Jim McCabe: Wounded Tiger Woods must prove he’s still a threat

When in a cool, gray dusk in the shadows of the Old Course Hotel Tiger Woods turned from his practice-putting at the 16th fairway to see that Jordan Spieth was the next player approaching, the philosophical question could have been asked.

Was Spieth gaining on Woods?

Or was Woods waiting on Spieth?

Ask Spieth and the 21-year-old overflows with humility and respect. He might be chasing a third straight major championship and getting three-quarters of the way to being the first to ever win the Grand Slam (with all due respect to Bobby Jones’ 1930 achievement, which included two tournaments that did not allow professionals). But he in no way thinks he should be compared to Woods, 39.

“I think the parallels that are drawn between me and Tiger are unfair,” Spieth said on the eve of the 144th Open Championship at the Old Course. “I think that’s something that people are looking for, but is not there. This is an early timetable.”

From Woods’ point of view, the fact that he practice-putted and took his time and waited for Spieth to arrive at the 16th green late Monday seems to be a testament to the veteran’s respect for what the young man has achieved. Among the many things Woods knows about this game, it’s that success can come at an early age and a rapid pace, so offering a tip o’ the cap and a handshake of appreciation was a sporting thing to do.

Woods, who played miserably and shot 80-76 at last month’s US Open, was obviously long gone and not present and accounted for when Spieth won with some late-round dramatics at Chambers Bay. So given the opportunity in a quiet solitude shake hands with Spieth, Woods didn’t squander the moment.

Good for him.

Neither player revealed what exactly was said, though Spieth said he appreciated Woods’ tribute. But if in some respect a message was conveyed that, “hey, kid, you’ve done well, but I’m here this week, and I’m not done yet,” then that would be OK, too. Spieth even said as much, that he embraced the challenge of beating the best players at the best championship course anywhere. He lives for that and even at 21 he knows that he has earned his elders’ respect.

Yet as the Old Course preps to host its 30th Open Championship, the sentiment is that we know what to expect from Spieth, but wither Woods? Given how he has fared in the major championships this year — 73 on Sunday dropped him to T-17 in the Masters, then he beat just one player who played 36 holes at the U.S. Open — and given that he’s thrown down rounds of 82 and 85 elsewhere this season, how can you be confident of his chances?

He hasn’t won a major championship since 2008, hasn’t won a tournament anywhere since August of 2013, and hasn’t shown a consistency with his driving, his wedge game, or his putting.

Quite simply, he’s been a shell of his once inimitable self and it remains a debate as to what has been tougher to watch: The chili-dips and hosel-rockets on his short game, the tee shots pounded out-of-bounds, or the 3-wood from the fairway that he topped at Chambers Bay that rolled about 40 yards into a bunker. Woods now ranks 241st in the Official World Golf Ranking, squeezed between Ikjae Jang and Paul Waring and if you don’t think that speaks volumes for how far he’s fallen, think again.

Yet, it remains a mystery as to how it is that some people can take joy out of seeing him suffer so much. There is no explaining the meanness of the human spirit, so bravo to young Mr. Spieth for acknowledging that Woods has earned his unyielding respect and Grand Slam chase or no, he won’t usurp the lofty stature that 14 major championships have earned.

As to whether a 15th could arrive this week with a third Claret Jug at the Old Course, Woods appears in positive spirits that far surpass anything we’ve seen in some time. “I don’t have any (retirement) card yet. I’m still young. I know some of you think I’m buried and done, but I’m still right here in front of you.”

It was important that Spieth noted that. But it’s more important that Woods backs it up.