It was an announcement that produced a bunch of smiles.
Farmers Insurance Open Tournament Director Peter Ripa put the word out Thursday that Tiger Woods officially committed to play in the event that is three weeks away.
Countless are the people for whom this is fantastic news.
Woods’ fans get to see him return to Torrey Pines, the site of eight of his PGA Tour victories, including the 2008 U.S. Open.
The Century Club can count on more people on the grounds and more enthusiasm from sponsors.
CBS and Golf Channel are guaranteed more eyeballs.
The golf media gets an early season gift of story lines.
Even the charities that sell hot dogs in the concession stands can count on more cash in their coffers.
There may be only one person for whom it’s not so great: Tiger Woods.
For Woods to select Torrey Pines as his jumping off point for yet another comeback season has to be a heart vs. head decision.
His heart tells him that he’s produced so much magic here that there must be at least some fairy dust left in the bottom of those 36 cups on Torrey Pines South and North.
He surely wants to believe that whenever he is on the cliffs of La Jolla, Earl Woods’ spirit is riding shotgun on a hang glider, nodding his pleasure at the memories they both produced when his “Pops” first brought him here as a kid.
There has been a deep-in-his-marrow comfort level that Woods enjoyed at Torrey Pines, where his mind’s eye sees more than words can capture.
But in his brain, there have to be doubts if Torrey Pines is the same welcoming place for him.
Is the South Course too long now?
Is the U.S. Open-density of the rough too penal — or dangerous for the fused vertebrae in his back?
Has he lost decades of course knowledge on the North now that its greens have been given a full makeover? (Though, truth be told, Woods never made much hay on the North, even in his victories.)
And probably the biggest question: Have Woods’ good vibes been dampened, and his psyche a little damaged, by the last couple of trips here?
Woods won the Farmers Open in 2013 for a seventh time, and it was impressive. He shot 14 under and beat Brandt Snedeker and Josh Teater by four shots. That began a year in which Woods won four more times, including the Players Championship.
He hasn’t won anywhere again since as he dealt with all of his physical problems, and Torrey Pines has been the venue for a couple of high-profile missteps.
There were the somewhat embarrassing events of 2015, when Woods became the butt of jokes when he said he had to withdraw because his glute muscles wouldn’t “activate.”
After a long fog delay, Woods had completed 11 holes on the North Course, struggling at 2 over par, when he called it quits, heading for the parking lot in a security cart.
That was the same year Woods was struggling badly with chipping yips and scored a career-worst 82 in the Phoenix Open the previous week.
Last year at Torrey, the golf world was stirred up for Woods’ return to competition for the first time in 17 months. It turned out to be a big letdown. Woods shot 4-over 76 on the South in his first round and managed only an even-par 72 on his first official tour of the “new” North.
He missed the cut for the first time ever at Torrey.
It would be his only tournament in America for the year, with Woods’ back needing more surgery in April after a withdrawal in Dubai.
As Woods crept closer to his 42nd birthday, he talked in late September of his difficult recovery and seemed dour about his career prospects. But he might have been sporting a poker face, because just over a week later he posted video of himself hitting balls with a full swing.
Though he shows some stiffness from the back surgery, Woods’ revamped swing has been mostly praised, and he hit the ball with surprising power at the Hero World Challenge in early December.
Woods stunned many with how soundly he played in the Bahamas while finishing ninth at 8 under. But let’s remember that it was a Silly Season event with a limited field on a forgiving golf course.
Torrey Pines South plays as a beast in late January, and the tour seems to delight in making it so. Last year, Spaniard Jon Rahm played spectacularly in shooting 13 under (helped by an eagle on the 72nd hole), while in the three previous years, the best winning score was 9 under.
Woods has to be able to keep the ball in the fairway. If he can’t, he has no chance of contending.
As baby steps in his comeback go, this is the Mount Everest of bunny slopes.
Woods could make it so much easier on himself. Why not try the Sony Open in Hawaii or the CareerBuilder Challenge in La Quinta? The courses are mostly flat, the weather is warm and the scores are low.
Woods has played at neither in his career, and his presence would be a huge boost to the tournaments.
He could also have waited to make his first start in the Genesis Open at Riviera Country Club, where he is committed to play for the first time since 2006. The tournament now supports Woods’ foundation, and it would have been a nice coup for him to have started his season there.
The argument against that is that if Woods wants to play a fuller schedule and get his competitive licks in before the Masters, he’s got to get going before mid-February.
He could try Phoenix again, but he’s not fond of the place. Pebble Beach is out because Woods doesn’t like the long celebrity rounds and spongy greens.
So San Diego gets Woods again, and everybody does their own fist pump. As Ripa said Thursday, “It’s exciting for our town. Shoot, we’ve taken some knocks in the sports world.”
Tiger Woods knows the feeling. He just needs Torrey Pines to show him some a little love again.
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