Even before the release of the new world ranking on Monday which placed former world number one and golf legend, Tiger Woods, out of top 50, there are many who were actually aware that the American is in the midst of some kind of ultimate decline based solely on his performance over the past few months.
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His tee shots are all over the map and for the third consecutive time, he has been unable to mount any kind of fancy attraction he often commands during golf course.
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He is completely missing greens with basic approach shots. He has made only a fraction of those 10-foot putts which his admirers become so accustomed to seeing him make—with the same ease and consistency as most other PGA Tour players sink three-inch tap-ins. ??
The irrational panic that is spreading like wildfire over Woods’ struggles on the course seems to have grown to such proportions that it has even taken the place of the swine flu as the latest absurd panic to sweep the world.?
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It is in human nature to eventually forget about the past and overlook all of those lessons that can be learned from history. But, Woods has failed to overcome a single obstacle in the game of golf.?Love him or hate him, Woods’ tumbled out of the world’s top 50 as his long fall from the summit of golf continues is bad news for the game.
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The American has struggled to shake off the shackles of injury during 2011, having picked up a knee complaint at The Masters in April, where he hinted at a return to form by finishing fourth. He aggravated that injury at the Players Championship one month later then, after making a return in July, missed the cut at the PGA Championship. He failed to qualify for the FedEx Cup play-offs, finishing 132 in the list. Since his most recent appearance, Woods has appointed Joe LaCava as his new caddie as he attempts to turn around his fortunes, having fallen to 51 in the world.?
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Looking back between 2002 and 2004, Woods competed in 10 majors without a win, exactly—the same as is happening right now, the rumblings began to circulate about how Woods was in the midst of an ultimate decline. He changed his swing and lost his game.
The money had gone to his head and all of the time he was spending on off-the-course dealings had taken his focus away from golf. He was married and other things are beginning to take priority over golf.
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After the death of his father in 2006, Woods missed the cut in the US Open at Winged Foot. Following his poor showing at the 2006 US Open, according to many, the outlook was once again gloomy for Woods with people predicting that he would need a great deal of time to get over the death of his father and probably wouldn’t be a factor for the rest of the year.
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?As you might expect, many people had not learned a single thing from recent history and began predicting how Woods might not give golf the same attention that he once had.
Woods is supposed to win every single tournament he enters—no matter what, but that was then as he is nowhere near his top form and with each additional wayward shot he hits, the rest of the PGA Tour builds more and more confidence, which is certainly not a good thing for the American.
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Many will say that Woods’ decline — whether it is a one-year lapse or the beginning of the end of a singular career — is a good thing for golf, in that it opens up the field. Competition will be exceptional given the fact that there is no clear favorite and no easy path for anyone to win. Source: ESPNsoccernet.com
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