It is rare that one can be so assured that a golfer’s time at the top has come to an end and potentially be so wrong.
This, especially when one considers the physical damage Tiger has incurred, due to the brutal swing-forces his body has been exposed to – and so predicted by a prominent orthopedic surgeon in the late 1990s — as well as the self-imposed psychological upset he has suffered.
Overcoming combined physical and mental damage of such magnitude would be remarkable for anybody.
Please share with our Frankly Friends your thoughts about Tiger’s potential return to the top of the game and superstar status by replying below.
Frank
franklygolf 
It was good to see a former champion making a comeback in a sport where many of his competitors have almost reached a standard he used to enjoy. I can live with the technical brilliance of the man, but I can’t cope with the adulation of a someone whose morals were, at best, questionable and who exhibited an arrogance to other players when he was on top before. Same tree now, same fruit? It remains to be seen whether a return to his former playing glory will show whether he has developed some humility
It was great to see Tiger doing well Sunday, and it was great for the game. The roars were awesome to hear. It is impossible not to draw comparisons to Jack. When Nicklaus won 2 majors in 1980 at the age of 40, it was a comeback of sorts. At his phenomenal day in 1986, the roars were deafening. In 1986, the other competitors were obviously affected by the roars, as they were in Tiger’s prime. In 1986, a lot of the principals were the same ones who had played with Jack in his prime. With Tiger, I don’t think Koepka et al are as affected by the roars. They all admire Tiger and grew up watching him play, idolizing him in his day, but now they are confident in their own games.
I think TIger has the skills to win another major, but he will definitely have to do it on skills and fortitude alone, as there is no intimidation factor. I think he will win some more tournaments if he stays healthy, and another major or two would not surprise me. I don’t think he will win the 4 necessary to catch Jack.
A well written reply.
I think Tiger’s performance at the PGA will quiet the critics. Then again, it’s a whole new environment with plenty of young players who can shake things up. Just look at Brooks Koepka: only 4 PGA Tour wins, and 3 of them were majors, and two of the majors were consecutive, and all of the majors occurred in a 14-month span. Certainly those are “Tiger-like” numbers, but he has a lot of work to do to make that kind of record maintain itself (it won’t).
Since 2013, Spieth has won 3 majors, Rory’s won 2 (of his 4), Watson’s won 1 (of his 2). Bottom line, the talent pool is too deep, and Tiger has too many years and issues that will keep him from ever playing like he did from 1997-2008 when he won 14 majors.
While Tiger will never be “back”, defined as winning with the dominance and frequency he did during his hot years, he’s definitely as competitive as, or stronger than any of the guys currently in his age bracket. Phil occasionally finds his name at the top of the leadarboard, and Sergio won the Masters last year. Furyk and Cink are older than Tiger and they still find themselves in contention in PGA events. I think Tiger can beat any of those guys on any given day.
Tiger will never be “back” to what he was in his prime, but he’ll win a few more tournaments and as we saw last weekend, it’s premature to write him off in majors.
While it is good to see him playing good Golf, will he win another major??……. NO, given that there only 4 per year, that only gives him limited chances….. Will he win again on the tour, I believe he will. He needs to pick and choose his events vs. his current game and if he does so wisely, and stays healthy, he will win again. Will he be dominant again, sorry, I think his time for domination has passed……..
Whilst it is great to see him back, I just wish that the media would back-off and just let him get back in his own time.
He must have enough pressure on him (from himself), so doesn’t need the constant microscopic analysis of his game, and the endless hype that he is ready to win again!
Let the man work his way back in his own time.
I’ve overcome serious physical complications in another sport and been successful. What impresses me most about Tiger is his apparent recovery from the psychological scars. The physical recovery is not rare. The psychological however is not.
I think we are seeing a significant flicker of a fading star.
Golf at all levels is a mental game, and at his level a very physical game …… He is damaged in both areas now, ……. and he lives in an ecosystem where there are 20 players who believe they are better
Will he win another major? … Yes
Will he pass Jack in majors … No
Cheers Simon from New Zealand
Has there ever been a final round in a major where a player has scored so low, after driving the ball that poorly? That, and the two putts that missed by a combined 1/4-inch? Put that performance together with what he did at Carnoustie, and there can be little doubt that Tiger is back. No, he won’t dominate again, given the strength of the field these days (something he is largely responsible for); but I doubt there are many pundits left who would deny his ability to win tournaments again; and, yes, majors.
Clearly its good for the sport of golf if Tiger regains his status as one of the top players. This is proven by TV ratings for the events he plays, as well as on Golf Channel. I would caution, however, against expectations of Tiger winning like he did in the 2000s. Today’s top golfers in their 20s and early 30s are better and likely more consistent than Tiger in his early 40s. And as we just saw, players like Brooks Koepka are in no way intimidated by Tiger a in the way other players were in Tiger’s heyday. That said, I hope we see several more years of Tiger playing great golf. As many of us can attest, we had the privilege of watching Tiger during his peak years. Like Hogan and Snead and Nicklaus for earlier generations, we saw one of the all time best at his peak.