Tiger Woods injury saga

Editorial Comment
TIGER Woods in recent months has withdrawn from some tournaments due to injury and it was commendable to see him finish at the WGC-Cadillac Championship despite the pain he was feeling.

TIGER Woods in recent months has withdrawn from some tournaments due to injury and it was commendable to see him finish at the WGC-Cadillac Championship despite the pain he was feeling.

Woods made two withdrawals on his professional record up to 2009.

One was at Pebble Beach in 1998 when he chose not to return after a rain delay. The other was in 2006 at Riviera when he made the cut and then withdrew the next morning with flu.

Since then he now has four withdrawals in the last five years and for a golfer who does not play a lot of tournaments that’s a big number.

The question being asked is are these injury withdrawals genuine or an ideal excuse for his poor performance?

Plenty of golf lies ahead for Woods to prove himself, but it’s critical that he gets back on track soon and gets his back in better shape. Otherwise he could be in danger of losing his No One world ranking if he doesn’t make a strong comeback soon.

Professional athletes derive their living out of sponsorships they receive from corporates and individuals.

If individuals did not appreciate the talent that these athletes posses then there would be no professional sports. Given this background, professional athletes should realise that they have an obligation to give 100% effort every time they are on the field of play.

Spectators sometimes travel across the world and spend a fortune with the hope of seeing the top sports people perform and it’s extremely unfair to these spectators if the athlete does not play or fails to give all his effort.

For most spectators, it would be better to watch Woods play badly than not to see him play at all.

Yes, athletes have a right to protect themselves from further injury, but pulling out of a tournament should be the last resort and not the first decision made at the feeling of slight pain combined with bad play.

All professional athletes should never forget that they would not be making any money or be famous if it was not for the loyalty and support they receive from the fans.

Meanwhile, Patrick Reed (23) became the youngest winner of a World Golf Championship, his third win in his last 14 tournaments.

With the victory Reed is projected to move into the top 20 of the world rankings. Starting two shots ahead going into the final round, Reed, soon moved four ahead with three birdies in his first four holes and finished the tournament on four under, one shot ahead of Bubba Watson and Jamie Donaldson.

The course played extremely difficult over the first three rounds with a total of 249 balls being hit into the water hazards .