The start of the season will be the Hyundai tournament of champions beginning Jan. 6th. Sorry, no Tiger.

The big question that I would like to ask is whether or not tiger will reclaim the #1 ranking in 2011.
Tiger will need a couple of quick wins just to get close enough to retake his throne, but I think it will take a lot longer then that. Westwood will not pull a Phil Mickelson and fold under pressure.

Tiger has been on top for a long time and his time in the Sun may be over. He will probably still win a few events but the wealth of new talent which relentlessly enters the ranks each year and the guys in their late 20's and 30's, a few in their 40's will continue to narrow the events where he wins. It's my guess the number one ranking will change hands several times. Without the square groves several players short game will not be as sharp and my place a higher premium on driving accuracy and putting. Now if they could figure out a way to force the players to hit 3 irons which none of them can  it would get really interesting.

IMO the USGA and PGA have been chasing a invalid goal for the past 15 years with equipment performance. Square grooves, metal woods and a hotter ball which gave all players more distance and better spin on the short game. It has rendered many courses obsolete or required major upgrades to courses.

It will be interesting to see how golf fares in the next few years. The PGA events and TV ratings have been dropping of late. The PGA  assumed it was because of Tigers injury and then his temp exit from the game and maybe that's true. And maybe the golden age is gone. So we will watch the 310 yard drives and pitching wedge shots to the green on par 4's and think it's golf.

For me it was the Olympic Club before they were forced to redesign the back nine on the lake course. A least Pebble is still there and pretty much the same.

My guess is that Tiger will never dominate the way he did but do not write him off.

Several wins per season and Jack's record for majors will come to fruition as Tiger regains his form. No way a guy as mentally strong as Tiger stays down for long.

Has that mental strength been broken due to the events of the past year or so ?


Thank You
2/14/11
2011 = 28

And remember too. An "off season" for Tiger is still a great season for most other golfers. He set his own bar that will probably never be reached again in our lifetime.
I do think the 10 win seasons are history, but I would not be surprised to see a few wins this year.
Catching Jack's major records is his only real goal left, one that I think he will have difficulty attaining.

Tiger has lost his invincibility. He will not scare people off the course as in years past. He will get over his personal situation (maybe not in 2011....but eventually) and return to winning tournaments and majors.

Tournament golf wears down most guys so that they are lucky to win once in while, even the great ones. Tiger did not lose that mental strength, he just had to channel it to his personal life. When thta turns, Tiger will be back