What Do You Expect From Tiger When He Returns?

by Ryan Ballengee on Jan 8, 2009 12:25 PM EST

I am not going to get on the bandwagon of writers who are throwing darts at the schedule to see when Tiger will return to competition. But, David Sweet at MSNBC penned a sports business piece whose paragraph on Woods caught my eye.

For the first time in his pro golfing career, expectations will be low as he returns after knee surgery. If he comes back and wins a major, there will be bedlam, and his $100 million worth of marketing deals will soar even higher. His long-term pact with Buick was terminated in 2008, a year before it was set to expire, but he remains the most marketable athlete in sports. Companies will continue to throw dollars at him.

I don't think expectations are low at all. Mark O'Meara said that we should expect an amazing three years from Woods upon his return. (Why three?) Anthony Kim said he expects the same from Woods. The anonymous pro at golf.com predicts that Tiger will continue to steamroll.

So, whose expectations are low for Woods? Not the pros'. Are yours?

I think Tiger's comeback will be billed as the resurrection of Christ. With the way golf ratings and attendance suffered in his absence last year, everyone in golf will rejoice when he returns and brings more casual eyeballs to the game.

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Are we talking about...

…the same Tiger Woods that won a U.S. Open on a torn ACL and broken leg? The soreness of rehabbing from ACL reconstruction surgery is an upgrade after that.

He’s said in the past that when he feels like he can’t compete, he won’t step on the course, whether in the form of injury or age leading to eventual retirement. If he steps on the course, it means he thinks he can win. If he thinks he can win, look out.

I may end up being wrong, but I think he’s going to pick up where he left off. Maybe a couple of weeks to get acclimated again, and then it’s the same old Tiger.

by Double Eagle on Jan 8, 2009 12:54 PM EST reply actions

Cautions Optimism

Come on – O’Meara is one of Tiger’s best friends, and AK is one of Tiger’s top new rivals. Friends will expect the best – and rivals (at least in golf) will expect Tiger to be Tiger until he either quits or is beaten.

The physical thing that Tiger has proved most about himself in his career is that he can win with different swings AND he can win while he is making major overhauls to his swing. He may be a physical specimin – but what makes him a champion is between his ears.

What do I look for from Tiger when he gets back ? It depends on how soon he comes back. If he forces himself back before The Masters, I think we will see a cautious Tiger who concentrates more on hitting fairways more than displaying his raw power. The more time he spends hitting shots from nice flat spots in the fairways, the better his chances of hitting the greens in the right spots. If he comes out wailing away with the driver, he will be back in the rough, forcing him to hit power shots that require leg drive.

I don’t care who you are – major knee surgery is a two year recovery process. Golfers can’t go out and put on one of those metal braces that football players wear. Most other sports use their knees to push off – not to turn against – so I will expect Tiger to go easy on that knee for a while – there is no way it will be 100% in 9 months. The last thing he will want to do is re-injure that knee.

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Jan 8, 2009 12:56 PM EST reply actions

Sure, he'll go easy

Which is also why he won’t come back until it’s ready. I don’t expect him to push to get back. Besides, even if he does, he played on it when it was blown and broken. When the doctors tell him the danger of re-injury is past then he’s just got soreness to contend with.

by Double Eagle on Jan 8, 2009 1:13 PM EST up reply actions

there's a difference...

…he was told last June that playing on it would be painful, but he wouldn’t do any more damage to it. Now that he has had the surgery, it CAN be damaged – and that’s the last thing he wants to do.

HE said he wanted to be ready to play The Masters – every other media bonehead has published his or her own “theory” on his return – even though neither Tiger nor his doctors have said anything specific on his condition or his rehab.

When he’s back – he’s back. I’m with you – Tiger isn’t going to do something stupid. He doesn’t NEED the Tour. He is financially set for generations to come. He WANTS the major record – and he doesn’t have to hurry back to get it.

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Jan 8, 2009 1:40 PM EST up reply actions