Tiger Woods: Failure to Close Becoming Major Hole in Icon's Game

Tiger Woods finished The Barclays 2012 tournament at one-over par, but his scores got progressively worse as the four-day contest went along.

Woods looked comfortable in Thursday's first round. He shot a 68 that day, and he shot a 69 in the second round. Everything was going well, until the weekend hit.

This has become a trend for Woods. Think back on his past year of golf. He's won three tournaments, but how many narrow misses can you remember? 

There's no doubting that Woods is back on track. He's playing much better than he did in 2009-10, but there's still something missing. It's not just about his new swing anymore, and he's not fighting himself as much as he was even earlier this year.

Woods chokes. It's a harsh word to throw around, but he's failed miserably on big shots recently. The triple-bogey on the sixth hole in The Open Championship's final round is the first shot that comes to mind, but there have been more subtle ones as well.

When Sunday's round comes, Woods seems to change. He grips each club just a bit harder, and he forces shots that he probably shouldn't. 

These aren't traits that we are familiar with, at least when it comes to golf's biggest icon.

Calling Woods a choke artist at this point in his illustrious career would be foolish, but it's a developing issue. He's shot his tournament high on Sunday five different times this year, and they've all been critical crumbles.

Woods is playing better, much better, and maybe that's the reason that the magnifying glass is increasing its focus yet again. He looks so close physically, but mentally he's lacking that "it" factor.

If anyone can find that mental edge again, it's Woods. He's one of the world's greatest competitors, and he doesn't take losing lightly. 

Watch for Woods to improve in his final four tournaments this year. He's already shown that he can win, but now he must show that he can still win consistently.