Playing Wyndham would be smart move, Tiger
— -- HAVEN, Wis. -- The fine folks of North Carolina were understandably giddy at the prospects of Tiger Woods coming to their tournament in Greensboro, even if the news of his entering the Wyndham Championship was but a procedural maneuver to give the struggling golfer some time to decide.
After missing the cut in his third straight major championship on Saturday, Woods said he would ponder whether to play the Wyndham, a decision that would be awesome for a longtime tournament that has never had the 14-time major champion compete between its ropes.
Let's face it, playing the tournament would be good for Tiger, too. Good for his image, good for his game, perhaps good for his karma. The excitement he generates, even at a down time in his career, has to be a boost for him. And it can't hurt to test his game under the public glare yet again, struggles and all.
But if Woods elects to pass -- and that possibility very much exists -- there should be no throwing stones, no decrying that he went back on his "commitment,'' no fretting. In the overall scheme of Woods' golf game, the Wyndham Championship would be a nice -- but hardly necessary -- building block to his future.
Entering a tournament is a procedural necessity. You have to do it in order to play. Woods was unsure if he would head to Greensboro at the deadline, so he entered. It gives him time to decide. Every week, players pull out of tournaments they've entered for all manner of reasons, some simply because they changed their minds.
Woods typically waits to make his commitment decisions to avoid the very angst he will undoubtedly face if he decides not to go, a part of the world he lives in. And yet the Greensboro tournament is but a small part of the big picture.
In the short term, it would be a last-ditch attempt to qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs. Depending on how the PGA Championship plays out, he might have to win that tournament to get in; at the very least, he'll need to finish second -- against a field of desperate players, some hoping to keep their jobs, others trying to move up in the standings. Woods hasn't posted a top-10 finish all year.
In the long term, however, it would be another chance to play tournament golf. He's only been in 10 this year, completing just 28 rounds. If Woods believes playing another tournament helps him, great. Forget about the FedEx playoffs.
"I think it's just building,'' Woods said Saturday morning after he missed the cut at the PGA by 2 strokes. "People keep asking me this week, is it your season? No, it's not really about the season, it's about the year. I haven't quite come to grips with the whole calendar (year) season yet, this whole wraparound thing, so for me I still consider it a year.
"And I still have plenty of golf to be played for the rest of the year. And as I said, on a global level.''
If by going to Mexico City and the Bahamas, Woods means global, so be it. The idea of him adding a European Tour event of any kind appears problematic, although not out of the question.
Either way, Woods in recent weeks has taken a longer-view approach. He talked about how his 2014 back surgery and another swing change were a "perfect storm'' for trouble. He said the work he is doing on his game is "for years to come.''
If hindsight lends some perspective, nobody -- including Woods -- should have expected much more than he achieved in 2015, as shocking as it may be for a player who has 79 PGA Tour victories and 14 major championships to now be ranked 278th in the world and likely headed outside of the top 300.
Woods came back too soon from back surgery last year. He then switched swing coaches. Soon followed the short-game issues and another long break from the game. Since returning at the Masters, Woods always seemed on a mission to quickly prepare for the next major championship, an every-other-week tournament schedule that saw tepid results.
"It's been one or the other,'' Woods said. "As I said, ball striking sound or then putting bad or putting great then ball striking is not so solid. I haven't been able to consistently put both together for an entire event. Maybe for a day or two, but not for an event.
"So far, 10 events this year, obviously it's a very small sample, but I'm pleased at the way I'm starting to hit the golf ball. Now if I can start putting like I did today or what I did at Quicken Loans a couple weeks ago, start putting like that, then we got something.''
In that case, perhaps playing in Greensboro is a good idea. Woods needs tournament rounds, not more golf at his home course, Medalist Golf Club, or more time on the range -- although that is all part of the process, too.
But whether he plays in Greensboro not, the reality is there is unlikely to be another tournament start until the Frys.com Open, which begins on Oct. 15. That's a long time to refresh and regroup. Then, Woods should consider adding another PGA Tour event in the fall, perhaps the McGladrey Classic, which is not far from his Florida home.
Try to get a jump start on FedEx Cup points, world ranking points for the 2015-16 season. Take some momentum into January and add some extra events to get comfortable. Only then, after more time working with Como, after more time playing meaningful golf, will we know if 2015 was a terrible aberration or the way it will always be for Woods.
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