It doesn’t speak well of me, but I admit to experiencing a certain amount of schadenfreude the last few weeks watching Tiger Woods look like anything but Tiger Woods.
While Woods obviously paid a private price for his behavior, behavior that torpedoed his relationship with his wife and his children, I wanted to see that price extend to a place commentators said might be his sanctuary — the golf course.
When some folks picked Woods to win the Masters — his first tournament since his life blew up Thanksgiving night — I feared they might be right. Woods, after all, once won a major tournament playing with a broken leg.
My wife, Andi, said there was no way he could win — well, almost no way.
“If he can win a tournament after what’s gone on in his life,” she said, “he’s a sociopath.”
Turns out Woods, whatever else he is, is not a sociopath. Several tournaments into the season, he not only hasn’t won (0-for-8), his play is headed south — due south.
Going into today’s PGA Championship round, Woods has managed just three rounds under par out of his last 21.
Last week at the World Golf Championships, playing on a course he loves, he was simply dreadful, finishing next to last. And as bad as he played, he looked even worse — listless, disconnected, uncaring.
A few years ago, I wrote a column about watching Woods on a Sunday where he was out of contention — rare in those days.
What impressed me about him that Sunday was that he worked every shot as though he was a stroke back on the final day at Augusta. It was, I wrote, an example of a healthy pride, the kind that caused Joe DiMaggio to explain an extraordinary effort in a meaningless game this way: “There is always some kid who may be seeing me for the first time.”
Last week as Woods imploded, the whole sporting world was watching, yet there were times when he walked up to his ball and didn’t take so much as a practice swing before whacking at it like a weekend duffer.
Pride took a holiday.
Yet, as excessive self-regard seems to have been a component in Woods’ dangerous and destructive behavior, a serious humbling would seem to be a necessary step in his putting his life back together. I don’t know if finishing 79th in a field of 80 is rock bottom for Woods, but I hope it is.
Watching him founder no longer brings me any pleasure.
Fallen human beings, such as myself, tend to want mercy and grace for our failings, but justice for those of others. I wanted to see some public justice for Woods, and now I’ve seen more than enough. Now I’m rooting for some grace to enter Woods’ world, first in his personal life, then in his golf game.
The second, I think, will follow the first.
Contact Jim Gordon at gjames43@msn.com.
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