What now for Tiger's golf?

By Neville Leck Last updated: 8th December 2009

One big question nobody seems to be asking about Tiger Woods since his now famous crash opened up a can of worms is how will his golf be affected?

Nobody in the sport is made of sterner stuff, to be sure. Woods' tigerish determination and laser-sharp focus are legendary.

I mean how many times has he been able to sink a vital putt at a critical moment or turn a precarious situation into a match-winning shot with a slight of hand so brilliant, it has verged on the miraculous.

But that was all before he was thrown head first into a scandal that must be leaving more scars on his persona than the reported cuts on his face.

As more and more women come out of the woodwork with alleged stories of his infidelities - by Monday there were six with hints of more to come - his reputation as an upstanding family man was taking a massive battering with some wise guys suggesting that his name should be switched from Tiger to Cheetah.

Amidst all of this there has been no hint that he is anything but an honourable, professional who plays it hard but fair on the golf course and there will still be enormous respect for the qualities that have made him the 21st Century's greatest golfer.

The big question, though, is how will the storm of criticism that grows with every new revelation against him affect his confidence and ability to perform in a furiously hot spotlight that will no longer be an all-worshipping one.

The Tiger scandal has unleashed a wide range of opinions from the man and woman in the street. Some condemn him as a cheat and a play-boy unworthy of his tag, the world's most respected sportsman.

Others feel sorry for him and suggest a strict up-bringing, inhibiting public perception and an unhappy marriage may have driven him to breaking out in the way that he reportedly has.

There are even those who have applauded him as being more of his own man than they believed was the case.

I know from clubhouse talk with my golfing buddies that in some quarters there was initially some relief and with it forgiveness, that golf's seemingly perfect icon is not the boring robot he been portrayed as for so long but, in fact, is a man of flesh and blood with human frailties; "a restless Tiger with a need to hunt" as one of them said.

That was when there seemed to be only one or two 'other women' in his life. I'm not so sure they'd still feel the same now that at least half-a-dozen are claiming to have carnal knowledge of him.

And it's this welter of bad publicity and the domestic turmoil in his private life that worries me and makes me wonder if he will now ever be able to take his 14 majors past the record 18 a less troubled Jack Nicklaus achieved in his hey day.

Getting up on the tee, embarrassed and humiliated by the storm unleashed by his car crash and wondering how the galleries now see him won't be easy for Tiger.

What ever happens in his private life, it is going to take an iron will and a thick skin to shrug away the events of the past few weeks, and come out firing with his old brand of winning golf.

It may have been easier for him if he was an exponent of a body-contact sport like rugby where playing with raw aggression makes it possible to get rid of a lot of frustration and emotional anger.

Unfortunately this is not possible in the game of golf which is all about calm nerves, ice cool control, relaxed power and soft hands.

The world number one has clearly been hurt by the scandal. Why else would he have gone into hiding, his only contact with the public seeming to be his website and his lawyer.

We can only hope that his indiscretions have not destroyed him.

We should never forget the great contribution this regal professional has made to golf and I believe that all those with an appreciation for his genius and with the sport at heart will hope he is quickly able to sort out his personal problems one way or another and will soon be able to get back to a driven pursuit of Nicklaus' record 18 majors.

No sportsman is indispensable or bigger than his sport, but right now with sponsors in shorter supply than they have been in years, golf needs the Tiger to come out and get back on the winning track.

Neville Leck