O'Meara's Win Could Foreshadow Tiger Woods' Resurgence

by Ryan Ballengee on Oct 10, 2010 8:46 PM EDT in Pro Golf

As Mark O'Meara was being presented with the trophy for winning the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship, he was asked by emcee Dave Marr III about a text O'Meara received from good buddy Tiger Woods. Woods had apparently been watching and encouraged his friend to stick with his game plan on Sunday. It paid off with a playoff victory over Michael Allen.

Afterward, as O'Meara opened up about the last six years without an individual win, the parallels between he and his friend's personal lives became more and more evident. This summer, O'Meara's father passed away. About three years ago, the two-time major winner got divorced from his long time wife and has grown children. He remarried in the last eighteen months. Through all of that, he won exactly zero times by himself.

Like Woods perhaps did at Akron this year, O'Meara hit a low point a couple of weeks ago in Cary at the SAS Championship. He withdrew in the second round.

"I left on a bad note. And just my heart wasn't in it. I thought it wasn't right," O'Meara said. "And I don't like to do that because I don't think, maybe it was one or two or three times in my career that I've done that, but I just knew that I was fighting something I wasn't going to win. So I just walked away."

He took some time away - a mini-vacation to clear his head with five days of fishing in Oregon with his wife. It helped, clearly.

"It cleared kind of where I needed to be. And then I came back. And sometimes when you least expect it, these are the things that happen."

Woods isn't going to be remarried anytime soon. He may never marry again. But there are signs that his golf game is returning to form. He waxed Francesco Molinari in his Ryder Cup singles match, playing -9 golf for 15 holes. He is finding solace in practicing, something he almost enjoys more than winning. Taking the right amount of time away could be very helpful for Woods to get ready for 2011.

And O'Meara can speak to Woods about what it means to break through again.

"I feel like I hit the jackpot this week coming here and winning and most people might have questioned it," O' Meara told me.

"Sometimes I question my own playability out there at times. But to hang in there and battle through the last few holes and winning the playoff, fantastic. I'm really elated, to be honest with you."

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Comments

Huh ?

Good for Mark-O getting this win – but signaling a resurgence for Woods ? Come on.

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Oct 10, 2010 11:00 PM EDT reply actions

really?

i’m with courtgolf on this one. what does this have to do with woods? tiger speaks to o’meara these days as often as he speaks to me. their “relationship” ran its course and they have little to no communication now. o’meara admitted as such during the whole “incident.” he said he hadn’t talked to tiger at all and that tiger didn’t return his calls and/or texts. i’d say the chances of mark sitting down and talking to tiger about breaking through are about as good as me winning the lottery tonight and i didn’t even purchase a ticket.

by kvncane on Oct 11, 2010 12:29 AM EDT reply actions

Woods and O’Meara speak pretty regularly. They didn’t speak much during the whole fall out because Woods talked to nobody during those first few months after it all hit the fan for him. The two guys are good friends and that’s not really changing.

Find me! Email: ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com, Twitter: http://twitter.com/waggleroom, or Facebook: http://facebook.com/waggleroom.

by Ryan Ballengee on Oct 11, 2010 9:46 AM EDT up reply actions

Reading this

I thought I was reading an article from the Golf Channel. You can do better than this Ryan.

by Easingwold on Oct 11, 2010 1:08 AM EDT reply actions

In about six months when we’re all talking about Tiger destroying a field again, just remember this, ok?

Find me! Email: ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com, Twitter: http://twitter.com/waggleroom, or Facebook: http://facebook.com/waggleroom.

by Ryan Ballengee on Oct 11, 2010 9:04 AM EDT reply actions

and what if he does ? it still has no connection to O’Meara’s win. All of a sudden, you’ve adopted Jeanne Dixon “journalism” – say a thousand crazy things and if one comes true, you’re a genius even if there are no actual connections.

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Oct 11, 2010 9:25 AM EDT up reply actions

I always find it funny when you say I’ve adopted a certain style all of a sudden. That’s never happened. I’m trying to make a connection here – these two guys are friends and have faced similar problems in the last couple of years. It can’t hurt for Woods to have a friend like that.

Find me! Email: ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com, Twitter: http://twitter.com/waggleroom, or Facebook: http://facebook.com/waggleroom.

by Ryan Ballengee on Oct 11, 2010 9:44 AM EDT up reply actions

You said that to kv above – what proof is there that Woods and O’Meara have rekindled their friendship ? Not that I’d be surprised if they have. I think we all agreed over the last year that O’Meara had always been a good friend, influence, and sometimes mentor to Woods.

And yes – this post is pure Jeanne Dixon. Make a wild claim – and if Tiger comes out at some point next year to win a major or a tournament in a huge way, you’ll be re-posting it saying that you knew it all along – and there is no way you can make the connection between O’Meara getting a win on the Champions Tour and Tiger getting over this past year along with his swing problems.

You’re absolutely right that it can’t hurt to have a friend like O’Meara – but the connection you made can’t be made.

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Oct 11, 2010 9:59 AM EDT up reply actions

Fair enough – this’ll be one of those agree-to-disagrees. But I’m not necessarily going to come back to this in 6 months and scream “I Called It!” (I’ve done that, but this would be a little too easy of a call.)

Find me! Email: ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com, Twitter: http://twitter.com/waggleroom, or Facebook: http://facebook.com/waggleroom.

by Ryan Ballengee on Oct 11, 2010 10:09 AM EDT up reply actions

I’m putting a pint on this one – we’ll see this post again if Woods wins a major or dominates a tournament :-D

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Oct 11, 2010 10:41 AM EDT up reply actions

Court...I'll throw in a couple more pints..

I think what OL RYAN is doing here, is trying to see us his OPINION…as fact, and it ain’t selling very well…..sort of like mittons at a garage sale in June….no takers…I just want to know, how often Ryan talkes to either of these guys to get all this information…How often did you say ? yea, I thought so…..STUB

by thinker on Oct 11, 2010 12:24 PM EDT up reply actions

Resurgence ??? where ??

Six months from now ???? LOL Ryan my brother, I’ve seen you wear the turbin while sitting in front of your crystal ball, but come on, be real, just call it a prediction and not state it as fact. I wish every player well, but I don’t see anything that would make anyone think TW is going to be back to old form in 2011, never mind if ever again.

"pain is only weakness leaving the body"

by progolf on Oct 11, 2010 10:55 AM EDT up reply actions