Tiger Woods: Why Tiger's Struggles Will Continue on Last Day at Olympic

We all thought that Tiger Woods was back. He was tied for the lead at the U.S. Open after two rounds, and golf fans had finally gotten back their savior.

What a difference a day can make.

Woods returned to his inconsistent play on Saturday, shooting a five-over par 75, and his chances of winning the tournament now seem unlikely.

Many diehard Tiger fans are still hanging on to the hope that he has the ability to regain his all-time great golf game that won him 14 major tournaments. Unfortunately for those fans, Woods is not going to have a good fourth and final round at the U.S. Open, and his struggles will continue.

Just for this first point, let’s pretend that Woods is still in his prime. Forget that he hasn’t won a major since 2008.

Even in his absolute apex, Woods never won a major tournament when trailing after three rounds. Look it up.

There’s no way that Woods, who was once proclaimed the toughest athlete mentally in all of professional sports, will be able to overcome a five shot deficit. If early 2000s Tiger couldn’t do it, then there’s no way that 2012 Tiger can come close to making the comeback.

Woods is no longer the most mentally tough athlete in professional sports. He’s not even the most mentally tough professional golfer.

He no longer has the swagger and confidence that made opposing golfers tremble through the mere knowledge of his presence. Players atop the leaderboard aren’t afraid that Woods is lurking. They aren't constantly looking over their shoulders, waiting for him to make his run.

Woods knows this as well. He realizes that his aura has dimmed and that he can’t simply walk onto the course anymore and strike fear into his opponent’s hearts.

If Woods is going to make a comeback on Sunday, it won’t be because the leaders collapsed under the thought of him coming for them. A victory for Woods will only come if he plays so tremendously that there is no way anyone could overcome his performance.

The fact is that Woods is not good enough to do that anymore. His play is too inconsistent and his self confidence is too low.  

Take yesterday, for example. Woods had a makeable birdie putt on the par-four seventh hole. He made a solid attempt for birdie that went a few feet past the hole. Instead of confidently knocking in the easy par putt, Woods once again proved that he is no longer the player he used to be by missing a virtual tap in and bogeying the hole.

The old Tiger would have birdied the hole. The new Tiger bogeyed it.

The hole proved to be a crucial two-stroke swing for Woods that may end up costing him the tournament. It could very well have been an even bigger swing, as the costly three-putt bogey seemingly rattled Woods’ confidence for the rest of the round.

There is no way that, pre-2008, Woods would have ever shot a five-over 75 on Saturday when he was tied atop the leaderboard. He would have relished in the opportunity to stomp on the throat of his competition when he had the chance. Letting a tremendous shot at taking full control of the tournament slip away is not Tiger-like.

There is no sign that Tiger Woods is getting close to regaining the dominant play he once displayed. His confidence is still shattered, and, as a result, his opponents no longer fear him. Also, Woods no longer has the confidence in himself that used to be unflappable.

Woods has struggled mightily over the past few years with inconsistent play, and that will not change on Sunday at the U.S. Open.