The State Of Tiger's Game, Players Edition

I haven't really been too concerned about Tiger's mediocre play (by his standards) because he's rusty and has a lot on his mind. Nor do I think you can argue with Hank Haney's record. Ron Sirak summed it up best:

So was Woods' performance disappointing because it produced only a 71 or was it remarkable because he managed to break par with far from his A game? The mere question indicates the compelling nature of the Tiger Woods who has returned to competition. No one really knows what to expect -- probably not even him.

That said, this has to be a huge concern for Tiger. Either it's a statement about his swing or his physical health. I can't see any other option. Garry Smits reports:

On the list of driving distance statistics through 54 holes in The Players Championship, Fred Funk is 69th among 70 players. No surprise there for the player who pokes fun at himself for his distance off the tee.

No. 70, 2.5 yards behind Funk's tournament average of 261 yards, and dead last among players who made the cut in the tournament is Tiger Woods -- who used to amaze fans and other players with his length off the tee for most of his career.

Now you say, no big deal, Tiger was hurt by the bad drive on 7 and the No. 70 position is on the two measuring holes. Fine. But on overall driving distance using ShotLink, he's 65th out of 70.