Woods' leg injury sets the stage for . . .?

     Tiger Woods' announced he would withdraw from the Wells Fargo Championship due to injuries suffered during the Masters to his many times surgically repaired left leg via twitter and his web site yesterday.  The statement on his website described the injuries as a grade 1 sprain of his medial collateral ligament and a "mild" sprain of his Achilles tendon.  Grade 1 sprains are the least serious sprains, with no significant tearing of the ligament.  The statement went on to say that he hopes to return to action in a "few weeks."

     Predictably, the blogosphere and the twitterverse saw heavy activity immediately following the announcement.  Debate rages on concerning the effect his newest injuries will have on his comeback and on the viability of his breaking Jack Nicklaus's major championship record.  It seems to me that his life and career are beginning to take on a classic three act, dramatic structure and we are deep in to the second act where conflict and challenge reign supreme.  You can almost see the script for the eventual movie or mini-series being written in your head as all of this plays out.  The thing is, human life is not as tidy as that.  As compelling as the first two acts have been, we can't know how this will play out.  To be honest, every announcement of a new setback makes more real the possibility that Tiger is a spent force in golf.  Some things to consider:

• His left knee has been operated on four times (three for ligament damage) and his left Achilles tendon has suffered rupture.
• The long term prognosis for a leg injured that often is not promising.  Further injury due to increasing instability and arthritis become distinct possibilities.
• The physical damage and scarring is fairly easy to predict, less easy to predict is the accumulated mental scarring that comes with repeated injury.  How long before doubts and even an unconscious favoring of that leg begin to effect his ability to make shots, possibly leading to injuries elsewhere?
• Add to that the emotional turmoil in his life for the last five years, starting with the passing of his father.  He went from being on top of the world to, well, what he is now:  An infamous and public serial adulterer, newly divorced, single father of two young children and and oft injured athlete trying to groove a significant swing change whilst recapturing his legendary short game and on-course focus.

     Tiger has either set the stage for the greatest comeback and redemption of all time, or this is just the beginning of a long slide in to irrelevance.  While each new setback can add drama and magnificence to the former, it more realistically adds probability to the latter. I don't think we will ever see the dominant Tiger of the 1999-2003 run again.  That period of time was a unique period in golf history, a nearly four year run of the best golf anyone has ever seen.  The question now seems to be, can Tiger at least recapture relevance where majors and big tournaments are concerned?  Can he once again be on that short list of perennial pre-tournament favorites?    Given his past record of achievement, you can't count him out, seems to be the most prevalent argument among Woods enthusiasts.  I tend to think a bit differently.  Look at his performance since 2006.  You will see a trend that points in the other direction and shows no real signs of being reversed, and in increasing number of signs that would indicate the trend's acceleration.  His health, execution and focus, once touted as his greatest strengths, have been on the downhill slide for the last five years.  The Tiger of the future may wow us occasionally, win here and there, but his days in the forefront of the tour are likely, and sadly, past.