Tiger Woods faces biggest challenge at the 2018 U.S. Open

Tiger Woods has looked mostly comfortable in his return from spinal fusion surgery this year. However, will he be able to keep up with the challenge of the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills?

Tiger Woods has far surpassed most observers’ expectations in his return from back surgery this year. I know, I’m really going out on a limb here. Tiger Woods, as it turns out, is still pretty good at golf.

Of course, he’s also reminded us that, even when he’s healthy, he’s still human. Woods became the odds-on favorite for the Masters with his recent strong performances, but Augusta National still took its pound of flesh from the four-time green jacket winner. Tiger shot his best round of the week on Sunday, a three-under 69, but only finished tied for 32nd.

Woods has been stuck on 14 major victories since 2008, but he doesn’t believe he’s done yet, by any means. Last week, Woods announced that he has committed for the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills.

Now the biggest question is this: is he actually ready for “golf’s toughest test”?

Again, at first glance, things still look pretty darn good, at least on the surface. But the PGA TOUR season is a marathon, not a sprint. We’re still about two months out from the year’s second major, and while Tiger has been healthy, he also needs to stay in form.

Woods’s schedule is still somewhat up in the air. His official schedule only has two events listed on it: the U.S. Open, and the National at TPC Potomac. He may return at some combination of either the Wells Fargo Championship (May 3) or – more likely – The PLAYERS Championship (May 10).

Neither of those tournaments are slouches, by any meant. But then again, neither one lives up to the pure test of the U.S. Open, either.

Tiger Woods can’t lean on history at Shinnecock

There aren’t many courses on the planet that can say they tamed Tiger Woods, especially in his prime. Shinnecock Hills, however, is one of them. The famed Long Island course has hosted the U.S. Open twice in Tiger’s career, and neither one has lived up to his lofty expectations.

To be fair, Tiger Woods circa 1995 wasn’t yet the biggest star in the entire game. At just 19 years old, Woods was playing in the U.S. Open as the reigning amateur champion. Unfortunately, he sprained his left wrist taking a hard swing in deep rough, and had to withdraw.

Okay, maybe that isn’t so hard to believe, looking back.

More from Pro Golf Now

It took almost a decade for the national championship to return to Shinnecock, but in 2004, Woods was still in full-blown world domination mode. It didn’t matter that he hadn’t won a major in (shocking) two years. This was still the Tiger Woods that struck fear in the hearts of his opponents, and for good reason.

And, as it was in ’95, Shinnecock won. Woods shot 72-69-73-76 to finish at +10, 14 shots off the pace of champion Retief Goosen. 2004 turned out to be the worst year of Tiger’s decade-plus of dominance, but he had never truly been handled like this at a major venue before.

Can he turn things around this time? The Tiger Woods of today, 42 years old and with a list of injuries that could fill a small novel, is different than that 28-year-old firebrand. That much is clear. He carries himself with more of a calmness than ever before, and that may help. However, he’ll also need to avoid trouble more than ever before. If the tough conditions of Shinnecock wreaked havoc on a younger, healthier Tiger, what could they do to him today?

Next: Valero Texas Open Power Rankings

If Tiger is going to change his history at Shinnecock this year, it will be a battle of wits, not strength. That doesn’t mean he can’t do it, of course. He’s shown already that he’s willing to accept the limitations his body has placed on him, and that will put him back in the winner’s circle – someday.

However, it might be a while longer before we can truly say he’s in the hunt for major No. 15. And that’s okay.

Home/Tiger Woods News