So what's the matter with Tiger

Woods these days? He's behaving

like a petulant, spoiled child

FROM THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEBSITE
By MARK REASON
What's eating Tiger Woods? For the past few months he has been flouncing around tournaments like a spoiled child.
Now he has left his house in the early hours of the morning and had a stand up row with a fire hydrant and a tree. We knew Tiger's driving was wayward these days, but he usually manages to at least stay on the property.
There are now bound to be questions about Tiger's private life. Tiger's entourage has maintained a stiff upper lip, but if all is well at home, where was Woods off to in the early hours of Friday morning? That's the question that Tiger will now have to answer.
It seemed a little late to be practising his ball striking, even if Tiger is due to host his own tournament, the Chevron World Challenge, early next week. Well, if Woods wanted publicity for his event, he's certainly got it now. It's going to be a media circus down there in California.
At most press conferences these days Tiger's agent Mark Steinberg sits at the back and makes the signal when he thinks his client has had enough. But even Steinberg might struggle to turn the taps off next week. The world wants to know just what is going on in Tiger's life right now and they are expecting some answers.
The recent prang is just another in a long series of destructive incidents over the past few months. At the Open Championship in July Woods failed to acknowledge his fans when he turned up on the Sunday. The cap went down and Woods looked straight ahead. It was tunnel vision without even a glimpse of headlights. Woods was looking out from a dark place.
At the Turnberry press conference he was almost rude to several journalists. The media accept this as their lot, but seasoned Tiger watchers were taken aback by just how curt some of his answers were. They veered from the smart ass to the dismissive.
The following month at the Bridgestone Invitational Woods was put on the clock for slow play. He subsequently slated the official responsible and many felt that Woods should have been fined. When Tiger escaped sanction he hung out to dry a journalist with whom he has been friendly for years. We began to wonder what was going on with Woods. Maybe he was still grumpy after coming back from reconstructive knee surgery or maybe there was something more.
At the USPGA Championship the following week Tiger took the lead going into the final round of a major for the 15th time and lost for the first time in his career. Mr Invincible had just been beaten. Why was he suddenly vulnerable?
The greatest sign of a golfer's strength of mind lies in his putting. In the major years Tiger has been the greatest putter the world has ever seen. But suddenly he had started missing. He was no longer making the crucial putts that used to break his opponents. Was it just age or was there another reason for the frailty?
Tiger's behaviour on the final day of that US PGA Championship appalled many an old pro. He showed a lack of proper respect for his playing partner Y.E. Yang. On one occasion Tiger left the green when Yang still had to make a vital putt.
The five time Open champion Peter Thomson wanted to go on the record after that incident. He told Telegraph Sport: "I wish he'd smile more. He injures his image by being morose and petulant. There is also very little consideration for the fellow he is playing with. He could show more humility."
Earlier this month Tiger travelled down to Thomson's own back yard to play in the Australian Masters at Melbourne. His behaviour had not improved. On the Saturday Tiger threw his driver into the crowd in a fit of temper and then retrieved it with glassy disdain.
So just what is eating Tiger? As Thomson said, where has the smile gone? Tiger should have everything in the world going for him. He has a beautiful wife, two young children, a £1.5 million mansion and a world of talent and charisma. But right now, it just doesn't seem to be quite enough.

+Any comments on the topic raised in the above article? Send them to Colin@scottishgolfview.com