‘MAJOR’ DELAY: Tiger Woods will be looking to win his first major since the 2008 U.S. Open this week at Merion Golf Club. (
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ARDMORE, Pa. — Nobody is allowed inside Tiger Woods’ inner sanctum. Not even those closest to him — his girlfriend, his caddie, his buddies, even his family.
Not since his father Earl died in 2006 has anyone really been privy to the true inner workings of Woods’ psyche.
So we are left to guess what Woods really is thinking, speculate about how he feels.
I do not profess to know Woods’ deepest thoughts about the game of golf, or anything else for that matter, because in the numerous times I’ve asked him questions in interviews he has treated me like he treats everyone else — as an outsider.
I have covered Woods for The Post since the moment he introduced himself to the world in 1997 with that edgy Nike ad campaign, and I have stood on the finishing green for every one of the 14 major championships he has won.
And I can tell you that until Woods wins his 15th major championship and resumes his pursuit of Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18, he will not feel like he truly is back on the track he was on before he was derailed by injuries and the 2009 sex scandal.
Woods, who has stockpiled four PGA Tour wins already this year, often has been asked whether he is “back.’’ His stock, defense-mechanism response has been a flippant, “I never left.’’
Well, the truth is Woods as we knew him pre-scandal did leave. He has not won a major championship since his 2008 U.S. Open victory at Torrey Pines, a time when he was perceived to be a monogamous, happily-married family man.
That was five long years ago.
Woods has won 13 PGA Tour events since that ’08 U.S. Open triumph, but none has had the weight of that elusive 15th major.
So, as the 113th U.S. Open begins this week at Merion Golf Club outside of Philadelphia, the weight of that wait for the next major is as heavy as it has ever been for Woods.
At this year’s first major, he tied for fourth at the Masters — a bitterly disappointing result marred by a bad break on the 15th hole of his second round when his approach shot hit the flag stick and rebounded into Rae’s Creek. That was followed by his controversial improper drop and the subsequent clumsy mess tournament officials made of it.
It all left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth and left Woods 0-for-15 in majors since Torrey Pines.
“There’s an awful lot of pressure on him,’’ ESPN analyst Andy North said. “He might be putting more pressure on himself even now than he ever has, because he hasn’t won. He’s in a position right now, very much like a good player is when he hasn’t won a major and he’s trying to win for the first time.
“I think if he were to win here again pretty soon, I think that would kind of relax him and open up the floodgates and he might win another three or four. But right now, he’s got to be very careful not to [be] trying too hard to win the championship right away early in the week versus just going out and playing golf and letting it happen.’’
Letting it happen patiently is the only way Woods — or anyone else in the field — is going to conquer Merion in which is short in length and exacting its requirements from the players because of its tight fairways and intricate position shots.
Merion should set up well for Woods for two reasons: 1, the weakest part of his game is his driver, and using a driver is not necessary on many Merion holes; and 2, no one thinks his way around the course better than Woods.
Woods’ victory at The Players Championship last month seemed to provide a blueprint of how he will play Merion. Woods surgically maneuvered his way around the tight and treacherous Sawgrass Stadium Course using many irons off tees to position himself for easier approach shots, hitting a driver only once in the final round.
Because Woods was striking his irons beautifully and putting well, it worked to perfection.
“Any time you can give Tiger a course that he doesn’t need to use his driver, I think, is to his advantage,” NBC golf analyst Johnny Miller said. “The way he won The Players Championship is very similar to what he’s going to do at Merion. If he doesn’t have to hit the driver, I think he’s going to be tough to beat.”