2009 PGA Championship: which Tiger Woods will show up at Hazeltine?

August 8, 12:52 PMMinneapolis Golf ExaminerKyle Anway

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Minneapolis Golf Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Which Tiger can fans and media expect at the PGA Championship
next week at Hazeltine National? (Photos: AP/Matt Dunham and
Al Goldis)

Just like in his namesake video game, there exists two versions of Tiger Woods. Regular, and "Super".

On one side, there's Eldrick Tiger Woods, the version who is now a happy husband and father, focuses on his foundation, and, oh yeah, is the best golfer of all time. He's cool and focused on the course, but is known to crack a smile while coasting to a three-shot victory in the Buick Open.

Then, there's the Tiger that the media, sponsors and fans have created. The "Super Tiger." He leaps Mickelsons and Furyks in a single bound. He wins US Opens with one knee tied behind his back. He is invincible to everything from Kryptonite to Sabbatinium.

Only "Super Tiger" would be the lead story on ESPN, CNN, BBC and every local newscast when he - gasp - fails to make the cut in a major. Imagine Michael Jordan missing a game winning shot during his prime, Peyton Manning throwing 3 interceptions or Dale Earnhardt finishing out of the top 20 in a Daytona 500. Would national news organizations break into coverage with that news? Unlikely.

To be fair, Eldrick is just as much to "blame" for the creation of "Super Tiger" as the rest of us. For a long time, even after the "Tiger Slam," he was simply a threat to win 2 majors and a handful of additional tournaments a year. Then came the streak of seven wins that came during the 07-08 seasons. Suddenly people were talking about Tiger going undefeated for an entire year, and talking heads put the odds of a season slam at a similar number to Secretariat two-thirds of the way to a triple crown. "Tiger or the field" became "Tiger by how many strokes." Add on top of that the win in the '08 US Open on an injured knee, and Tiger became an almost supernatural figure, bigger than golf, larger than life.

The only problem with "Super Tiger" is, for all the hype placed upon him, he's simply Eldrick Tiger Woods in a cape of expectations. He can't fly, he can't stop bullets, and he can't win every tournament he enters, even though he's expected to. Like all of us who take the good walk spoiled, he ocassionally gets angry on a golf course. Sometimes he tries too hard, and his pursuit of perfection gets the best of him. And this year, the Incredible Hulk has turned back into Bruce Banner at the most inopportune times, in the US and British Opens, with the bright lights of the worldwide stage upon him.

Fast forward to the week before the PGA Championship. Sure, Tiger has won four tournaments this year (a number that would be considered fantastic by anyone else on tour), but "Super Tiger" is 0-3 in majors, including two in which he never even factored. Many say Tiger needs the Wanamaker Trophy to consider this year a success. Others are taking the Chris Crocker approach and yelling, "Leave Tiger alone!" I don't presume to speak for Tiger, but one has to assume he's somewhere in the middle... using the hype and expectations as motivation to improve, but not living and dying with wins and losses.

But, as far as fans are concerned, the only question that remains is this: Which Tiger will take the first tee at Hazeltine next week? A Tiger who has cooly and calmly collected 14 major wins over his career, or a Tiger who has struggled to find his rhythm during the season's biggest moments? We'll all have to wait and see... the media, the sponsors, the fans, even Tiger himself.

Unfortunately for the real-life Tiger, the PGA Championship doesn't have a cheat code or a reset button.

Want more 2009 PGA Championship coverage? Make sure to check out...

• Get your PGA tickets while they last
• Ten memorable moments in Minnesota "majors"
• 2009 PGA Championship: first and second round pairings and tee times