Underdog Status is Unknown Territory for Tiger Woods

The world of golf certainly has undergone a shift in its foundation with the fact that Tiger Woods is considered a serious underdog as play in the PGA Championship begins today at Whistling Straits.

The most successful golfer in the history of the sport just has not been himself since returning to the game after an explosive several months. Coming into the PGA Championship, Tiger has just finished the worst series of four tournaments in his entire career. In May, he parted ways with his coach of six years, only the second coach Tiger Woods has had in the history of his amazing career. He has stated that he now intends to coach himself, with the assistance of friends who will videotape his swing while on the course.

After a hot start to this morning's first round of action, Tiger found himself in a bit of a slump and ended the day one under par. This is certainly a better showing than his other recent efforts, but still not the play that we expect from Tiger Woods. We'll have to wait and see how the rest of the weekend unfolds for the fallen champion.

In my first book, Lifetime Loser, readers are introduced to a character who would have given nearly anything to be playing where Tiger is today. J Dub Schroeder finds himself one shot away from qualifying for the PGA Tour and fulfilling a lifelong dream, but one moment of lost concentration destroys his chances.

There are thousands of men like J Dub on golf courses around this country. I wonder if Tiger Woods realizes how fortunate he is to be in a position that is envied by so many!