Tiger Proves That a Mind Is a Terrible Thing To Waste

When Tiger first came on the scene there were many who immediately criticized him for his how demonstrative he was with his fist pumps, yells of jubilation, and other Elvis-like gyrations when he had something go as he planned.  He was providing a new level of "entertainment" which would have two (2) long term affects on the Tour and the game of golf itself ...

1.  Fans began to assume that such "histrionics" were acceptable for the relatively stayed game enjoyed all over the world ...

2.  Fans began to assume that along with Tiger's cheers it was OK to conduct themselves as if they were at an NFL, MLB, or NBA game, and since then we have had to endure such outbursts, except, well at the Masters !!!

As you might perceive, I liked neither, but Tiger's performance each-and-every-time he teed it up won me over, regardless of his seemingly deleterious extraneous antics.  In particular there were several occasions where it was quite apparent that his mental abilities were certainly as important as his physical ones.  

Time after time, Tiger "thought" his way around the golf course and the most obvious feat was when he won the British Open and played four (4) rounds never once landing in those overly penal bunkers !!!   That was the Tiger I admired, more for his mental abilities than for his ball striking prowess.

Unfortunately, we have discovered that Tiger used those very admirable thought processes to lead a double-life which has been all to over-discussed ... well, maybe.

I've watched with everyone else, waiting to see the old Tiger "think" his way around a golf course, and prevail like in days of old ... unfortunately that has not happened and it is apparently not going to until Tiger gets his private life in order.  

That also means that it might never happen at all, and try as he might, the old Tiger may never emerge and we will be witness to more and more non-performances as we have been so far.

A mind is indeed a terrible thing to waste, and in Tiger's case, when it is such an integral part of his game, he wastes our time waiting for him to return to his old self, because that return can't happen until he straightens out his life off the course !!!