A win isn't terribly important for Tiger Woods. Well, not this week anyway.
Make no mistake about it, Tiger needs a win. We can only hear him talk about how close he is for so long until we just ignore it. A lot of people already do ignore him, so the big talk can't carry a guy like Tiger forever.
After all, this is a guy who not too long ago set pretty much the highest standard that the game has ever seen; top-25 performances just don't seem too impressive.
But this is his first tournament since the Players Championship in May. It will (hopefully) be his first full tournament since the Masters in early April.
He's missed all of that time because of a knee injury that has plagued Tiger for a good amount of his career.
The fact that Woods putted well and made saves in his return to golf on Thursday is a tremendous sign. More than anything, his putter is what won him all of the past tournaments, and has been what's kept him from winning since November of 2009.
A two-under round of 68 is a nice round, but four of those will not make him a realistic contender at Bridgestone. Tiger knows that. Four rounds at two-under par would only match the opening round lead.
But for Tiger, a good week (especially with the putter) where his knee holds up is far more important than another win at Bridgestone.
This was a smart week for Tiger to make his comeback. Since there is no cut, all entered players are guaranteed four rounds of play.
It?s not that we can say that his knee problems are completely gone if Tiger can get through these four rounds pain free, but it would be a strong start.
For Tiger, that?s far more important than what his actual score is. If he can have a decent performance, it?s all the better.
Tiger does need to notch a win at some point this year. For him, I am sure that a win at the PGA Championship next week would be very important.
A win in a major would pretty much eliminate any of the talk that Tiger is done that we have heard since Thanksgiving of 2009. But even if he wins after the PGA Championship, it?s a great way to get a head start on 2012.
In reality, 2012 and beyond is more important for Tiger than anything that happens for the remainder of 2011. But a good finish to 2011 starts with a healthy knee and a solid showing at Bridgestone. From there, 2012 could be a true bounce back year.
Keep it locked to Bleacher Report's Golf Page for up-to-date news and analysis of the Bridgestone.
Colin Curtis Kevin Russo Curtis Granderson Nick Johnson Javier Lopez Alex Hinshaw
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