Pitarresi: Tiger Woods is back

Tiger Woods is back from his knee injury.

 

That’s good for golf, and bad.

 

I’ve long thought that Woods, who might be the best player ever and has plenty time to become that if he isn’t now since he is just 33, has been the best thing and the worst thing to happen to the game. The best because his consistent excellence – superiority, really – put a focus on golf that hadn’t been so sharp since the heydays of Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. The worst because if Tiger isn’t playing or isn’t in contention, the interest level tends to drop precipitously.

 

I think the greatest thing about Woods is that, while blessed with hard to believe talent, he also has incredible desire to improve, a lot of smarts, and a cutthroat competitive attitude.

 

I also think he has handled his fame with as much class as any young person in his position could manage. In fact, if there is a knock on him, it’s that he is a little too buttoned down. He rarely, if ever, lets you see the man behind the golfer. That’s fine, but you kind of wish he would. He does show emotion after big shots and putts, but in a way that some people find annoying, including me on occasion.

 

Still, the guy is very, very good and very, very admirable in many ways.

 

Welcome back, Tiger.