Tiger Woods to Ditch Crutches and Play in the US Open

Tiger Woods is back on the golf course after aggravating his injured leg at the Players Championship, and he is planning to play in the US Open to continue his pursuit of Jack Nicklaus' major championships record.

Now that Tiger is back on the tour, it's time to preview this week's tournament, look forward to the US Open, and discuss the future of Woods's game and his career. There is a lot to talk, and we're going to jump right into it.

As always, if you have any thoughts or predictions about Tiger's future, make sure to leave them in the comments below.

How do you think Woods will respond after his Players Championship flop?

How Will Tiger Look This Week?

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL - MAY 12: Tiger Woods watches his approach shot on the seventh hole during the first round of THE PLAYERS Championship held at THE PLAYERS Stadium course at TPC Sawgrass on May 12, 2011 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Stre

As far as Tiger Woods' performances go, you never know what you're going to get from one round to the next.

One day, Woods will look like the player he used to be, hitting great golf shots and dominating the course and the field. Then in 24 hours, he'll turn around and become a shell of himself, missing the fairway and pushing easy putts past the hole.

I expect to see a very rusty Tiger on the course, and it's going to be a struggle for him to get through this tournament, especially with how much time he has missed over the past couple of weeks.

Will Tiger's Leg Hold Up?

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL - MAY 12: Tiger Woods hits an approach shot on the second hole during the first round of THE PLAYERS Championship held at THE PLAYERS Stadium course at TPC Sawgrass on May 12, 2011 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Streeter

We saw at the Players Championship that Tiger Woods' bum leg couldn't withstand the grind of a round of golf.

What makes him so sure that the same knee and Achilles can hold up to the force that his swing puts on his leg now? I am highly skeptical that he'll be able to go through four rounds without favoring that leg and having it impact his swing and ability to compete.

Make sure to keep a careful eye on Woods and his facial expressions as the tournament progresses, those will tell the real story of what's going on with his body.

Can Tiger Fix the Holes in His Swing?

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL - MAY 11: Tiger Woods hits a shot during a practice round prior to the start of THE PLAYERS Championship held at THE PLAYERS Stadium course at TPC Sawgrass on May 11, 2011 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Get

As we've seen with Tiger Woods this season, his swing is very much a work in progress.

He has rebuilt it from scratch and now, it's all a matter of putting it together. Woods still lacks some accuracy off of the tee and now he's even lost some of the ability to scramble out of trouble with his short game.

Furthermore, he has had major issues with his putter, something that used to be the staple of his game. In short, Woods' game is a mess, and with him spending so much time injured, I highly doubt we're doing to see a fine-tuned player step out on the course.

Buckle up, because it's going to be a bumpy ride for Tiger this week.

Will Woods Get His Confidence Back?

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL - MAY 11: Tiger Woods reacts during a practice round prior to the start of THE PLAYERS Championship held at THE PLAYERS Stadium course at TPC Sawgrass on May 11, 2011 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Im

Remember when Tiger Woods stepped on a golf course and knew that he was better than everyone in the field?

That was the golden age for Woods and his game, but now we see someone who clearly doesn't have the faith in himself to execute the shots needed to post low numbers and win golf tournaments when we watch Tiger.

It's especially evident on the putting service, where you can almost feel Woods' hesitation as he lines the ball up, and it shows as he over-thinks his read and his putting stroke, resulting in disaster on the greens, like we saw in the Masters.

Something has to change for Tiger and it starts by playing with confidence.

Is Jack's Record Still in Reach?

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KOHLER, WI - AUGUST 14: Tiger Woods (R) shakes hands with his caddie Steve Williams after a two-under par 70 during the continuation of the second round of the 92nd PGA Championship on the Straits Course at Whistling Straits on August 14, 2010 in Kohler,

When we talk about Tiger Woods, the discussion of major championship victories is never far behind.

Tiger has defined his career by these events, and now, as he suffers set back after set back, we wonder if he can ever recover to the point where he can seriously challenge Jack Nicklaus' record of major championship victories.

A few years ago, it all seemed so certain that Woods would not only break, but shatter the record, but as the injuries and poor performances pile up, I'm not so sure. There are a lot of young guns on this tour who can emerge as top contenders and put more pressure on Tiger's hunt.

If I had to choose, I would say he breaks it, simply because all it takes is one victory to get the ball rolling and get Woods back to his winning ways. 

When that win is going to come, I have no idea, and your guess is as good as mine.