Tiger Woods' Latest Slump Is Different from the Rest

Throughout the history of golf, very few players have ever made a graceful exit from the game.

Whereas the ultimate decline of athletes in most other sports typically begin with a loss of speed, power and explosiveness, the decline of most golfers almost always begins from 20 yards in.

Ben Hogan suffered from what could only be described as a case of the anti-yips late in his career. While the yips typically cause golfers to accelerate very quickly through the ball, Hogan would stand over putts for what felt like an eternity before finally striking the ball with a very short jabby stroke.

Sam Snead was one of the longest hitters on tour well into his 50s, yet no matter what kind of sideshow putting stroke he attempted on the greens (many of which are now banned by the USGA), he was unable to fight off the yips.

The decline of both Hogan and Snead was particularly difficult for many to witness as both players struck the ball well enough to win majors into their late 40s and even early 50s.  

Tom Watson was unable to sink anything from inside of five feet late in his career.

Harry Vardon’s career spiraled downward when his hands began to quiver over short putts, which some attributed to an earlier battle with tuberculosis.

Jack Nicklaus’ decline began, and eventually concluded, with the loss of the silky smooth putting stroke he had relied upon to win18 major championship titles throughout his career.

Heck, you can even go all the way back to Old Tom Morris, who was ridiculed by his peers for being able to sink more 30 footers than two footers.

Throughout Tiger Woods’ career, he has always relied heavily on his short game and putter to help him reach peaks in the game of golf that very few before him had ever reached.

Yet as amazing as Woods has been on and around the greens for the past 18 years, in the back of our minds we always knew that Woods’ ultimate decline would more than likely begin with his chipping and putting.

This has been the case for virtually every great golfer throughout history, so it would be naive of us to believe that Woods’ decline would be caused by anything different.

The only question was precisely when Father Time would begin to take hold of Woods’ short game and putter.

Well, that question may have been answered last week at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Woods' play on and around the greens at TPC Scottsdale was so astonishingly bad that it is difficult to arrive at a conclusion other than that the ultimate decline of Woods' short game has officially begun.  

About a month ago we all watched in amazement as Woods chunked multiple chip shots at Isleworth where he was on hand for his Hero World Challenge event.

At the time we simply chalked this off to rust and some difficult grain around the greens, even though Woods misplayed far more chip shots than anyone else in the field that week.

But right from Wood’s opening hole last week at TPC Scottsdale, it was obvious that he had lost all confidence in his short game.

Woods missed the green on his very first hole of the tournament. But instead of taking out a lofted iron to play what would have normally been a very easy pitch shot on to the green, Woods took out what appeared to be a four or five iron and attempted to roll his ball on to the green. Woods’ ball came up well short and he eventually made a bogey on the hole.

Woods played another very poor chip shot on the second hole which left him with a 10-foot putt for par, which he would miss.

Woods then chunked another chip shot on the par five third hole but managed to sink a mid-range par putt.

Woods missed the green on the par three fourth and once again went to a low lofted club in an attempt to roll his ball up on to the green. He came up well short and made a double bogey five.

On the sixth hole, Woods took out his putter from 10 yards off the green instead of using a lofted club for what would have normally been a very simple chip shot. Woods’ putt came up short of the hole, but he managed to sink a good putt for par.

On the ninth hole Woods' approach shot remained short of the green, but this time he was forced to use a lofted club to chip his ball over a bunker. Woods hit his chip shot clear over the green and carded another bogey.

Woods did manage to pull things together a bit on the back nine of his opening round and eventually posted a score of 73. However, that was mostly due to the fact that Woods hit more greens in regulation on the back nine and was not forced to hit as many short shots from around the greens.

It may have been difficult for anyone to believe at the time, but things were about to get much worse for Woods out in the Arizona desert.

If you thought that Thursday was bad, Friday was nothing short of a five-hour nightmare for Woods.

Woods began his round on the back nine and once again went to a low lofted club for his very first chip shot of the day, which came at the par five 13th hole. Woods ran his ball about 20 feet past the hole but managed to sink his par putt coming back.   

Woods then completely flubbed his chip shot on 14 which led to a double bogey six.  

Things would get worse.

Just when we thought we had seen it all, Woods sculled his bunker shot clear over the green on the par five15th and then completely chunked his chip shot coming back en route to a triple bogey eight.

Woods came up short of the green and into a bunker on 16, played his bunker shot to about 25 feet from the cup and managed to sink his long par putt.

Woods’ ball came to rest just short of the green on the drivable par four 17th. This time Woods didn’t even attempt to mess around with a lofted iron. He took out what appeared to be a four iron and played his ball along the ground but came up well short of the green. He then hit his next shot six feet by the hole and missed his putt coming back for par.

On the third hole Woods used his putter from a location just off the green that would have typically offered him a very simple chip shot. Woods left his ball 10 feet short of the hole and missed his par putt.

After hitting his tee shot over the green on the par three fourth, Woods skulled his chip shot clear over the green and into a bunker. He then played his bunker shot 25 feet short of the hole before two-putting for a double bogey five.

Woods found the greenside bunker on six and then sent his bunker shot clear over the green on his way to yet another bogey.

By now you may be asking yourself exactly how Woods managed to card an 82 last Friday at TPC Scottsdale.

Well, that’s simple. After yet another poor chip at the ninth, Woods missed a 12 footer for an 81.

By my count, that is about 15 strokes lost over two rounds as a result of nothing more than terrible chip shots. That is absolutely mindboggling for any touring professional, let alone one with 14 majors and 79 PGA Tour wins to his name.

Woods has played 1,109 rounds as a professional on the PGA tour, and the 82 he posted last Friday at TPC Scottsdale was the highest score he had ever recorded.

Throughout Woods’ storied career, he has been nothing if not resilient. He has come through numerous swing changes, multiple injuries and an embarrassing sex scandal.

But Woods’ performance last week just had a different feel to it.

What we experienced from Woods at TPC Scottsdale was a lot more than just rust or adjusting to a new golf swing. Woods is clearly battling some form of mental issue—or dare we say the words "chipping yips"—around the greens that has some observers believing he may be headed towards the land of David Duval and Ian Baker Finch.

Now, there may be some people who have never forgiven Woods for his infidelities and are in some way taking joy in watching Woods suffer out on the golf course. There is undoubtedly a handful of people out there walking around with big smiles on their faces knowing that Nicklaus’ record of 18 majors will most likely not be broken by Woods.

But for those of us who simply enjoyed watching one of the greatest golfers of all time play the game over the past 18 years, last Friday was quite a somber day as it had a feeling of finality to it.

If Woods’ 12-stroke victory at the 1996 Masters marked his arrival on golf’s biggest stage, his 82 last Friday in the desert may have marked his exit.

We have become so accustomed to Woods overcoming just about any form of adversity through the years that it is difficult for many to believe that this time will be any different.

But mark my words folks, it is.

Woods is 39 years old, he hasn’t won a major since 2008, he is attempting to go through yet another swing change, and Father Time appears to have taken hold of his short game and putter.  

There is, of course, a chance that Woods may shock us all and come back stronger than ever at some point this season. That would certainly be great for the game of golf...just ask the television networks about their ratings when Woods is not in contention.

But having said that, with every wayward tee shot, chunked chip and short putt missed, there is an almost palpable feeling that the end is near for Woods.

This slump just has an altogether different feel to it.