Of familiar surroundings, peerless golfing and a rejuvenated Tiger

Dire atmosphere, soggy fairways and insensitive winds were in the offing at the Torrey Pines. Yet the day, inspite of everything that could possibly ruin a perfect golf portrait, went a whole lot better with a fist clenching Tiger raising his game to unprecedented levels. But then that’s how golf has been since Woods’ teens when he was on the golfing radar because of his Junior World Championship prowess and it may go on until the day he decides to dump his clubs in the junk forever. Golf enthusiasts may have had a piece of ‘McIlroy mania’ in the doomed period of their most amicable golfing assassin. However, deep inside they’ve still been clinging on to a hope that one fine Sunday on the 18^th hole at Augusta, a beaming drive, followed by another composed putt and a euphoric roar would signal the last few chapters of glory that Tiger might have saved for the naysayers. The landscape at the first PGA event of the year at Torrey Pines may not reflect the aura of the Masters, yet the setting on the 18^th on the final day compels you to deduce significant pointers off it.

Since Day 1 of the PGA opener, the stalwart looked a completely different player from the one that faced an early exit from the gala opener at the Dubai HSBC Championship. Tiger, to be fair, is never the one who’d respond well to scripted fanfare as in the Arab event, where money was splurged more on the player appearances than the prize money itself. He likes to create a bond with the surroundings, read the turf with his most uncluttered sense of weaving strokes out of his creative mental toolbox and places like Torrey Pines, Bay Hill, Firestone and the heavenly Augusta give him that vibe of homecoming – and Tiger, like everyone else, likes to be at home. He’s reiterated the fact that there is no place of hiding or a fear of failure when he performs on the green lawns that reflects a familiarity of the scheme of things. Probably that’s why none would question his ability to turn around his game at his hunting alleys where he’s claimed a third of his 75 PGA titles.

Yet, leaning on the positive numerical advantage to support his supremacy on his favourite golf course doesn’t quite highlight the complete story. With the romping runs past the chasing packs, there have also been some dodgy off days for him on these courses. Like Bay Hill, where he’s won 7 crowns, has also witnessed him end his run 20^th or worse on six occasions. Same with Firestone – 7 wins to show yet the past 2 out of three runs were 37^th or worse – it deduces a fact that like every other great athlete who’d have a signature trick to indicate that he’s back to his fiery best, Tiger has had these clusters of golfing fortresses across the golfing map to use as a performance check. All in all, execution still holds the key for Tiger, although he does find his comfort zone effortlessly on his more prolific driving ranges.

Winning his 4^th Tour event in the past 10 months certainly has restored a fair bit of confidence in the World No.2, yet even he knows that the futile mumbling in the press quadrants won’t be muted until that coveted major silverware duel with Nicklaus is on the run again. Few pros would understand how difficult it is to change your swing in the midst of keeping up with the a competitive tour season and probably none would have gone through a swing change for the fourth time in their career. Tiger has been tightening up his swing with Sean Foley since the 2010 PGA Championship and it will take its toll on his consistency on the course. Not all days will be Tiger-esque and with all energy concentrated on tuning one key attribute, his putting was suffering too. Yet, the fighter that he is, the stalwart spent the past off season sharpening his short-game and the results have been increasingly comparable with the best of Woods. His perseverance drives him to so many ambitious roads on the course of the season that sometimes one forgets that he’s finding his footing back in the golfing arena. Even for a personality that has been in the scrutiny for the past few years, and for a sporting icon who has a visibly shaky emotional side, Tiger does well to hold on to his careerist paths throughout his golfing stint.

We’d still see him get on with his practice routines on a Monday morning even after a triumphant weekend, as he still believes in execution of his game to play that crucial role in his run to retain the top spot in the sport. Most of us golfing enthusiasts, who just haven’t been able to ignore his best years in the past couple of decades, would know that he’s probably not the best golfer on the fairways, yet few could match him on the decisive greens. When it comes to saving pars of a bunker, he’d revolt back with a creative chip. When it’s about putting a 10-footer for a birdie, he’ll make sure it’s glided with his trademark composure – that’s where he has always pulled his recovery strings to perfection. A sign of his survival instincts and an ability to topple the odds stacked against him – and all those moments from his prime were seen in flashes at Torrey Pines.

Will this momentous 75^th career win prove to be more than a mere milestone for Tiger? Well, only time and Augusta in April will be able to answer those questions, but the signs are filled with optimism. He may be improving all the time in a field that is constantly posing some daunting challenges, yet none around him, not even Tiger himself could discount the fact that at times, even his mediocre stroke-making is too hot to handle for his adversaries.