I'm Back: My Name is Tiger, Not Arnold

After not playing any tournaments since June of last year, Tiger Woods gives the impression that he is more than ready to return to the tournament world of golf. His surgery has been deemed a success and assuming this is true, he will be playing on two good legs this year. Since legs are a source of power in any golf swing, this means Tiger will have all of his playing tools available this year for the first time in many months. Tiger has the will and drive to make a mark in his golf career that will become the goal in the future to rate any great golfer against. There is no doubt that this goal is the one he wants to set and this year could be the beginning of a new run against all of the existing records that are within his great playing skill. Now that Tiger is healthy again, the other pros will quickly become aware of his presence on the tour.

When he showed his will to win in the US Open, while playing on a game leg, he exhibited his ability to focus his mind in the face stiff competition and a very painful leg. Tiger's will to win puts him in the class of Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. All four of these players showed this element of their game that separated them from other skilled players. In addition to this mental toughness, Tiger has another factor that is obvious when you watch his play around the greens. He has an imagination in his play that defies what other players see or even do. Couple these two traits and you have what separated his play from all of the other golfers on the tour. The top players have the skill and know how to play all of the shots. Tiger has this plus the mind-set to not make a mistake that will beat him, while at the same time making shots that have an element of risk in them in order to score on a hole.

Now that Tiger has two good legs, and can take full advantage of his athletic ability, the other touring pros know they are in for a difficult season in 2009. They know they not only have to play well in the major tournaments, but they have to contend with the golfing prowess of a player who could be the best golfer of all time. This situation makes the coming year of golf something to look forward to by the lovers of the game and those that appreciate seeing a difficult game played well under severe pressure. It is this ability that makes the return of Tiger to the game that has many golf lovers counting down until the first major of the year. We the fans of the game can hardly wait for his comeback, but I am sure that other players on the tour are not that anxious to feel the pressure he brings to the game of a Sunday afternoon. He like Nicklaus, Palmer and Hogan brings a presence to the game that is not easily overlooked This season is one that golf fans all over the world are anticipating, looking forward to watching his great play when it counts and seeing if he can resume his quest to be the best of all time. A smart gambler would not bet against Mr. Woods.

His extreme focus on winning, his ability to control his desires and his skills come through is a remarkable single trait of his play up to this time. He can do what others only wish to do and under circumstances that grip solid players making them fearful and tentative. What a marvelous prospect this coming season conjures up in the golf lover's mental eye. Many have been thinking about this year as spectators. Think about what the players he will confront at any given tournament and the mental preparation they will need to bring to their game this season. His game and just being in the field will make others rise to a better level than they usually exhibit or make them look like a Sunday hacker. Tiger's advantage in the game is just showing up to play on Thursday. That is true of the other great players Tiger is compared too, except he may be even better than any of them. The fantasy game for real lovers of the game is who would win if they could all play now as they did in their prime and with the modern equipment that is in use today. So the only way to rate them now is to compare their individual records and see who comes out on top. In my view, Tiger will be the leader when all is said and done at the end of his career.