Tiger Wood’s appearance at the low profile Frys.com Open signifies more than just the first step on the comeback trail to prominence for the former world #1
Scott Pharr, Atlanta, GA
San Martin, CA - Just three years ago, it would have been very hard to fathom looking at Tiger Woods at a press table with the words Frys.com framing the backdrop. In not taking anything away from the tournament itself, but the reality is that it is a post FedEx Cup event in which most participants are either struggling to stay in the top 125 on the money list (gaining tour exemption for ’12) or merely fine-tuning a swing change, working out new equipment, or taking advantage of the opportunity just to play.
Woods’ reasons for showing up to this tournament, of course, fall into none of these categories. The speculation on why he is there is essentially divided into three trains of thought: A) This is a good opportunity to get back into tournament play having had valuable time off to practice his new swing and get the juices of a tournament atmosphere flowing heading into upcoming events in Australia. B) He needs to play in an event, period, regardless of where it is, now that he is healthy and has practiced enough to compete on the pro level. C) The third reason, and this has created the most conversation amongst analysts and journalists – he is simply playing this tournament to appease President’s Cup captain Fred Couples, who by picking Woods as a Captain’s pick, made the inference that it would be prudent for Woods to play a warm-up event prior to heading down under for that high-intensity international competition.
In taking in all 30 minutes or so of Tiger’s press conference on Wednesday, there was zero mention of choice C. (One has to wonder if it was pre-determined that this subject was off-limits to reporters). Therefore, it is nothing more than speculation as to whether Woods is playing the Frys to satisfy Couples or not. In an interview with 790 The Zone sports radio on Thursday, fellow pro Stewart Cink intimated that “that’s what it smells like”. This would be meant to say, that why else on earth would Tiger even remotely consider the idea of playing in a tournament of this stature. However, in his presser all he talked about was how he has been pounding ball after ball at home in Florida, both on the range and, in his words, 36 to 45 holes a day, since missing the cut in Atlanta at the PGA. He talked over and over about how he finally has had the repetition necessary to fully implement the new swing that new coach Sean Foley is teaching.
It’s been a strange and turbulent year, yet again, for Woods. He showed flashes of the old greatness at Augusta, prior to re-injuring the left knee on the final day. He stated yesterday that coming into Augusta, he was ‘on the cusp’ of being where he needed to be, but the injury, followed by a forgettable front 9 and subsequent WD at the Players, was a ‘setback’. He then had no formal practice going into the Bridgestone Invitational 4 months later. The fact he was actually able to finish at even par, 5 shots back of winner Adam Scott, with little or no opportunity to tune up for the event, was noteworthy. 
However, it all fell apart the following week in Atlanta, where he essentially could not hit the broad side of a barn from 20 yards away, missing the cut for only the 3rd time in his career at a major, and the 1st at the PGA Championship.
That was 7 weeks ago, and now, so he says, he has had sufficient time to get healthy, to practice ad nauseam, and to get completely re-energized for competitive golf. Along with a polished new swing, he trots out a new permanent caddie, Joe LaCava, who has worked for such luminaries as Couples and Davis Love III, and most recently one of golf’s younger bombers, Dustin Johnson. In returning to north central California (San Martin is 26 miles south of San Jose), Tiger finds himself back where it all began, just 45 miles from his alma mater Stanford University. It truly all sounds like a major pressing of the reset button for Tiger and his career. This is why it is possible that all 3 trains of thought could have equal significance as to what brought him to the Frys this week.
The biggest question of all, however, is how will he actually play, once everything is said and done and he sticks the tee in the ground of the first hole on Thursday at 3:10pm EST. The news that surfaced last week that he shot a course record 62 from the tips at Florida’s Medalist Golf Course, was stunning to say the least. In discussing that round yesterday, he said it was an “easy round, and I actually left a few out there.”. 
No matter how many 62’s or 65’s he has posted playing with buddies at courses near home, there is simply no way to replicate the atmosphere and experience of tournament golf. What will be interesting will be watching his reaction after spraying a tee shot, coming up short with an easy fairway iron, or lipping out a 5-foot putt for par. It is these emotions that he will have to harness and manage properly if he is to have any success whatsoever. The former world number 1 is now number 51. There are no more excuses. He has his new swing, the knee is healthy, he has had time to practice, and the new caddie is in place. And frankly, knowing the terrain of where the Frys is being played, if everything is going as he says it is, anything worse than a top 25 here has to be considered a disappointment. However it ends up, it is likely that we can look back at the previously nondescript Frys.com Open as the time a great champion of the past formally started down his personal road to redemption.
