Have We Seen the Last of the Tiger Woods Mystique?

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: December 10, 2013

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At the apex of his historic career, Tiger Woods was a cold-blooded Sunday assassin with the final-round lead in hand. Clad in red and armed with intimidating talent, the game’s most dominant golfer had the majority of his opponents beaten before stepping onto the first tee, and the rest bested very soon thereafter.

His death stares, clutch putts and unbelievable shot-making shattered challengers’ confidence as major titles mounted and competition floundered.

This past Sunday, however, Zach Johnson reminded everyone that the Tiger of back then is not even close to the Woods we know today.

Not only did Johnson steal the Northwestern Mutual World Challenge out from under the world No. 1 with a stunning back-nine rally, but his playoff victory showed yet again that while Tiger remains elite, the mystique and intimidation that once made him unbeatable when out in front has all but vanished.



Ironically, it was the second time in four years that Woods relinquished a final-round lead to a hard-charging, highly-ranked golfer in his own tournament. In 2010, it was Graeme McDowell who erased a four-shot deficit and bested Woods in another playoff at Sherwood Country Club.



No one is suggesting that Woods won’t be winning significant tournaments, including majors, for many years to come; he absolutely will. The new reality, however, is that he’ll have to earn it down the stretch against opponents that won't wilt in the face of his mere presence.

The new crop of confident PGA Tour stars and established veterans certainly respect Tiger, but they no longer fear him; a significant change from Woods’ glory years that delivered 14 major titles and 79 PGA Tour victories.

"The guy never ceases to amaze me," Johnson said after winning on the first playoff hole Sunday. "So yeah, I'll take pride in the fact that I played against the best, ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Golf

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