Tiger Woods: Is It Any Fun Watching a Toothless Tiger?

Is Tiger Woods done?  Probably not. But are casual fans interested in watching him anymore? 

For more than a decade, Woods served as the barometer for casual observers of the game.  It was all very simple: If Woods was in the hunt, people would tune in; if not,  there were plenty of other options available to keep the masses entertained. 

Love him or loathe him, he made for good theater with some of the finest golf ever played and made the game a must-see for a new wave of fans in the process. 

All of that came to a screeching halt following a "car accident" during Thanksgiving nearly two years ago.  The rest of the story, of course, led to the downfall of one of the world's most popular athletes as details of his affairs came to light.   

The once invincible figure of Woods already began to look human on the golf course before the accident, but the mystique of the man he had carefully cultivated for years was gone in a flash.   

Since returning to the links we've seen hints of his power, but rarely an effort worthy of his past exploits to sustain the belief that he is officially back.  And so it seems we are left with a toothless Tiger.  We keep waiting to see the once-dominant Woods while hearing promises from the man and his handlers but are instead treated to uneven performances followed by the musings of someone who doesn't sound terribly confident in his own game.

"I had it in spurts this week," Woods said. "I'd hit it really well, then I'd lose it and then get it back. Today was a good example. I hit it well starting out, then completely lost it there, and tried to piece it back together at the end." 

Woods finished by saying: "I'm absolutely encouraged." 

Keep in mind, this is the same guy who changed his putter yet again on Sunday. 

Understand I'm not here to bash Woods—plenty of others have taken up that task, most recently his former caddie Steve Williams, who sadly took away the spotlight from WGC-Bridgestone Invitational event-winner Adam Scott.

Instead, I'm questioning whether the casual fan will bother to watch if he continues to disappear,  struggle and generate more news off the course than on it.

For diehard fans, it's hard to say whether Woods' presence is really necessary anymore.  One would imagine they would watch regardless—anyone, anywhere, anytime.  If Woods can make an appearance, so be it.  If he can return to form, even better.  Either way, the show goes on. 

Unfortunately for Wood,s he didn't do much to endear himself prior to the fall beyond his exerting dominance on the links.  What happened these past two years burned many bridges and made a lot of people feel foolish in having bought what Tiger was selling—both literally and figuratively. 

That in turn cost Tiger a lot of fans that would have been willing to hold out hope that he still could make a come back as a sentimental favorite fighting injuries and mechanical errors each time he played.  

So what does this leave us with? 

A power vacuum with no heir apparent to fill the void. 

While there are many fine golfers in the world, the casual fan simply doesn't want a fine golfer.  People want a fresh face, one that gets everyone to take notice—and wins majors.

Enter Rory McIlroy.  With his win at the US Open this past June, perhaps pro golf has its next muse?  The young Northern Irishman burst on to the scene at Augusta a few months earlier only to collapse in historic fashion.  Yet his ability to rebound at Congressional to win the US Open gave fans a reason to believe they were witnesses to someone who could galvanize the masses.  What makes him really refreshing is that he's actually fairly outspoken—a rarity these days.  

Beyond McIlroy, I was pleased to see over the weekend that Ryo Ishikawa's performance at Firestone caught the attention of the American media as well.  Granted he didn't win, but it is a rare occasion that the focus was actually on his golf game rather than his wardrobe or charity work.  It also helps that he is quite affable and comfortable with the Japanese media chasing him, which could translate well to success on the PGA Tour.  What doesn't translate well for the moment is that he still relies on an interpreter, potentially limiting his appeal. 

It will be interesting to see how they fare in the coming months and years.  Both are still very young and have a lot to prove, but until they or some other up-and-coming star can assert a consistent level of dominance, we will probably be subject to watching, listening and reading about Woods and his struggles for the foreseeable future. 

Golf itself doesn't need a hero to survive, but I'm not entirely sure casual fans will continue to follow the game unless Tiger Woods gets himself on track during this reconstruction period of his career or another young prodigy takes his place. 

Time will tell.