Tiger has the game, but the mind needs work

Tiger Woods is an angry man on the golf course these days. Once someone who epitomized focus and demeanor, Woods looks like someone unable to come to grips with his flaws. He’s always sworn, but never did a stray bad shot or missed putt mean more to him than they do now -- and nor have they come as frequently.

At the Masters, Woods showed that he still has the capability to win every time he plays well, which -- even more than all the majors he’s won -- is the number one attribute that personified how great he was. When he played well, Tiger usually won and was a bona fide lock to finish in the top 10 at the very least. He played pretty well at Augusta this year and finished in a tie for fourth place.

But Woods isn’t the same player that he once was. He used to be an astounding putter, making practically every putt within 8 to 10 feet and routinely making even longer putts that no one else could have possibly pulled off. Yet in this year’s tournament, Woods was undone by a pair of completely makeable putts that, had he made both, would have put him at -12 and possibly in a playoff with Charl Schwartzel and/or Adam Scott.

People in the media seem to think his downslide is related to his marital and public relation woes. But it’s clear that Woods either doesn’t recognize what the issue is, or that he doesn’t know how to cope with it. When he takes a bad swing or misses a putt, he cringes in absolute furry. Maybe it’s because he isn’t used to being flawed, and not being the invincible player he once was, or maybe he knows that he’s running out of time. Maybe he’s realized that his prime is fading away, and that if he’s ever going to catch Jack Nicklaus’ 19 majors, he’s got to win while he still can.

Whatever the reason, it’s something Woods needs to deal with. His once laser-like focus is completely gone these days, as Tiger tries to find success with a new style of play, a new swing coach, a new girlfriend, a looming divorce in the range of a half a billion dollars, and an audience that can’t quite decide whether or not to root for him. He still has the talent to defeat anyone on the golf course, but conquering his life may prove to be a far more difficult task, and that’s probably necessary if he’s ever going to win again.