The Comeback of Woods

Tiger Woods looked into the camera and knew he needed to speak the truth. The game’s top-ranked golfer appeared debilitated, dejected, and for maybe the first time in his career, completely vulnerable. In other words, he looked human.

This description could easily explain Woods’ demeanor throughout a 13½-minute speech that was delivered from PGA Tour headquarters Feb. 19, during which he addressed personal affairs that had been cause of his self-imposed leave of absence from golf. Instead, it serves as a summary of thoughts from four years earlier, and should provide the reason he will come back as very much the same competitor when he returns in early April at The Masters.

On June 16, 2006, a forlorn Woods walked off the West Course at Winged Foot Golf Club having just posted a second straight 6-over 76 to miss the cut at the U.S. Open. In his first start after nine weeks away from the game following the death of his father Earl, it was clear Tiger’s head wasn’t right for tournament golf.

“What’s transpired off the golf course … I don’t know if it gives you a different type of perspective,” he said at the time. “I don’t care if you had what transpired in my life, recent or not, but poor execution is never going to feel very good.”

Woods then admitted he returned too soon, claiming “I was not ready to play golf.”

There’s no doubt that his 2006 comeback and the impending one are totally different situations, but the former should apply as a useful learning tool. At the time, Woods forged a valuable lesson about returning to competition before he was completely ready from a mental standpoint. It would be perplexing if he made that same mistake again.

This won’t be the first recovery in his professional career since then, either. After undergoing season-ending knee surgery following his 2008 U.S. Open win, Woods returned to action just over a year ago — even if it seems like an entire lifetime has passed since then.