By Ron Kroichick
San Francisco Chronicle
Tiger Woods limped around the golf course Thursday, plopped two shots into the water, needed 42 strokes to navigate nine holes, shook hands with fellow competitors Matt Kuchar and Martin Kaymer and disappeared into the great unknown.
Oddly enough, this was exactly what Woods needed ó tangible evidence heís not ready to play on the PGA Tour. He tricked himself with his stirring final-round charge at the Masters, the day after spraining his left knee and straining his left Achilles tendon while hitting a shot at Augusta National.
Woods expects to conquer any injury any time he wants, because heís spent most of his life thinking heís invincible. That can be a useful attitude ó itís how he won the 2008 U.S. Open on one leg. Itís also how he wrecked his personal life.
This just in: Tiger is not invincible. Not at all.
Now, in the wake of his ugly front nine and premature exit from the Players Championship, he probably realizes the need to change the blueprint. He showed up at the Players because he always builds his schedule around the majors, and he needed to begin preparing for next monthís U.S. Open outside Washington, D.C.
Thatís understandable, even admirable, given his quest to break Jack Nicklausí record of 18 major titles. But the Open spins in serious doubt, given the obvious pain Woods nursed at TPC Sawgrass. So does the British Open in July and the PGA Championship in August.
Woods is desperate to win again, but he will not win on one leg, and he will not win when he canít practice (as was the case the past month). Letís face it: That memorable Open triumph at Torrey Pines three years ago was a once-in-a-lifetime deal.
He needs to forget about majors until he can hit his opening tee shot without wincing. He couldnít on Thursday ó his inaugural shot on No. 1 launched his physical undoing.
ěThe knee acted up, and then the Achilles followed after that, and then the calf started cramping up,î Woods told reporters. ěEverything started getting tight, so itís just a whole chain reaction. … Iím having a hard time walking.î
The sequence resonated loudly for those of us following golf-centric Twitter feeds. Woods began his round before dawn, West Coast time, so it seemed logical for a post-breakfast check. Among the most striking tweets:
ěTiger chunks pitch off railroad ties back into water.î (Bob Harig, ESPN.com)
ěDonít think Iíve seen worse shot from Tiger.î (Doug Ferguson, Associated Press)
ěTiger walking awfully slow.î (Ferguson)
ěHe is not moving with a great deal of speed or enthusiasm.î (Harig)
ěTiger duffs his chip from behind the ninth green. At this point, will just be easier to tweet when he doesnít actually chunk a chip.î (Jason Sobel, Golf Channel)
Woods ultimately bowed out after one of his highest nine-hole scores ever. He has shot 43 four times on the PGA Tour, most recently last year at the tournament in Charlotte.
One vital, out-of-view element in all this is the impact of Woodsí injuries on his practice routine. He became the gameís greatest player because he meshed transcendent talent with ferocious motivation, the same imposing combination Michael Jordan used to dominate the NBA.
But if Woods won 14 majors, in part, by outworking other players, he no longer enjoys that option. He acknowledged his short game sagged last year when he practiced less than usual, a result of his time-consuming, off-the-course travails.
Woods didnít hit one golf ball between the final round of the Masters on April 10 and his session on the range Monday.
The U.S. Open begins in 34 days. Thereís really no point in Woods stepping to the tee at Congressional Country Club if his knee and Achilles prevent him from practicing the next five weeks. He needs two reliable legs if he wants to hoist a trophy once again.
ěI miss winning,î Woods said this week.
Heís got other hurdles to clear first.