Tiger Woods - Scandal is his biggest competitor

UPDATE:August 4, 2011= Akron, Ohio—Tiger Woods returned to his first tournament after nursing an injury for three months. Woods shot 2-under 68 in the first round of the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational this after also firing his longtime Caddie, Steve Williams. Will he EVER regain his once masterful, dominance self?

The 2011 Master tournament is getting underway again in Augusta, Ga. The annual right of spring marks the first golfing major of the season. All the prominent players will be there; Three time champion Phil Milkerson,  former champs, Angel Cabrera, Trevor Immelman, Zach Johnson and Mike Weir amongst others. But once again it's the four time champion Tiger Woods who once again will garners ALL the attention. He hasn't won the Masters since 2005 and hasn't won a golf tournament since August 2009 at WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

On November 27, 2009 his life changed forever, on and off the golf course.

Jack Nicklaus

Before that day all the talk was about WHEN Tiger would break the Golden Bears, Jack Nicklaus, record of most wins at a major of  18. Tiger reached 14 at On June 16, 2008  winning U.S. Open at Torrey Pines Golf course in San Diego, California. Parring the 91st hole in a sudden death match against Roco Mediate. But days after that event Woods announces that he needs to have reconstructive anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery on his left knee. He takes the remainder of the season off after the procedure.

Tigers Damaged SUV

Eight months after undergoing knee surgery, Tiger returns to the tour in February, playing in the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.
In August, Tiger wins his last PGA Tour win, prevailing by four strokes over Padraig Harrington and Robert Allenby at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

Elin Nordegren

What seemed an unstoppable force of golfs greatest player, all of a sudden turned into a secret life. As he left his Orlando-area home around 2:30 am on November 27, 2009 in his SUV, Cadillac Escalade, Woods hit a hedge, a fire hydrant, and, finally, a tree, just down the street from his house.Woods was treated for minor facial lacerations, and cited for careless driving. He paid a $164 traffic ticket. End of story, HARDLY. As time goes by stories of infidelity begin to surface as over a dozen women claimed in various media outlets that they had affairs with Woods. It now seams Tiger was living a secret life unbeknownst to his wife, Elin Nordegren, and to us, the general public. The image he so greatly crafted on the golf course, this fierce, focused solid professional man was all just an elision for a deeply disturbed individual truly in need of help.

Tigers home where accident happened

On December 11, 2009, Woods announced he would take an indefinite leave from professional golf to focus on his marriage after he finally admitted infidelity. His multiple infidelities were revealed by over a dozen women, through many worldwide media sources. Numerous reports had Tiger checking into sexual addition clinics as he tried to rebuild his life and rehabilitate his marriage.On April 29, 2010, the National Enquirer reported that Woods had confessed to his wife that he has had 120 affairs. He also admitted having a one-night-stand with his neighborhoods' 21-year-old daughter. This was too much for Tiger's marrage to survive, as they finally sign divorce papers in August 2010 with Elin set to receive $100 million from Tiger.
Woods returned to competition for the 2010 Masters on April 8, 2010, after a break lasting 20 weeks, he finished fourth. But the damage was done to him, both professionally and personally. AT&T, General Motors,  Tag Hauer, Gillette, Accenture, Gatorade all ran away from him cancelling or not renewing sponsorship deals with Tiger. His actions on the course, now more scrutinized, drew the scolding of Golf great Tom Watson who ordered Tiger Woods to ‘clean up his act’ and show more respect for the sport.
Watson was equally forthright on the subject of Woods’ on-course behavior in the months leading up to his self-imposed exile from the game.‘There was language and club throwing on the golf course,’ said Watson. ‘I feel that he has not carried the same stature in the game as other great players that have come along like Jack (Nicklaus), Arnold (Palmer), Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan.
Yet still he has NO respect for the game as is evident in the Dubai Desert Classic golf tournament at the Emirates Golf Club in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday Feb. 13, 2011 as Tiger spits on the 12th green and was later fined. He continually throws his clubs, uses foul language and acts like a spoiled brat.  

Now, as once again he tries to regain his "Game", we again focus on him but the story repeats itself. It's not about Tiger the golf player. It's about Tiger the MAN. Tiger who has changed coaches, trying new swings to bring him back to his once unbeatable prominence. His fall from grace is a story we've seen many times amongst the rich and famous. Why do we care? Will Tiger ever be the dominant golfer he once was? No question he has, or HAD, the talent. But does he have the HEART anymore?
I for one believe the "Year of the Tiger" is over".