Teaching Pros Chime In On His Return To Championship Form
By Vic Williams
Now that Tiger Woods is fully, magnificently “back” after the most-followed (and hoped-for) PGA Tour Championship win in recent history, the 80th of his career, it’s a great time to take a couple deep breaths and ponder how he turned 2018 into his year, swallowing every other story line whole as he relentlessly trudged his way back to the winner’s circle with grit and skill, as only he can. This Tiger Woods win was a true earth-shaker, even by his standards. Just ask Justin Rose, Brooks Koepka or Francesco Molinari.
From the casual modern golf fan’s perspective, Tiger is and has always been the only game in town. If he’s playing, people are talking about it — even people who can count on one hand the number of rounds they’ve played in their lives. As one headline read in the wake of Sunday’s amazing scene at East Lake Country Club, Tiger doesn’t just move the needle, he “is the needle.” …
Now that he has surmounted four back surgeries, prescription drug addiction and a series of personal travails that would (and have) felled many other athletes, the army of otherwise semi-engaged fans that he has built over the past 20 years is back in full force — with a new generation of young faces in tow.
From the golf philosopher’s point of view, Tiger’s pothole and detour-ridden comeback only reinforces their contention that the game is, indeed, a metaphor for life itself: Rise to power, triumph, downfall, regret, repentance, reinvention, redemption, triumph again. He emerged from that massive crowd on the 18th fairway a new, different champion, as powerful as ever but more humbly and blessedly human, fighting tears, letting his vaunted guard down when the tap-in for par dropped and his arms raised in relief and joy. Life will do that to a guy. Even this guy.
Think about it. A year ago, on the heels of the spinal fusion surgery that would decide his fate, Tiger could barely get out of bed much less swing a club or even stroke a putt. He was staring at a life of pain with the chance of competitive golf fading fast. Yet here we are.
So, what do professional golf instructors think about Tiger’s resurgence? To what do they credit his long and arduous journey back not only to relevance but to potential dominance (dare we bring Jack Nicklaus’ 18 majors back into the conversation)?
Golf Tips put that question to a few of its Top 30 teachers.
KEEPING IT SIMPLE
Tom Patri, former Met (New York) and South Florida PGA Teacher of the Year whose driving lesson headlines Golf Tips’ current Power Issue, was, at one time, sure that Tiger’s career was over. “I’ll be the very first to admit I didn’t think he’d ever be back,” he wrote on Facebook. “I thought between the injuries, the short game ills, the personal strife, it was simply too much — I was completely wrong.”
In a text message, Patri now says that Tiger’s return directly results from his re-mastering a few inviolable and necessary golf fundamentals — simple but powerful fundamentals built on a mix of physics, talent, hard work and mental toughness.
“I think his ability to quiet his hands in those incredibly difficult short game touch shots is nothing short of miraculous,” Patri said. “Few who suffer [the ‘chip yips’] ever find their way back. It’s a testament to his mental strength.
“Also, he clearly has simplified his golf swing thoughts,” Patri continued. “Let’s face it, he worked with several very talented coaches. I’m sure each is extremely talented, but that said, each pounded him with a slightly different approach. To again be able to stop the merry-go-round and step back and hit the proverbial restart button is absolutely amazing. I believe Tiger went back to a place all golfers should revisit on a daily basis as they practice: The land of time-proven, sound fundamentals. Why do we all have to make [playing this game into] War and Peace?”
