Tiger Woods hopes to end Major drought at Merion

Dubai: Sport can sometimes seem like a muddle of contradictions, particularly if you happen to be in Tiger Woods’ prototype Nike golfing shoes.

He’s been there, done that, got the results, endured a slump and been through a personal crisis that you wouldn’t wish upon your worst enemy.

But through all this, and to his credit, Tiger has been pretty dignified. He’s observed, dumbfounded, but thoughtful, as if saying to himself that time will heal.

But time doesn’t heal, it’s what you do with it that heals. That’s what shrinks will probably suggest and I’m rather sure this counsel will preoccupy him and provide the motivation for this weekend’s US Open, which returns to the highly-regarded Merion Golf Club in Pennsylvania after a gap of 32 years from Thursday to Sunday.

Tiger can also find inspiration in two important facts — he has won the Open three times in the past 13 years and also set an all-time record for the largest margin in a victory when he triumphed by 15 strokes in the year 2000.

Only the great Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Bobby Jones and Willie Anderson have won more Opens than Tiger, who is only matched by Hale Irwin in his three wins in a tournament that is on the official schedule of both the PGA and European Tours.

But the one significant detail that can actually act as a key motivator is that people are starting to believe in his golfing abilities again and have faith that he can realistically win a Major again, to bring an end to his five-year drought.

Even the ever mistrustful bookmakers seem to have been won over by Tiger’s new-found self-assurance and ability and feel that another Major triumph is his for the taking this weekend.

He is the 5-1 ante-post favourite with major betting firms like William Hill, Ladbrookes and Coral, with the likes of Phil Mickelson, Matt Kuchar, Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy and Adam Scott a distant second choice at odds of 20 or over.

Ironically, the last of Tiger’s Major wins came at the US Open in 2008, where he beat Rocco Meidate in a play-off.

Perhaps he will find inspiration in that piece of evidence as well, as he chases down Nicklaus’ long-standing record of 18 Major titles. Add to that his current form — he has won four trophies this season, including three in his last five tournaments. It looked like he could have won the Masters at Augusta, but for his second-day hiccup when his ball bounced off the flag and into the water. Although he incurred a two-shot penalty for taking an incorrect drop at the 15th, he still managed to finish fourth, just four shots behind eventual winner Adam Scott.

Tiger is one of golf’s best shot-makers. He has extraordinary control of the ball off the tee and on his approach shots. It is this aspect of his game that he believes could hold him in good stead over the next four days.

“If you look at the list of champions, they have all been really good shot-makers [Ben Hogan won the US Open at Merion in 1950 and Lee Trevino in 1971]. They have all been able to shape the golf ball. I think that’s what it lends itself to and you have to be so disciplined to play that course,” he said during practice at Merion.

“You play to certain spots on the greens. You leave yourself certain putts and you deal with it and you move on. Even the 13th [a 115-yard par three], you are teeing off with a pitching wedge. If they put the pin right, you are not going to be firing at it.”

The Merion course, which is regarded as one of the finest tests in America, if not the world, has a new dimension — the weather. A fast course would be very much to Tiger’s liking, but that seems unlikely as torrential rain fell on the East Course on Monday, causing practice rounds to be suspended.

Former USPGA champion David Toms wrote an enlightening tweet, saying: “Anyone coming out to the US Open needs to wear shoes that they don’t mind throwing away afterwards.”

Two-time US Open winner Ernie Els had this to say at a pre-tournament press conference: “You’re not going to see a firm US Open this year, I’m sorry. I don’t care if they get helicopters flying over the fairways, it’s not going to dry up.”

Just two years ago, Rory McIlroy stormed through the rain-soaked Congressional Country Club to claim a first Major title, while in 2009 Lucas Glover overcame tough conditions to emerge as a shock winner at the Bethpage Black Course, in Farmingdale, New York.

Does Tiger still have the resolve to surmount all obstacles, human or environmental and win his 15th Major? Only time will tell.