Woods' week answers some questions, but not nearly all

The "new" Tiger Woods looked a lot like the one we've seen in recent years, says Brian Wacker. Despite some disappointing shots, Woods' golf game is rounding back into shape, but when and where he'll play next remains very a very big unknown.

By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM Site Producer

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- About the time Phil Mickelson was hugging his wife, Amy, in the fading light Sunday evening and celebrating a third career Masters victory at Augusta National, Tiger Woods was being whisked away down Magnolia Lane in the back seat of a gray Chevy SUV, hat off, head down, future uncertain.

A lot of questions remain unanswered about Woods, including when he will next play. He was less than definitive, saying only that he was going to “take a little time off and re-evaluate things.”

One question about Woods that was answered, however, was what sort of reception he would get from the fans upon his return from a five-month hiatus following the admission of a series of extramarital affairs.

Augusta National was the perfect place for Woods to come back, given its polite patrons and controlled setting. There’s no running inside the golf’s most famous green gates and there was no chance anything would be out of order, save for a couple of smart-alecks who rented a plane to fly a banner over the course during Thursday’s opening round.

Once Woods hit his first competitive shot, a gentle fade down the middle of the first fairway, though, everything that’s happened to him outside the ropes seemed to fade away, too. One teenage girl following Woods in the final round even had “Go Tiger!” written on her hand in magic marker.

Unfortunately for Woods, that opening tee ball was probably the best shot he hit all week, especially when you consider the eyes of the world were watching -- ESPN, which aired the first two rounds, saw a 50 percent ratings spike from the opening day a year ago.

Woods played military golf -- left, right, left -- all week long, including on Sunday. He entered the final round four shots back, trying to win his first major while coming from behind and coming back from the second-longest and most-scrutinized layoff of his career.

“I only enter events to win and I didn’t get it done,” Woods said. “As the week wore on, I kept hitting the ball worse.”

That was evident early in the final round, when Woods made three bogeys in his first five holes before stirring the echoes with a hole-out eagle from the fairway on No. 7 and another on the par-5 15th.

Most of the roars, however, were reserved for Mickelson, who closed in 32, and Anthony Kim, who made a spectacular charge with a 65 to finish solo third, one shot clear of Woods and ahead of him in a tournament for the first time in his young career.

“I had another terrible warm-up [Sunday],” Woods said. “I didn't have it. And it was pretty evident.

“I had a two-way miss and it's kind of tough to play when you got that, when you don't know which way it's going to go.”

That left Woods frustrated, so much so that he let fly a few choice words and let fly with his club on more than one occasion -- despite saying earlier in the week that he wasn’t going to get as hot over the bad shots, or as fired up over the good ones.

“I think people are making way too much of a big deal of this thing,” Woods said. “I was not feeling good. I hit a big snipe off the first hole and I don't know how people can think I should be happy about that. I hit a wedge from 45 yards and basically bladed it over the green.

“These are not things I normally do. So I'm not going to be smiling and not going to be happy.”

In the end, the “new” Tiger looked a lot like the old Tiger. He was welcomed with open arms at Augusta National, where all most anyone cared about was his game. He left it without a Green Jacket for the fifth straight year.