Tiger, just be a tiger: Woods shouldn't hold
back, go for it
By Terry Pluto
Knight Ridder Newspapers
(KRT)
AKRON, Ohio - There was a time when Tiger Woods' smile lit
up the entire world of golf.
Today, Woods feels like a man in the shadows - his own shadow.
He's 22, and he's already being compared to - get this - himself!
He's not the Tiger Woods who dominated NCAA golf at Stanford.
He's not the Tiger Woods who destroyed last year's Masters.
He's not the Tiger Woods who seemed so happy just to play golf.
Right now, Tiger Woods can't win - unless he wins.
And this year, he has won only twice, and neither tournament
was a major. Yesterday, it was more of the same as he finished
fifth in the NEC World Series of Golf.
Nothing really wrong with that. There were 39 other golfers
who'd love to trade places with him. But his critics insist that
when you're Tiger Woods, fifth place isn't good enough - even
if you're only 22. If you're Tiger Woods, you are expected to
win every tournament you play.
It's an outrageous set of expectations to put on anyone, much
less a kid in his third pro season.
The sad part is that Woods is beginning to believe it himself.
You could see it over the weekend at Firestone. He spent much
of the four days muttering to himself, scowling at the golfing
gods and staring forlornly at his putter.
This was a tournament that he could have won. Hey, maybe it
even was a tournament that he should have won.
But he lost it on Saturday. He lost it even before he double
bogeyed the 18th. He lost it when he missed at least four very
makeable birdie putts.
They lipped out.
They came up an inch short.
They took a weird roll.
It was all of the above, and Woods almost was steaming by the
time he reached the ill-fated 18th.
Then he blew up, leaving himself 4 agonizing strokes behind
the leader heading into yesterday's final round.
And Sunday, Woods never made a move.
He played with surprising caution, especially on the early
holes. He played as if he weren't sure what he should do.
Go for the flag, or lay it up short of the green?
Let it rip, or play it smart?
You could hear the wheels churning. You could see the doubt
in his eyes. You could feel the pressure in his grimace as he
lined up his putts.
He is a young man at war with himself.
Supposedly, he gambles too much. If he were a matador, he'd
be the guy who stands closer to the bull than anyone as he holds
out his red cape.
You do that, you are bound to get gored.
And if you play golf like the Tiger Woods of 1997, you are
bound to get in trouble. You visit the sand. You wander through
the trees. You cause the purists to shake their heads, and say
you play the game like Kevin Costner in Tin Cup.
But to Tiger Woods, the plan of attack was simple. You played
with confidence. You played with abandon. You played to win.
And if you're Tiger Woods, that is how you should play again.
It's how you were born to play. It's why so many fans are in your
gallery, cheering so hard for you.
They feel your heat. They see your heart. They think that if
they ever had a chance to play on the PGA Tour, they'd play it
with the same zest as you.
Only Tiger Woods doesn't seem to know that.
Sometimes, he blasts away like the kid from Stanford with nothing
to lose.
Other times, he looks like a 45-year-old veteran hitting a
safe shot just to stay near the lead.
He's developing a split golfing personality. He seems to be
spending too much time trying to please someone else - be it Nike,
his teachers or his critics.
Tiger Woods is a man with a big swing and a deep soul. Asking
him to play like most other guys on the tour is like telling Mark
McGwire to hit the ball up the middle.
Why even think about it?
Woods is a slugger. So, Tiger, just swing away.
If Nike doesn't like it, too bad. What are they going to do,
stop sending you free shirts?
If the critics don't like it, so what? The golfing gurus never
will fully accept you, anyway.
So, Tiger, go ahead. Just aim for the pin.
(Terry Pluto is a sports columnist for the Akron Beacon Journal.
Write to him at: Akron Beacon Journal, 44 East Exchange Street,
Akron, Ohio 44328.)
(c) 1998, Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, Ohio).
Visit Akron Beacon Journal Online at http://www.ohio.com/.
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.
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