It was a spring afternoon in 1997 and history was made in Augusta, Georgia. 21-year-old Tiger Woods ran away with The Masters Tournament by 12 shots, the first major championship of his career. It ushered in a new era in golf and perhaps all of professional sports. Woods didn't disappoint in the years following, and what came next was a career filled with one victory after another that truly exhibited the talent of this world-class athlete. Even in 2009, when Woods' marital infidelities came to light, he wasn't done. While he initially struggled to get his game back, he finally made it back to the top of the world golf rankings again in 2013. It was a prediction I made a few years earlier on national television on The Golf Channel, the same time when most people had written him off for good. Although the last two years haven't been good for Woods and were filled with setbacks like injuries and major surgeries, I tried to remain optimistic. There's nothing better than a great comeback story in sports, and after all, if anyone could do it, it was Tiger Woods. On the physical plain he has perseverance, on the mental plane he has toughness and on the spiritual plane he has artistry like no one else. However, after yesterday's press conference in the Bahamas, it's nearly impossible to hold out any more optimism at this point. To say that Tiger Woods will make a comeback and that he will break Jack Nicklaus' record for the most major championship wins would be a huge stretch and probably untrue. In fact, Tiger himself doesn't even know what the future holds. "There's really nothing I can look forward to, nothing I can build towards," said Woods. "It's literally just day by day and week by week and time by time. Where is the light at the end of the tunnel' I don't know." This is what a professional athlete that has lost his psychological edge looks and sounds like. It's sad to see the great Tiger Woods this way. Unfortunately, as much as I and many others had been holding out for the best, the signs have been too obvious as of late. Back when Woods was on top of his career, he was always hypercritical of himself. He would go out and have an amazing round of golf but only want to talk about what he could have done better. Then things changed and he would perform poorly and yet say how it wasn't too bad because at least this or that was working well. When mediocrity became acceptable, it was over. The future belongs to the competent, both in terms of their physical abilities and in terms of controlling and directing their emotions. Injuries aside, what made Tiger Woods a true champion was his mental toughness on the golf course. But at this point, even if he miraculously recovered his physical game, mentally he's not even living in the same universe he once was. As we all know, golf is indeed a mental game. While many people and the media are quick to beat up Tiger Woods every chance they get, let's not forget all he's done for the game of golf. The simple fact is golf would not be what it is today if it wasn't for Woods. He made golf popular again. It was all of a sudden 'cool' to be a kid and play golf. Golf ratings went through the roof. The resurgence of golf over the last 20 years is a direct result of Tiger Woods. On the course the memories are everywhere. No one will ever forget the chip in at the 16th hole in the final round of the 2005 Masters, quite possibly the greatest golf shot in history. What about the 2008 U.S. Open where Woods won the tournament practically on one good leg' Then there's one record after another. He won four major championships in a row from 2000-2001. He became the first player in PGA Tour history to win at least eight times in three different seasons. He successfully defended a title 24 times on tour. He holds the record for most consecutive events without missing a cut. The list keeps going and never ends. Tiger Woods' future is up in the air, and Woods doesn't know when he'll return to competition, much less pick up a golf club again. "I think everything beyond this will be gravy," Woods said. "If that's all it entails, then I've had a pretty good run." I'd say it's been one of the greatest runs professional sports has ever seen. Farewell Tiger and thanks for the memories. -- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
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