In a return to competitive golf fraught with uncertainty, Tiger Woods can be rest assured of at least one guarantee: There is no way he is going to win the British Open, which starts in less than two weeks.
Tiger Woods' back surgery end his hopes of winning this year's U.S. Open
So says renowned golfer and former U.S. Ryder Cup captain Curtis Strange.
Strange told Reuters that Woods' failure to make the cut at the Quicken Loans National tournament at Congressional last week in Bethesda, Md., was symptomatic of the golf he was playing before his back surgery to correct a pinched nerve in his back.
And Woods certainly wasn't going to suddenly regain his form after a three-month layoff.
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Strange began his comments with political correctness before breaking down Tiger's game - or lack there - as he gets ready to play at Hoylake at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club.
'We learned a long time ago never to say never about Tiger because he's such an incredibly talented player but you have to look at a couple of things,' Strange said. 'Even before his surgery, and his form was obviously hampered by his physical condition, he wasn't playing well so when you have an operation and you've been out for three months, you're not going to be a better player after doing that.
"He didn't play well last week, and of course last week was all about testing his back, but he still didn't play well. If he goes to Hoylake saying, 'I'm here to win and that's the only thing', that would be him telling a lie to himself."
Strange, who captained Woods in the 2002 Ryder Cup at The Belfry, admitted he is unsure as to Woods' strategy as he resumes his 2014 schedule because what he is doing so far doesn't make sense.
"He's not 100 percent golf-fit yet," said Strange, the 1988 and 1989 U.S. Open champion. "It's good to see him back and healthy but I wonder what kind of condition he's going to be in at the Open because he's not playing again until then.
'If that was me I would want to play at least one more tournament before the Open to get my game in better shape, to get more strength in my golf muscles I don't care how much practice you do, it's not the same thing as playing in competition."
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