Tiger Woods' 2006 U.S. Open

Jun 16, 2006

He came, he played, he stunk, but he is human. Tiger Woods is Under Review.

Tiger Woods stunk up the U.S. Open. Did you ever think you'd read a statement like this in your lifetime?

It would seem that Tiger Woods is human, after all. A nine-week layoff, following the death of his father proved to be too much, even for the greatest golfer in the world and one of the best of all time.

Woods was completely humbled at the 2006 U.S. Open by a Winged Foot golf course that is playing very difficult due to gale force winds, rock hard greens and a second-cut rough, deep enough to lose an entire golf bag.

None of these types of stumbling blocks, though, have ever mattered to Tiger Woods. At least not until this year's U.S. Open. Nine-week layoff? Child's play for Tiger. At least this is how most PGA enthusiasts felt. Alas, Tiger did not shuffle off his mortal coil this time, and string together a bunch of miraculous birdies and eagles in time to add to his collection of PGA Majors.

He made no excuses, but he certainly had a good one -- the death of the person he was closer to than anyone else. Golf is a ridiculously tough game -- more mentally challenging than virtually anything you can attempt in the world of sports.

Hell, I can't put the clubface on the ball if I start thinking about a hot dog at the turn, much less take on the challenges of mighty Winged Foot under the strains of the U.S. Open in a state of bereavement.

Tiger Woods is human. And, even though I'd like to see him in the final pairing on U.S. Open Sunday, I like him better this way.