Cloud finally lifting over troubled Tiger’s career

THE skies were the same shade of deep pastel blue, the surrounds were again one of Australia’s finest sandbelt courses and the galleries swelled just as they had done exactly 12 months.

But all it took was the first glimpse of Tiger Woods to remind us that all had changed... changed utterly in the past year.

The most recognisable sportsman in the world is back where it all began to unravel, in Melbourne to defend his Australian Masters crown. But when the golden jacket was draped over his broad shoulders in November 2009, Woods’ trademark winning smile was that of a seemingly happily married man.

The same set of pearly white teeth were on show at the Victoria Club in the city’s south yesterday as Woods laughed and joked with the crowd. But as the numbers swell when the tournament proper begins today, those smiles could turn to scowls with the native sense of wit almost certainly going to lead to heckling over a private life laid utterly public in the last year.

But such is the enduring price Woods is paying for his infidelities which were first uncovered in Melbourne 12 months ago.

A tumultuous year off the course has been mirrored inside the ropes. So much so that this weekend Wood is astonishingly defending the only title he holds in world golf.

But as the anniversary of infamy and infidelity approaches – and as his home life settles in the wake of divorce from ex-wife Elin – it does appear as though he may be slowly beginning to get back into a groove.

“I think I’ve a pretty good chance of winning if I play the way I know I can,” said the now world No. 2, who arrived in Australia on the back of a sixth place at the WGC in China last week.

“Things are shaping up. But it’s not as consistent as I need to be. Last week was a good example. I had two book-end rounds but the middle rounds were not that good. I need to keep working on it. When I feel like I am firing on all cylinders, I feel I can beat most people.”

Woods had spent the previous night at a jovial gala dinner with Shane Warne, where the former Australia bowler was in top form. Ironically the event was at the same Crown Casino where Woods was alleged to have spent nights with Rachel Uchitel last year.

Warne, no stranger to lurid headlines, was in jovial mood.

“Tonight’s actually the first time I’ve met Tiger, but I’ve heard a lot about him,” said Warne to the roars of laughter. “I think we have a little bit in common... I love golf.”

And his time with the king of spin clearly rubbed off on Woods as he spun and weaved his way past a host of questions about the scandals of the past year. When asked by one reporter if he felt this weekend offers a chance for ‘closure’ on his marital traumas, he flashed another of those iconic smiles and spun off on a tangent about how Victoria GC must be tamed before he could consider making any points.

“I think I am just here to defend the title. I am here to play a great golf course and play against a great field and that’s how I am looking at it,” was the riposte of a man who hasn’t won for 12 months.

Reverting to golf nerd analysis suits Woods when tricky questions arise but it is worth remembering that he is also reverting to type when he delves deep into the finer points of a certain green or his putting stroke. And it appears he’s found a kindred spirit in new swing coach Sean Foley. In spite of having only worked with the Canadian for a period of weeks, he looks to be revelling in the company of a man he freely admitted was a fellow golf ‘nerd’. And, slowly but surely, his swing shows signs of improvement.

“It’s a work in progress. But sometimes it takes longer than others,” said Woods, after a level-par 72 in yesterday’s Pro-Am. “I have to find that commitment level and I have to believe what I am doing is right and that’s why I talked to Sean for hours and picked his brain before I even went down this road. Once I found that I had the commitment to it then I was full go, and we are.”

Seeing Woods speak so candidly and passionately about commitment was an irony not lost on many in the media centre. But such devotion to his trade feels natural for Woods, who insisted he never fell out of love with golf. And it looks as though the game may just finally be beginning to love him back.