Photo Story: Tiger Seeks Jack’s Guidance on Eve of PGA

As you know, the PGA Championship is this weekend. The fourth major of the year marks Tiger Woods’ final opportunity to get one step closer to his life’s goal: Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 major championship victories.

Unfortunately for Tiger, he has shown no signs that he is ready to compete for a major. He had the worst four-day performance of his career last weekend, and it is clear that golf’s erstwhile greatest player is currently a mental and physical mess.

Well, on the eve of Tiger’s first round at Whistling Straits he sought out the guidance of the man he’s been tracking his entire career. As usual, MSF was there with our camera and transcription machine to capture this golfing Kodak moment.

**********

There will be no storyline in golf over the next few years – perhaps even in all of sports – than whether or not Tiger Woods can return to playing championship-level golf. For so many years Tiger was heads and shoulders above the field; Woods ultimately getting to 19 major wins and beyond was not a matter of if, but a matter of when.

Now? Previously unimagined doubt is creeping in from all corners of the golfing world, and it seems to be warranted.

Tiger almost surely will improve and return to some semblance of his former self, but he still need to win five majors to get to 19. That may not sound like a lot, but it is. Five major titles would be a glorious career for 99.9% of golfers; Tiger still needs to win five with Father Time and the realities of life starting to become real obstacles.

The one positive thought Tiger can and should hang onto is that Jack Nicklaus won the Masters at age 46, the oldest person to do so. With that as a frame of reference, Tiger should have still have 10+ years during which he can reasonably be expected to compete for majors. I, for one, hope that he does, not because he is deserving of the record in any way but simply because it will make golf more exciting.

Time will tell, though it would appear that Tiger’s chances of getting major #15 this weekend at Whistling Straits are infinitesimally slim to none.