4 reasons you should be skeptical of Tiger's recent update
Tiger Woods fans were encouraged Wednesday, when the 14-time major champion gave an update on his health, stating he hasn't "felt this good in years."
While everyone in the golf world wants Tiger to return to his old form, here are four reasons you should be skeptical of his claim.
Heard this before
Woods has had eight surgeries in his career, but it's his back that's been the biggest issue for the 41-year-old in recent years. In October 2013, Woods told the Golf Channel, “My back feels great. I took a week off. I've trained this week. I've gotten a bunch of treatment. I just did a clinic out here and felt fantastic.” The following season, Tiger played just eight events, and withdrew from two of them.
His golf game
While injuries are certainly a part of Tiger's struggles, his game wasn't exactly in a good place prior to his hiatus. The 79-time PGA Tour winner's best finish since 2014 was a T-10 at the Wyndham Championship in 2015, a tournament that doesn't typically produce a strong field. His best result in a major in that same timeframe was a T-17 at the 2015 Masters.
The mental side
There is no lonelier sport than golf, so when things aren't going well off the course - and they haven't since his infamous car accident - they creep into a player's game. Woods hasn't been the same since the Thanksgiving car crash, which ended the notion that he was invincible in everything he does.
The kids are just better
Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm, Rory McIlory, Jason Day, and Jordan Spieth are all young, healthy, talented, and driven. Since 1960, only 21 times has a major championship been claimed by a player 40 or older.
(Photos courtesy: Action Images)