2011 PGA Championship: How Far Must Tiger Slide Before We Cheer Him on Again?

The latest installment of the Tiger Woods choke-a-palooza took place today at the PGA Championship in which the once great golfer shot a plus-seven in the first round. It was his worst opening round performance at the PGA and he sits an incredible 14 strokes behind first-place Steve Stricker. 

The shockingly bad round currently puts Woods at tied for 139th. Only 156 golfers entered today's event. 

Today's horrifying performance is, sadly, just another chapter in what has been a spectacular disaster for a golfer who just two years ago was still the best in his profession.

How bad has it gotten for Woods? If he misses the cut here—which is now very likely—he will not qualify for the FedEx playoff series come this fall. Tomorrow may very well be the last PGA event Woods plays in 2011.

No one knows what Woods will do if—and most likely when—he misses the cut here. Will he try to get his game back in order by playing in lesser tournaments? Will he disappear from the public eye until the Masters season in 2012?

Heck, could the guy just realize that all of this public backlash and failure just isn't worth it anymore, retire and rest on his enormous fortune for the remainder of his days? 

Whether his issues emanate from his knee or between the ears, it's painfully obvious that Woods currently is a shell of his former self. Forget debating when Tiger will break records set by Jack Nicklaus. The question is if he'll even win another Major. 

No one knows the answers to these many questions. However, what I do know is this: It's getting downright painful to watch a legend of the game struggle like this. Now I know what people were talking about when they saw a guy like Willie Mays limp towards retirement. 

While I may grimace watching Woods fail, many people are sitting back in enjoyment, as they have yet to forgive Woods for his "transgressions" with upwards of a dozen women while he was married with children. 

Sure, there are those people that just simply do not care about an athlete's private life, but what Woods did struck a chord with millions of Americans. There were parents who had urged their children to look at Woods as a role model, and those parents at times looked at Tiger with just as much awe and envy.

Seeing someone who had been pushed by countless companies as a friendly family man show himself as a person who cheats on their spouse repeatedly was heart breaking for many. There are those who would like nothing more than to see Woods not just fail, but to do so in humiliating fashion.

I am here to ask: When is it all finally enough? Haven't we come to the point where we are just kicking a man while he's already down? When will it be okay for people to root for Tiger Woods again? 

Michael Vick was convicted and sent to jail for killing dozens of innocent animals in a dog-fighting scandal. Even though many people felt Vick was treated as harsh as if he had assaulted a fellow human being, the Eagles quarterback is now being cheered for again and will be playing for a team that could very well win a Super Bowl this year.

Vick is just one of many examples of athletes who have broken laws or done unspeakable things, yet get a second chance and cheered on by sports fans. Woods, meanwhile, broke no laws. What he did to his wife, Elin Nordegren, and his children was obviously inexcusable, but when can we give the guy a break?

Woods lost tens of millions of dollars from sponsors deserting him, his golf game is in shambles and, most importantly, his wife has left him, resulting in only partial visitation with his children. He now has sunk so low that he will be ending the day at the PGA Tour tied with the likes of John Daly. I suppose it could get worse yet for Woods, but, at the least, he is approaching rock bottom.

Following the PGA embarrassment, I hope some people can start to rally and root for Tiger Woods. Our society has the tendency to try and tear our heroes down. We have seen it countless times. Brett Favre is a recent example, but even the likes of Michael Jordan have had their issues.

But our society is also known for giving people, particularly athletes, a second chance. I truly hope that the media and fans can start shifting the messaging from enjoying his struggles to rooting for him to ascend the leaderboards and contend again.

Having Woods be a contender will be good for him, for golf and for sports in general. If we continue to root for his demise, we will someday realize, years from now, that we cheered for the destruction of perhaps the most talented golfer this world has ever seen.