The Loop
Five things we hope are true from Tiger Woods' Quicken Loans National press conference
For those that haven't been keeping up with the happenings in golf -- and given you're reading this post on Golf Digest, a faint chance - it's not been a prosperous season for Tiger Woods.
He's missed the cut in two straight majors, posted a career-high 85 at the Memorial and saw his relationship to Lindsey Vonn come to an end. The most encouraging sign for Woods was leading the Greenbrier Classic field in hole proximity, which sounds cool until you realize he finished 32nd.
Still, we at the Loop are dreamers. Despite all evidence to the contrary, we're believers that a Woods rejuvenation is right around the corner.
At the Quicken Loans National this week in Gainesville, Virginia, Woods took the stage for a press conference, as he and his foundation are hosts of the tournament. Here are five potential, possible, maybe positive signs we gleaned from Woods:
1__. He spent last week in the Bahamas__
After his early-exit from St. Andrews, Woods took his children down to the Bahamas for a vacation. Which is great! Who hasn't come back from the Caribbean with a more relaxed, care-free approach to life? Well, except the time I went to Freeport and returned to see my car had been broken into. But I'm guessing Woods parked his rig in a more secure area than Lot C of the Columbus International Airport.
2. He believes his woes are ephemeral
According to Woods, his slump is the byproduct of his short game.
"I didn't think it would take this long because I thought I would have my short game earlier, which I didn't at the very beginning of the year," Woods said at his presser. "You can cover up a lot of different things when you are chipping and putting well."
Woods also chalked up his performance, or lack thereof, to his recent injuries.
"Don't forget, I came off back surgery...You add those two together, it's the perfect storm and I have had to fight through both of those at the same time."
So it seems like he's at least aware of, and identified, the spur of his problems. And like G.I. Joe, or my therapist when we're discussing my inadequacies, say, "Knowing is half the battle!"
3. His spin rates are okay!
At the British Open, Woods voiced concerns about his distance and ball flight, believing that his club specs may have been off. However, after putting his sticks through a launch monitor, Woods says his equipment is fine. Granted, that only cements the sentiment that it's the carpenter not the tools that needs fine-tuning...but hey, at least his clubs aren't messed up, so we can check that worry off the list!
4. He's hitting the ball great!
5. No seriously, he is!
Look, we have video proof and everything!
Yes, it's the range. Yes, he's absolutely striping it. > pic.twitter.com/xgmV911SNT — Luke Kerr-Dineen (@LukeKerrDineen) > July 28, 2015
Sure, this may be grasping at straws. But many feats have been made by the beaten down who kept grinding.
That may sound like unwarranted optimism. It's also the only thing Woods has going at the moment.