Tiger Woods: 10 Bold Predictions for His Season Opener at Torrey Pines
If there is one course Tiger Woods has owned over the course of his career, it has been Torrey Pines.
The last five times he has played there, have notched him five more career victories.
And although he has not played at Torrey Pines for two years due to injury and personal issues, Tiger will once again take his game to the hills of La Jolla in a tournament he can and may win.
And so begins his 2011 campaign and also his attempt to regain that number one world ranking.
Here are ten predictions for how the Farmers Insurance Open will play out.
He Will Struggle With His Swing
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How, you ask, will he struggle to find his swing and still win?
Well, do not expect him to struggle with his swing for very long.
He may start out a little rough. He will probably hit a few wayward shots along the way.
But Tiger has always done that. And right now his work with swing guru, Sean Foley, is in its infancy. So the bad shots will come, but so will the good ones. Tiger knows how to take the good with the bad.
Tiger's greatest strength lies in his ability to overcome his faults. Expect him to overcome his swing faults this weekend.
His Putter Will Be Hot and Cold
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If there is one thing that lays to rest all great golf careers, it is the putter.
Golfers start missing putts, tournament victories become rare and said golfer slowly stops playing competitive golf.
Do not expect that of Tiger.
He struggled with his putter at times last seasons and the problem really began sometime during the 2009 season. During that time, however, he could hit magical putting streaks where he knew he was going to make almost anything he looked at.
So expect a little hit and miss with the flat-stick this weekend. Just do not be surprised if he knocks in a couple big ones on Sunday.
He Will Be a Little More Open With The Media
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Throughout his career, Tiger has not always been the most open with the media.
So what gives now?
He needs the media.
His reputation has been tarnished and turning the cold shoulder to media is simply not going to work anymore.
Need proof?
Tiger opened a twitter account. You should check it out. And while he does not Tweet as much as Ian Poulter, he does give fans a glimpse into his life.
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He Will Begin His Ascent Of the World Rankings
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Late in 2010, Lee Westwood finally overtook the number one world ranking, a spot Tiger had held for many weeks.
This past weekend, Martin Kaymer won the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship to take over the number two spot in the rankings.
That leaves Tiger at third.
And if there is one thing we know about Tiger, it is he plays to win and he plays to be the best.
So at Torrey Pines this weekend, expect him to finish high enough (and I honestly think he will win) to gain World Ranking points. And while he will not get that number one spot back immediately, I can easily see him as the number one by the time he hangs the clubs in the garage for the season.
He Will Gain The Confidence to Win Another Major
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Before all the marriage problems. before the swing change, many thought that 2010 would be the year Tiger came with striking distance of Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 major championships.
Remember, last years majors took place at Augusta National, Pebble Beach, the Old Course at St. Andrews and Whistling Straits. The only course on that list he had not won at before in his career: Whistling Straits. The reason: he had never teed it up in a tournament there before.
Then the car crash occurred, he parted ways with his swing coach and his game fell apart.
So instead of taking home at least two majors like many predicted, Tiger took home none.
That is disappointing no matter how one feels about Tiger.
So assuming he gets a W this week, he will slowly start getting his confidence back.
By the time he hits the majors, expect him to have at least one win. And that may be all the confidence he needs to surprise many and start inching ever-so-close to Nicklaus' major record.
He Will Start To Get More Sponsors
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When Tiger found himself in hot water last year, a lot of his sponsors dropped him like he had the plague. He lost over $30 million in off the course income alone!
This is one of the best golfers in the world. The best golfer over the last ten plus years. Yet when you look at his bag, he has no sponsors on it.
This is baffling. He is recognized all over the world yet no one sponsor will cough up the dough to get their name on his bag. The darn thing is on television hundreds of times a year, even when Woods is not in contention, he is still all over broadcasts.
The season opener at Torrey Pines may change that. Sure, it may not change immediately but it will make people think of Tiger for something he did on the course, not off of it.
And his bag is not the only thing. I would not be surprised if by the end of the season Tiger is once again backed by a stable of companies, all of whom are willing to pay top dollar to have him as a spokesman.
He Will Win Some Of His Fans Back
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One of the biggest complaints you hear about Tiger is the way he handles the hoards of people who want an autograph or a glimpse of him.
If nothing else, the accident, gave his fans a reason to not like him. And for a golfer who has always been viewed as cold to his fans, the accident is the last thing he needed.
But a win will change that. Fans love winners.
He Will Silence The Doubters
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When Tiger failed to win a tournament last year, Tiger's doubters seemed to grow exponentially.
It seemed everyday one would comment:
Tiger will never be as good as Nicklaus.
Or
Tiger is past his peak.
A win will change all of that.
Need proof?
Look at Kobe Bryant.
He was heckled, ridiculed and shamed. That all changed, however, when he started winning again.
I expect that same thing will happen with Tiger.
He Will Look More Relieved
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Think back to the last time you saw Tiger truly happy on the golf course?
Can't remember any? It is hard to do. The picture to the left is from 2006. And while we are not sure when his personal problems began, he looks genuinely happy in this picture,
But you can probably understand why he has not been happiest. He played under more guilt than any other player, which was entirely his own fault.
But he also played under enormous pressure, which although was placed on him because he won, he could not control it.
Luckily, this is a new year. He can start fresh. He no longer has to worry about an impending divorce. He no longer has to worry about the allegations.
So look for him to finally be happy and relieved on the course, his game will only benefit.
He Will Win
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Tiger has not won a golf tournament since the 2009 Australian Masters.
Tiger has not won on the PGA Tour since the 2009 BMW Championship.
That is more than a year since we last saw Tiger hoist a trophy on Sunday!
Expect that to end this week.
Sure he needs his putter to be hot, but what golfer doesn't when they win. Sure he needs to be in sync with his swing, but, again, what golfer doesn't when they win.
Tiger has dominated this course during his career. Do not be surprised if he wins at Torrey Pines this week also.
In the process, he will silence the doubters and begin his ascent back to his rightful place atop the world rankings.
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