Never write Tiger Woods off

WAS Rory McIlroy premature to write Tiger Woods off?

He said: “We saw the best of Tiger in 2000 and 2001. I don’t think golf can be played any better than that.

“He didn’t even need to play that well to win tournaments – he won the US Open by 15 shots, the Open by eight – so I think we’ve seen the best of him, but that’s not to say he won’t win again.”

I’m not sure you can say that about Tiger. Although he has not won for two years, and is now ranked 49th in the world rankings, he still has the potential to turn his situation around.

He is only 35 and could reach Jack Nicklaus’s tally of 18 major titles. At the moment Tiger has 14 majors.

When he was on form and leading a competition other players used to be fearful of challenging him. Players were also fearful of when he made a charge up the leaderboard. In recent years, I think the fear factor has disappeared, maybe due to all the lurid headlines, which could have burst his invincibility bubble.

For golf viewers there is nothing greater than watching Tiger on form, and it must not be forgotten that Jack Nicklaus won the Masters in 1986 at the age of 46. While Tom Watson was 59 when he came so close to winning The Open at Turnberry in 2009.

If Tiger can sort out his injuries, then he can win again and secure more majors.

One of his worst injuries was in June 2008, which he won despite having to limp for most of the 72 holes of competition.

After that event he had surgery on his left knee and missed the rest of the season, including the 2008 Open Championship.

McIlroy made his comments after signing with Santander.

He won The US Open this year in June, his first major, and also came very close to taking The Masters, at the start of the year.