Did Tiger Woods choke on Sunday? I know it is a question I never thought I'd ask myself. Woods has proven to be the best finisher in golf, if not all sports. He is constantly, with good reason, lauded for his mental focus and toughness and his mind, as much as his physical tools, is credited for his victories. But on Sunday, he lost the lead. He had a two stroke lead and finished three strokes down. Does this constitute a choke job? I say yes.
As much as YE Yang played well, he did not play well enough to take the victory from Tiger. If Tiger shoots just even par, they go to a playoff. Give Yang credit. He took advantage of the opportunity. But he did not go out there, play lights out, and rip the title away from Woods. Woods bogeyed 17 and 18, making what should have been a pressure-packed situation for Yang into a less tense moment.
Woods led from the beginning of the tournament. Day 1, 2 and 3 all say his name atop the leader board. I believe he was at least tied for the lead 67 out of the 72 holes. Make no mistake. This was his tournament to win, or lose. He lost.
But it is a choke job for another reason. It was Tiger Woods. A choke job is when you fail to meet the standards that are set. With Woods, be it right or wrong, the standards are higher. If Yang had played poorly on Sunday, people would have said he folded under pressure, but he is the 110th ranked golfer, so we shouldn't expect any better. But Woods, the best golfer of a generation, if not all time, has higher expectations from both the fans and of himself. He clearly did not play as well as he is capable of. He clearly choked.
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