Tiger Effect Torments the Best at Augusta

Well folks, we shouldn’t be surprised. After 17 months out of the competitive spotlight, 14 of those spent either in a hospital bed or rehabbing a horrendous injury – Tiger Woods is back. From the moment that some over-zealous golf Twitterer started tracking his private jet on Sunday, the atmosphere at Augusta National has taken on that indeterminate high-voltage feel; something that only the presence of Tiger Woods can create.

If Tiger’s presence is electrifying for the patrons, it is something else altogether for his fellow competitors. For them, the Tiger Factor is unsettling. All week they have fielded questions about Tiger Woods, his latest comeback, and his chances of victory. They have seen the enormous crowds following him around the property, the reverence with which the media address him. Up to this point in the season, players have been immersed in the Saudi conversation and other golfing current affairs; their opinions have been readily asked at every event and the focus has been, quite rightly, on them.

The rest have slipped into obscurity with the return of Tiger Woods

So here we are at the year’s first major and suddenly, golf’s new order have been plunged into obscurity. Scottie Scheffler, the world number one, Xander, and even Rory McIlroy have escaped the ubiquitous grand slam grilling. Apart from his dalliance with Dude Perfect, I haven’t even seen Bryson; and will the real Xander Schauffele please stand up?

I might be wrong here, but I would expect this ‘under the radar’ lead-up to Thursday might have helped these great players to prepare more efficiently. With Tiger Woods taking all the headlines, surely that presents an opportunity for the world’s best golfers – the ones that have actually been playing – to thoroughly prepare without the usual micro-examination, the dragging up of past failures, and the incessant talk of rival leagues? Not according to the scoreboard.

How Good Tiger Woods’ 71 Really Was

To put Tiger’s round of 71 into perspective, he outscored eight of the world’s top twelve golfers. This includes his great friend Justin Thomas, who was hotly fancied coming into the week, along with Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Collin Morikawa, and Brooks Koepka. When one considers the state his right leg was in just months ago, this is a colossal achievement. Rather unusually for Tiger Woods, he was even prepared to admit that Thursday at the Masters was in itself, a win:

“If you would have seen how my leg looked to where it’s at now, the pictures – some of the guys know. They’ve seen the pictures, and they’ve come over to the house and they’ve seen it. To see where I’ve been, to get from there to here, it was no easy task.”

But what of the others? Well, the so-called ‘Tiger Effect’ was back in town yesterday. Back in 2011, Tiger Woods inspired a study by Jennifer Brown of the University of California, Berkeley. Entitled ‘Quitters Never Win’, the study found that Tiger Woods’ presence on the PGA Tour over a period of time actually improves the performance of his peers to the tune of almost a shot per round.

However, when he is making an unexpected appearance (or miraculous comeback) the effect on the competition is quite the opposite. Various things start to happen; the environment becomes abnormal, past achievements are displayed everywhere, people reminisce about all the incredible things Woods has done – and this causes players to subconsciously question and compare their own ability to his. This mental edge is amplified many times over when the occasion carries the weight of a major championship like the Masters.

So we can all relax and feel secure in the fact that the Tiger effect is alive and well. Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule. Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith, Patrick Cantlay, and Scottie Scheffler all outscored Tiger Woods yesterday and are in a fantastic position going into Masters Friday. But the Tiger effect doesn’t stop after the first round. It will endure, casting its net far and wide over Augusta National. Who else will it catch?