Tiger Woods: Final News and Predictions for Golf's All-Time Great

Tiger Woods has had a spectacular 2012 season. He has found a swing that is working, the putter shows up when it has to and his ability to save shots from the fairway has put him in contention more often than not. 

Yet there is one thing missing from what has otherwise been a sterling season for Woods: a major championship. He only has one more chance, with the PGA Championship kicking off today from the Ocean Course in South Carolina. 

As we prepare to watch Woods do what he does best, here is a look at the latest news and predictions about him. 

Woods Pleased With Progress, Ready For More

From afar, the biggest change Woods has made this year is just relaxing on the mental state of the game. He stays out of his head a lot more, which has opened up a lot of things. 

At a press conference earlier this week, Woods said that he is happy with where his game has been at during various times this season, (via Associated Press h/t Washington Post):

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I’ve played in three major championships this year, and I didn’t win any of them. That’s the goal. I was there at the U.S. Open after two days, and I was right there with a chance at the British Open. Things have progressed, but still, not winning a major championship doesn’t feel very good.

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With a player like Woods, all that matters is what happens in majors. He knows it and thrives on the pressure, but he is still not quite where he needs to be. 

Tiger's Edge

Everyone talks about the presence that Woods has on the PGA Tour and what happens to players when they see his name on the leaderboard. 

Ron Borges of the Boston Herald wrote about the changing of the guard on Tour, with so much parity and the lack of dominance Woods has shown over the last four years. 

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Once icy cold in the face of pressure Woods is 13-over par in six weekend rounds in majors this year and an alarming 8-over on Sunday. He may not have the yips but he clearly no longer has the steely control of himself and the field that was once his edge back when the Tiger roared regularly and so did the gallery.

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There used to be a lot of pressure on players when Woods was lurking. You knew he was going to do something at some point; it was always a question of when, not if. 

Now, Woods no longer commands that kind of respect. He is still revered for what he has done, but it is more like respect for the past than an indication he is still a dominant figure. 

Predictions

Farrell Evans of ESPN.com is the lone expert from the mothership willing to go with Woods in this tournament, though he doesn't sound entirely convinced. 

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In 2012, the 14-time major winner hasn't played great on the weekends at the majors, but this might be his time to finally get his first major in four years. All he has to do is get out to a fast start and hang on until the end. He's proven that he's a far better frontrunner than a chaser.

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Given what we know about Woods, it is imperative that he does get off to a fast start. He needs to figure out what to do on Thursday and Friday to put himself in position to succeed on Saturday and Sunday. 

I don't see Woods contending in this event. He certainly has the length off the tee to make this course play much shorter than it appears, but his putter is going to have to be sharp right out of the gate to stay in it early. 

He has not figured out how to be consistent on the greens, so I am expecting a lot of early struggles before he puts it together. By that time it will be too late for Woods to win. 

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