Woods problem in the mind – Nicklaus

Report by Anand Datla

February 21, 2015: The problem with Tiger Woods is the space between his ears, believes Jack Nicklaus. Speaking about the topic on the “Morning Drive,” a program on the Golf Channel, Nicklaus asserted that the great golfer’s problems are essentially mental than physical. It is a topic that is arousing tremendous interest ever since Woods walked away midway through the first round of the Farmers Insurance Open. It is now also confirmed that Tiger will miss the Honda Classic and hence will not be eligible to play at the WGC-Cadillac Championship.

“Tiger’s struggling, I don’t think there’s any question about that. We all know that, he knows that,” Nicklaus told the show. “I think he’s struggling more between his ears than he is any place else.”

Tiger’s problems are not unique, informed Nicklaus. The most prolific golfer, the game has ever known, admitted that he went through a similar experience in 1979 when his short game deserted him during perhaps the worst season of his glorious career. “I was actually putting it around bunkers. I couldn’t chip it,” he said. “I was terrible, I was just awful.”

It is well known that Phil Rodgers helped Nicklaus during his dark phase, with the great man going on to win the US Open in 1980 at the ripe age of 40. “You go through things, and you have to have a positive thing happen to you to turn it around,” Nicklaus said. “That was a positive thing for me.”

“Personally, I think he needs to figure it out himself, because a teacher can’t teach what’s inside your head,” Nicklaus said. “You’ve got to be able to put that positive thought into your head yourself.”

“He’s got a lot of golf in front of him, but it’s going to be up to him. He’s still got to do it,” Nicklaus said, when asked if Woods can emulate him by winning four more majors. “He may, he may not. Obviously chances are harder for him now than they were five years ago, but I still think he has time on his side.”

Source: Golf Channel