Tiger Woods: He May Not Be "Back" Just Yet

There’s no question that Tiger Woods’ trip down under was a success.

Woods’ second-place finish at the Australian Open was his best finish since last year’s Chevron World Challenge, where he was defeated by Graeme McDowell in a sudden-death playoff.

Just a week after placing second at the Australia Open, Woods demolished Aaron Baddeley in his singles match at the Presidents Cup to secure the winning point for the American side.

Woods was sticking so many approach shots and draining so many putts he almost resembled that fella that used to rack up major championship titles as if the golf gods had him on some kind of record-breaking career payment plan.

“Almost” being the key word in that previous sentence.

Despite a successful two week stint in Australia, Woods may not be “back” just yet.

Why?

Because Australia did not test the one part of Woods’ game that he has struggled with more than other over the past two years—the driver.

Both the Lakes Club (site of the Australian Open) and Royal Melbourne (site of the Presidents Cup) were fairly short golf courses.

The Lakes Club maxed out at 6,879 yards and Royal Melbourne maxed out at just under 7,000 yards, although it played shorter than that for much of the Presidents Cup because of weather conditions.

While in Australia, Woods was forced to hit his driver a mere two to four times per round, and during the rare occasions he was forced to hit his driver, he was still all over the map. Luckily for Woods the fairways were massive at Royal Melbourne and the rough around the Lakes Club was shorter than some of the fairways you’d find at your local muni.

His health and mental strength aside, the two biggest questions concerning Woods’ game right now revolve around the driver and the putter.

While Woods certainly putted a lot better in Australia, he was still somewhat inconsistent on the greens. On some putts he looked like the Woods of old, and on others he looked like the PH Woods (post fire-hydrant) that has struggled to find his putting stroke for two years.

And the driver is still a big question mark as we head into this week’s Chevron World Challenge and proceed into the 2012 season since we never had the opportunity to see him really tested off the tee while in Australia.

It’s one thing for Woods to navigate around a 6,800-yard golf course while hitting mostly 3-woods and irons off the tee, but it’s quite another thing for Woods to attempt to navigate a 7,450-yard course while being forced to hit driver eight or nine times per round.

Woods is certainly progressing in the right direction, but if you’re thinking Woods is “back” based on his performance in Australia, you’re not taking into account a key part of Woods’ game that he has been struggling with for years—his ability to find the fairway off the tee.

Heck, after a poor 1979 season Jack Nicklaus needed to win the 1980 U.S. Open at Baltusrol before anyone began proclaiming“Jack is Back.”

Lets let Woods win something, or at least hit his driver a few more times, before we even begin contemplating whether or not Woods is truly “back.”

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