Woods Should Be Back For US Open

Woods Should Be Back For US Open

By BRANDON FINLEY
Sports Columnist

Ever since Tiger Woods took a much expected break for knee surgery following the Masters the question has been when Woods would make his even more anticipated return. I wonder why he hasn't yet.

Here's the facts: Tiger Woods had the same surgery that many football players partake in, and then return one or two weeks later. Tiger will be out for two months if he makes his return in time for the US Open. He was already out a month before the TPC at Sawgrass.

Tiger also had this surgery once before in 2002 on the same knee. Following that surgery he didn't take as long to return as he won at Torrey Pines. Could it have had anything to do with the fact that he was in the middle of completing the Tiger Slam?

I don't want to have to question anyone's toughness, but one really would have to start considering it if Tiger isn't able to complete a comeback by the time the US Open tees off June 12th.

Woods was originally scheduled to return for the Memorial, but "wasn't ready". However, when explaining what not being ready meant, it sounded more like his game wasn't ready rather than his knee.

Here's the final fact. Tiger Woods has returned from a two month layoff once before. In the last return he missed the cut to the US Open at Winged Foot. So, the question is, if everything points to Tiger's knee being healthy, why isn't he back on the course?

Maybe the world's number one ranked player needed a break, but perhaps that's what he should call it instead of a nagging injury. It sounds to me more like a pre-formed excuse.

I just wonder if when he begins play at the US Open if he struggles the world will make it out to be about his knee. For football players to be healthy enough to hit one another two weeks later, it's clear to me that Tiger can his a perfectly still ball two months later. Let's not give the guy a free pass, because he's the best. Instead, let's recognize the players that are able to step up and beat him when possible. After all, most of the time it's not.