[Redrum]

NO.  Not the one where he's banging cocktail hostesses.  At least, I don't think that's it.

The one where he actually plays winning golf.  Won his third of the year and has passed Jack Nicklaus for second place on the all-time PGA wins list.  Normally I don't give a flip about pro golf,  but what people do after they screw up their lives does interest me a lot.    The question is whether he's just playing better golf or whether he's actually got his head straightened out.  Dozens of golfers I know swear that playing good golf actually does help your head get straight.  Problem is, Tiger was playing pretty good golf when he gunned it and turned left into the brick wall,  and all my golfer friends are somewhat silent on why that whole golf zen thing doesn't work to keep you out of trouble.

[Redrum]

NO.  Not the one where he's banging cocktail hostesses.  At least, I don't think that's it.

The one where he actually plays winning golf.  Won his third of the year and has passed Jack Nicklaus for second place on the all-time PGA wins list.  Normally I don't give a flip about pro golf,  but what people do after they screw up their lives does interest me a lot.    The question is whether he's just playing better golf or whether he's actually got his head straightened out.  Dozens of golfers I know swear that playing good golf actually does help your head get straight.  Problem is, Tiger was playing pretty good golf when he gunned it and turned left into the brick wall,  and all my golfer friends are somewhat silent on why that whole golf zen thing doesn't work to keep you out of trouble.

[FarmBoy]

It's probably a bit of a chicken or the egg situation. You can't play good golf without being in the right state of mind but you can't get in the right state of mind if you aren't playing good golf.

Tiger playing well is critical to the PGA. I, like most people, could care less about pro-golf, except when Tiger is playing well. And with the problems of the past two years, him playing well will only make for more human interest headlines.

[FarmBoy]

It's probably a bit of a chicken or the egg situation. You can't play good golf without being in the right state of mind but you can't get in the right state of mind if you aren't playing good golf.

Tiger playing well is critical to the PGA. I, like most people, could care less about pro-golf, except when Tiger is playing well. And with the problems of the past two years, him playing well will only make for more human interest headlines.

[Hank 91]

Agreed. I love watching Tiger play -- loved it yesterday -- but have zero interest when he isn't there. During the majors DirecTV adds extra channels, and one is always trained on Tiger's group. That's the best -- you don't have to bother with any of the other guys.

[Hank 91]

Agreed. I love watching Tiger play -- loved it yesterday -- but have zero interest when he isn't there. During the majors DirecTV adds extra channels, and one is always trained on Tiger's group. That's the best -- you don't have to bother with any of the other guys.

[socalstanfan1]

I think pre-Elin's-driver-to-the-windshield Tiger did have, for him, a mind that seemed to be straight, in an ultra-compartmentalized way.  Maybe even the discipline required to keep the various parts of his life separate somehow fed into his focus on the golf course.  The problem came when that driver-through-the-window totally destroyed those little walls in Tiger's mind/life, and everything came crashing down.

Even before his drama, Tiger was perhaps the single most compelling figure in sports, IMO.  The fall from grace has, in some sense, made his story more compelling, whether one is pulling for him to get it back together, or is rooting against him.  Somehow, I still find myself in the pro-Tiger comeback camp.

I suppose I'm just compartmentalizing his golf icon status from his personal louse status.

[socalstanfan1]

I think pre-Elin's-driver-to-the-windshield Tiger did have, for him, a mind that seemed to be straight, in an ultra-compartmentalized way.  Maybe even the discipline required to keep the various parts of his life separate somehow fed into his focus on the golf course.  The problem came when that driver-through-the-window totally destroyed those little walls in Tiger's mind/life, and everything came crashing down.

Even before his drama, Tiger was perhaps the single most compelling figure in sports, IMO.  The fall from grace has, in some sense, made his story more compelling, whether one is pulling for him to get it back together, or is rooting against him.  Somehow, I still find myself in the pro-Tiger comeback camp.

I suppose I'm just compartmentalizing his golf icon status from his personal louse status.