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June 02, 2008
If you glance at the official Tiger Woods website you will see Van Halen rocking out at the Tiger Jam XI in Las Vegas. What you don't see is Woods watching the festivities while on crutches. Which begs the question: Can he come back and win the US Open so soon?
No question, Woods should be the favorite to win this year's US Open. He has simply dominated Torrey Pines and owns the south course record with 62.
History has shown Tiger's ability to come back from an injury to win an event. Woods underwent surgery on his left knee in 2002 and returned to win the Buick Invitational. For those of you who don't know, the Buick is played at Torrey Pines.
Admittedly, Tiger at age 32 has some stiffness and discomfort in his knee due to his recent April 15 surgery, but stated, "I know what it takes to win a tournament coming back after having a procedure done, and it is just a matter of being prepared, getting all my practice time in, making sure my shots are how I want them, trying to understand what my misses might be".
A few things to consider, even with his 13 majors and a remarkable 64 PGA wins, Woods is still hungry for another US Open title. He has not won a US Open Championship since 2002.
Woods is still the best golfer in the world ranking No. 1 on the PGA leader board even though he has missed two months of golf. Lastly, he is a killer at Torrey Pines.
What remains to be seen is if Woods can actually play to his ability after a major knee surgery. Can he fend off players that have built up momentum, like San Diego native Phil Mickelson, who is coming off a win at the Colonial? More over, can he retain that "feel" for the game that has made him so successful?
In the end, Tiger's real challenge won't be as much about the south course at Torrey Pines, but more about his ability to bounce back from his injury and play like Tiger.
Angel Cabrera defends his US Open Championship June 9-15.
Bet on Tiger Woods at www.betsuperior.com.
by Ryan