Here is the first of what I suspect will be several "what's wrong with Tiger" letters. Have we, the media, and you, the golfing public ever teeter-tottered so wildly on the fortunes of single player? Did we ever do this with Jack Nicklaus? We bounce from, "He's insurmountable and will probably better Jack's record next week," to "He's lost, the knee changed everything, he'll never be the same player again." Or...he's a 2 handicap.
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Dear Editor,>
After watching the final round of the Players, I am left scratching my head as to how the best player on the planet is now a 2 handicap. Tiger Woods looked confused, embarrased and in the end mentally deflated by his golf swing. The World No. 1 playing out the last three holes, barely in the top 10, while Henrik Stenson was in the clubhouse celebrating an impressive win, was almost surreal. Which leads me to the ultimate Monday morning quarterbacking question, Why? Why do you mess with anything when you are not just winning, but blowing away fields in 2000 and 2001? Holding all four major championship trophies at once? To be where Tiger was to now isn't David Duval or Ian Baker Finch, but he has to be very, very concerened with these unprecedented two way misses. Now, I don't know how much of this is still the knee or the bowed left wrist I keep hearing about, but if I'm Charles Barkley, I'm looking for Butch Harmon's number right about now.>
Jeff Stomber>
Naples, FL
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Oh, ye of little game. Nobody makes us all look more foolish than Tiger. You're right that he didn't appear to be having much fun at the Players--on a course that he does not like--but to suggest that he will not solve his latest swing riddle and lap the field at Bethpage is to not learn from history. He's Tiger.
--Bob Carney
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