Maybe this is my last Chance

With each question, the self-confidence gave way a bit more. the Tiger Woods sat on the top of the Podium, a bottle of water in Hand, sweat beads on the forehead. The Golf journalists of America were sitting in front of him and wanted to know what the great master had for expectations. What is he, Woods, with 43 years, to trust in the most important tournament of the year, the Masters. Woods said: "Who knows, maybe this is my last Chance."

In the last 18 months, the Golf world witnessed one of the most remarkable Comebacks in the sport. After his private escapades with Escorts and drug abuse Tiger Woods crashed into a deep hole. The miracle players of days past, lost control of his life. His wife turned away from him, the Fans, and the Golf shots from the Tee and the bunkers with the ease of earlier, as the wins and trophies were, of course.

The life has been sapped on the head of the American, and also for the body it was all too much. With eleven months of the small Tiger for the first Time had a Golf club in Hand, at the age of 21 he won his first major title. A quarter of a century, Woods was a Pro – but at some point the body is no longer played with. Again and again the broken knees were patched. Two years ago, the Doctors cut him for the fourth Time, the back and repaired, what was repaired. One and a half years, Woods said, when he could walk again and on the Golf course, returned: "I am a walking miracle."

tactics instead of Power

experts said at the time, it would be a successful Comeback, if Woods were to remain healthy. But that was not enough the 14-times major winner. He wanted to triumph, and his opponents dominate. At the season-ending event at East Lake last September, Woods won the tournament victory, his first in five years, the eightieth in his career. And all of a sudden Tiger Woods was for many of the Old, "the old Tiger", is the favorite.

But a lot has changed in the career of Woods. The injuries and exhausting operations have transformed the athletic hitters in an old tactician. In 1997, Woods won his first Masters. He hit the balls 40 meters more than the average in the field. Today, when the Masters begins again, belongs to Woods not even in the Top 20 when it comes to the length of the tees. The forces are dwindling slowly, the Power of bygone days has dissipated.

force full precision machine tool

So the journalists asked him at the official press conference before the Start of the most important Golf tournament in the world, because remember against all the young, fit types out there, which are what he used to be: A powerful, precision machine. A response to the fact Woods is not found, instead he just smiled, it'll be kind of good.

Tiger Woods has developed new Strengths in his game of Golf and the old discarded. He has refined his swing, his short game worked, because he needs to get close to the Greens to play perfectly to keep up. But maybe perfection is not enough time in the next four days, for his fifth victory at the Masters. The sports channel ESPN broadcast at the beginning of the week a four-minute report, in which it is only intended to show what has changed in the last few years, on the Golf course in Augusta, and Tiger Woods himself: The course is more difficult, the Greens are fast, the bunkers are deeper, the Fairways get longer. And Tiger Woods? The is to again become a year older.

experience as a trump card

in Spite of everything, Woods is one of the co-favorites in Georgia. None of the participants in the field, has a larger experience on the Golf tour, the 43-Year-old, none of them won the tournament in Augusta, more often than Woods. To do this, of course, is one of the most varied in the world to him. Unlike other systems, there are in Augusta, not deep Roughs. Errors in the tees will not be punished immediately, and therefore can liberate the artist from among the Golf professionals, usually with a good second shot out of trouble. And Tiger Woods, as all are agreed, is the greatest artist, of all Golf professionals.

Woods in the last twelve years, played in the Masters seven times among the Top Ten, three times he was in the Top three. Many experts see him so far ahead in the battle for the Green Jacket, because experience is more important than pure power. And the Oh-so-important self-confidence has grown in the last one and a half years in the Woods steadily grew: in addition to his victory at East Lake by the end of 2018, he won in the current season, is already a Matchplay tournament, and Rory beating McIlroy, and two further Top-Ten places. BBC Golf expert Iain Carter says: "Tiger is playing sensational. He has excelled in the last 18 months, the expectations of all – and probably his own."

(Basler Zeitung)

Created: 11.04.2019, 10:03 PM