Capelle On Golf

It is possible that Tiger Woods was 100% sincere with his apology.

But as he said, his actions will tell the story. And they are beginning to indicate a gap between his words and deeds. For starters, his people say that he had to make the announcement on the Friday (Feb. 19) of the WGC Match Play because he was scheduled to return to rehab the following day. Well, he did fly off for counseling at the Meadows in Arizona, but that lasted only a week - by the following Sunday , he was on the range working on his game.

As a result, many observers wondered why he didn’t give the speech on the Monday or Tuesday (March 1 or 2) following his return. Really, the answer is quite simple: the later date didn’t fit in with Woods’ carefully orchestrated return to golf:

I do plan to return to golf one day, I just don’t know when that day will be. I don’t rule out that it will be this year. When I do return, I need to make my behavior more respectful of the game.

A rationale, reasonable, and sane person would have gathered from the above that it was uncertain that Woods was going to play this year, but that if he did, it would surely be latter in the year. Many guessed at the U.S. Open, which would have given him three more months to work on his life, then a month to work on his game, including a tuneup at the Memorial. Considering the supposed devastation to his psyche, this would have been the minimum time necessary for him to even begin to evolve into the New Tiger.

Events of the last two weeks, however, refute the Take-His-Time-for-Renewal approach to rebuilding his life and winning back his wife. Seems Woods is now on the fast track to return to the game. In the Elin Department, things appear to be going very well - Radaronline reports that they were seen kissing. He’s been hitting balls for 10 days. And now Hanky Haney has joined him on the range at Isleworth. It seems unlikely that he would be there if Woods was not getting ready to return to competition.

Back to the timing of the apology. In Tiger Time, it has been eons since he created the  impression that he would not be playing soon. If he had given the apology speech on March 1 or 2, that would have been only 6-7 days before Haney showed up. No one would have then bought into that   “I just don’t know when that day will be” routine. So, the timing of the speech looks like part of a well thought out plan for manipulating the fans and the media, prepping them for his return to golf. Seventeen days, including a week of rehab, is WAY longer than 6-7 days!

In any case, we will have our answer very soon, most likely not later than next Friday, which is the deadline for committing to Bay Hill. If Woods plays there, he’s playing in the Masters, done deal. And he likely doesn’t want to show up at Augusta with no real competitive golf (with all dues respect to the Tavistock Cup) under his belt since November, five months previously.

As for Elin Woods, if he plays in the Masters, and possibly the Tavistock Cup and/or at Bay Hill, then he will have already proven to her that golf comes first, family second - and that his words don’t match his deeds. But the poor woman, wanting their reconciliation to work so badly, may be too blind to see this.

So here’s the bottom line: if Woods plays in the Masters, it’s the Old Tiger pretending to be the New Tiger. And if he doesn’t, then maybe he was sincere about his mandate to change. At any rate, it is all coming to a head. Let the countdown to Deadline Day begin - 10 - 9 - 8 -

Tiger Time Line
Feb. 18 - Seen hitting balls.
Feb. 19 - Woods gives apology speech.
Feb. 28 - Is seen practicing on the range.
March 8 - Haney is reported to be on the range working with Woods
March 19 - Deadline day for committing to Bay Hill
March 22 - Tavistock
March 25 - Arnold Palmer Invitational
April 8 - Masters