When the mayhem that is Tiger Woods‘ life began taking its toll on the man who was once considered the greatest golfer of all-time, the last thing he needed was an injury. Unfortunately for Tiger, he has battled them ever since. It was already going to be difficult enough to recover from a torn image let alone a torn up knee. Many believed his latest knee injury would hold him out for the remainder of the golf season, but Woods announced he plans to return for the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational this week.
Although they still follow him wherever he goes, most of the questions about Tiger’s personal life will be put on hold while the world watches to see if his surgically repaired knee allows him to contend. Having faced similar hardships before both physically and emotional, Michael Jordan offered some advice for his buddy Woods.
“He was very fragile over the last year, he was dealing with a lot of different things, mentally as well as physically,” MJ said. “But I think he’s come to the conclusion that he needs to heal himself before he can actually be aggressive again.”
“The biggest thing is that I’ve always – and I’m pretty sure Tiger has, too – used sport as a therapeutic tool,” he continued. “Once you’re inside the lines, you can focus on what your jobs are and what you’re doing on the court, or for him the course.
“When I went through those issues, once I got on to the basketball court that became a therapeutic thing for me where I was able to forget all those other things. And it is such a mental game, so he has to be right again in that sense and I believe he will get there again.”
At this point it’s tough to tell if Tiger’s injuries or personal issues have had more effect on his golf game. In reality it’s likely that both have been huge factors, but MJ is right about what he needs to do. Once Eldrick can clear his mind and trust his knee, he’ll have a shot at becoming Tiger again.
