Column: Tiger needs his putter back

I grew up with a poster of a young Tiger Woods reading a putt taped to my door.

He’s knelt down with putter in hand and eyes fixed on a target underneath the brim of his black Nike hat. Above his head, the phrase “the eyes have it” is written, like it’s a secret to life itself.

Woods probably made the putt. He always did.

But this year, he’s out of the game. Again.

As he so often does, Woods took to his website last week to announce he would not be competing in the 2014 U.S. Open at Pinehurst because of a back injury.

It’s another massive blow to his goal of catching Jack Nicklaus’s major record.

Because of the injury, I don’t expect Woods to win a major this summer. But the next six months will be pivotal for Woods if he ever wants to catch Nicklaus.

He doesn’t have a realistic chance to be playing competitively until the PGA Championship in August, and, even then, Woods has shown it takes time for him to get back into rhythm.

Because of his flaky habits, an entire generation of young 20-something players has become unafraid of Woods.

He won five times last year in the non-majors, but that doesn’t put the same fear into the eyes of competitors as a major crown.

Talking about Woods has become like talking about the Cubs: “Next year,” we say. But “next year” never comes. The time is ticking and the amount of “next years” is limited.

Woods is not going to win a major this summer, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be a productive one. He needs to do something with his game between now and September.

With his constant nagging injuries and his fear of hurting himself even further, I think the most obvious trick could be the most important part of the game showcased on my poster — putting.

Putting puts nearly no strain on the body. It’s more mental than physical.
And when Woods is making putts, he’s dangerous.

Between 2004 and 2008, Woods only finished outside the top 10 in putting strokes once. He finished 22nd in 2006, a year in which Woods won two majors, even while coping with the death of his father.

Since then, Woods has averaged a rank of 53.5 in putting strokes gained in the past four years. That does not bode well for winning major tournaments.

But if he can get his putter figured out during the next five months, the rest of his game should fall into place. Then he can chase majors in 2015.

Although Woods won’t be playing in any majors soon, the process of catching Nicklaus starts now. And it starts with the putter.

Woods needs to become the player on the poster of my door who seemingly never misses putts. Then he can start worrying about everything else and return to major glory.

After all, “the eyes have it.”

sbeishui@indiana.edu