An open letter to Tiger Woods

Sports Journalist Derek Clements writes an open letter to Tiger Woods who appears to be lost in the woods once again.

This is an open letter to Tiger Woods, the most remarkable golfer I have ever had the privilege of seeing strike a golf ball. And I have seen Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Johnny Miller, Tom Weiskopf, Lee Trevino, Nick Faldo and Seve Ballesteros...

Tiger,if, as you say, you are fit and healthy, why did you confirm your entry to the Safeway International on Friday, only three days later to announce to the world that your game is now not 'tournament-ready'?

If it was ready on Friday and your juices were flowing again after being an integral part of the Ryder Cup, albeit from the sidelines, what on earth happened in the space of 72 hours to make you change your mind and suddenly announce to the world that you would not be coming back at Napa, California, after all?

The PGA Tour, who have remained incredibly supportive of you through thick and thin, had arranged for you to play with Phil Mickelson in the first two rounds, guaranteeing that even if you were not at your best then you would at least be playing alongside a man who was likely to be even wilder off the tee than you. On top of that, there had been record ticket sales for a tournament that, under normal circumstances, would receive little attention around the globe.

Tens of thousands of words had been written about your absence, the fact that you hadn't played in a tournament since August last year and how much the world was looking forward to seeing you back in action. Jesper Parnevik, your friend and regular practice partner, told us all that you were striping the ball and that you were playing, and scoring, really well. He told us he was excited about your return, and that you were excited about your return. You only need to read what was written in the build-up to the tournament to know that the world of golf was even more excited that you were about to make your long-awaited comeback.

Nobody expected you to win in California, indeed most of us thought it would have been a huge achievement just to make the cut. So why did you change your mind?

It has been suggested that you might be suffering from stage fright? Really? A man who won 14 majors, suffering from stage fright?

I never thought that I would write these words about you, at least not when it comes to you as a golfer, but you have let us down Tiger. You have let us down badly. And you have let down yourself.

You may be 40 years of age, but many of us believe that you still might have what it takes to win a few more tournaments and even, perhaps, to contend in more majors. By playing in the Safeway, you would have had a unique opportunity to feel the love - the love of the crowd, the love of the PGA Tour, the love of the broadcasters and yes, even the love of your fellow tournament professionals.

Instead, you have chosen to delay your return. Presumably you will now make your comeback at the Hero Challenge in December, a meaningless event that certainly raises a huge amount for your charity but will tell you - and us - nothing about where your game stands.

"This isn't what I wanted to happen," you said, "but I will continue to strive to be able to play tournament golf. I'm close, and I won't stop until I get there."

As Johnny Miller, the tournament host at the Safeway, said: "Tiger, you've got to break the ice sometime." As for the rest of us, well we just want to see you back out there, doing what you do best, doing what you have done best for 20 years. Pick a date, mark it in your calendar and stick to it. You owe us that.