For the last decade, Tiger Woods has been the choice to win every time by sports betting oddsmakers. I believe that is no longer the case after the British Open. South African Louis Oosthuizen ran away from the rest of the pack at St. Andrews and Woods looked erratic at times. It was a side of Woods that we haven’t seen since before he made it big on the PGA Tour scene in 1996. Did Elin Nordegren do what no other golfer in the world could do and take down the seemingly invincible champion?
Nordegren did take $750 million from Woods in the divorce, the highest settlement ever recorded. During his dominance, Woods led all players in every event he competed in by every bookmaker around the world. He had an impact on the game unlike any other golfer in history. He was raised from infancy to be the best golfer in the world. He beat the world’s best players in the 2009 U.S. Open with a broken leg. He made golf seem cool to people other than rich, white guys.
But when his numerous affairs were exposed, his personal life changed and it tore his golf game apart. His drives aren’t finding the green as much. His longtime swing coach Hank Haney quit on him. He doubts his putts so much that he switched back to his old putter at the British Open. He fell 13 strokes behind Oosthuizen by the end of the tournament, finishing 23rd on a course that he has set records on before.
Many people were wondering how long it would take Woods to starting winning and dominating the game again. After another big loss, the question has changed from “how long” to “will it ever happen.” Bookmakers may still put Woods at the top of the odds but the World #1 golfer doesn’t hold the edge anymore in my book. I believe he can still make a comeback. I just think there are better golfers out there than him at this time.