Tiger Woods AT&T National: Absence of Fans Will Aid Tiger's Run

Tiger Woods has shown flashes of being a great golfer once again. This weekend, he'll look to avoid the mistakes that have cost him in recent tournaments, and the absence of fans on Saturday will aid him in his effort.

The storms that ravaged the greater Washington D.C. area on Friday didn't spare Congressional Country Club. They downed trees and left large limbs hanging from others.

"It's too dangerous out here," Mark Russell, the PGA Tour's vice president of rules and competition, stated via ESPN.com. "It's like a tornado came through here. It's just not safe."

Play shouldn't be impacted once crews get the course cleared and ready for play. There was only about three-tenths of an inch of rain.

The player that could most benefit from the empty stands and fairways is Woods. He had a great start at the U.S. Open, but wilted on Saturday.

He had troubles finding the fairways and couldn't zero in the proper distance with his irons. 

There is speculation that Woods' issues tie into his troubled personal life. It seems a little unlikely that he would still bring his personal life onto the course, but it is clear that concentration is at least part of his problem.

He will have the advantage of just being able to golf on Saturday and not be bothered by swarming galleries of fans and critics. It should allow him to concentrate on just golf.

Woods still has the skill and talent to play at an elite level. He demonstrated as much at the U.S. Open and in the first two rounds at the AT&T National. 

A focused Tiger is a dangerous one. He will be able to continue his march up the leaderboard and be in a rare place on Sunday—in contention, and a factor in a tournament.