The truth is, Tiger has not only lost his dominance, he's starting to slide into obscurity. Now, obviously, his name alone will always make him a central figure in the game of golf, but at the end of the day, he's not showing up on the top of the leaderboard or near it, for that matter. He's just one of many golfers these days. He's still a pro but not a prime contender. The fact that he's still ranked No. 7 in the world is mind-boggling.

Tiger's display at the Masters is one of many he will have moving forward. He may not punt his golf club anymore, but he's shanking his chances of winning another major championship.

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