Tiger Woods needs to take some time away from golf and get his mind right if he ever hopes to compete in the sport he once dominated.
While Jordan Spieth saw his pursuit of the Grand Slam fall short, unable to capture his third-straight major despite being tied for the lead with two holes to play, Zach Johnson displayed poise similar to his 2007 Masters Tournament Championship that made him a household name.
Johnson defeated Louis Oosthuizen and Marc Leishman in a three-man playoff to capture the 144th British Open on Monday.
The wealth of competition in golf reflects the resurgence the sport has witnessed over the past decade.
But more noticeably, it’s been during the decline of Woods, considered for years to be one of the greatest golfers in the history of the game.
Woods was an afterthought at St. Andrews over the weekend.
He missed the cut after a brief weather delay, finishing the tournament at 7-over-par.
It was the first time in his career that Woods has missed the cut in back-to-back majors.
Woods is a shell of his former self. At just 39-years-old, he doesn’t appear to be capable of regaining his previous world-class form.
There have been elbow, knee and, most recently, back injuries that have kept Woods from dominating in major competitions since 2009.
This is the golfer who won the Masters when he was just 21 — a feat duplicated by Spieth earlier this year.
The consensus seems to be that Spieth is the best young golfer, yet Woods is the legend with the talent.
I don’t think that will be the case much longer.
While Spieth currently ranks as the No. 2 golfer in the world, Woods is no longer ranked in the world’s top 250.
It’s hard for Woods to admit that he’s declined or fallen off.
"I felt like I was playing well enough to win this event," Woods said. "I had my opportunities, I just didn’t get the ball close enough. And then when I did, I didn’t make them."
No, Tiger, you weren’t playing well enough to win. Your talent level is enough to keep you in contention, but you don’t finish holes well.
For every fantastic drive down the fairway there’s a shot that induces a fit of rage for Woods.
The saddest part about Woods’ decline? It’s all mental.
The doctors have cleared Woods to compete and he claims his body isn’t the problem. Maybe the pressure of competing is too much for Woods to handle.
Woods loves golf, and he loves dominating the sporteven more. But with his achievements came celebrity and fame, which brought with it the affection of women.
Woods’ reputation never quite recovered from his highly publicized divorce from Elin Nordegren, and I don’t think Woods himself was able to deal with the onslaught of public scrutiny and exploitation that followed.
There isn’t a sole reason why Tiger Woods has declined, but it’s obvious he has.
He’s noticeably struggling whenever he’s on the course, and there’s no definite aspect of his game that’s holding him back.
It’s only a matter of time until Woods takes another leave from golf.
Except the next time could be the last time.
Tiger Woods tips his cap as he walks on the 18th hole during Friday's second round of the British Open.
