Sawgrass unkind to Tiger

Associated Pres

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla.

Tiger Woods is about the only person not in a panic about his game.

These remain curious times for the guy trying to show he can still dominate golf as he once did. In his last four tournaments, Woods walked off the course in the middle of the final round at Doral with tightness in his left Achilles tendon, won by five shots at Bay Hill for his first PGA Tour title in 30 months, was an also-ran at the Masters with his worst performance as a pro and missed the cut at Quail Hollow for only the eighth time in his career.

In the absence of trophies, there is no shortage of opinions.

Peter Alliss, the player-turned-broadcaster, said before his induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame that Woods is “gone at the moment.” Nick Faldo, a six-time major champion who works for CBS Sports and Golf Channel, said Woods no longer has the self-belief that made him No. 1 for all those years.

Woods has been down this road, though not with so many detours.

“Guys, I’ve done this before,” Woods said. “I’ve been through this.”

It takes a little bit of a time, and … things eventually come around to where they feel natural and efficient.

If he is looking for good vibes to turn his fortunes, the TPC Sawgrass might not be the best place.

No other course on his regular schedule has given him more fits. Woods won in 2001 with that “better than most” 60-foot birdie putt on the 17th in the third round, and he was runner-up to Hal Sutton in 2000. But he has had only two other finishes in the top 10 at The Players Championship.