Tiger Woods recently pulled off one of the most impressive feats in golf. No, scratch that, Tiger Woods pulled off one of the most impressive feats in all of sports. Many people will tell you that the U.S. Open is the most complete test of a golfer's skill that there is on the pro tour. Being such a thorough examination, it certainly isn't possible for somebody to win it unless they are fully healthy.
Of course, Tiger isn't just any normal golfer. Only two days after beating Rocco Mediate in an extra 19 holes, Woods announced that he would be having season-ending knee surgery. It turns out that he has been playing for the last 10 months with a torn ligament in his left knee. On top of that, he also had a double stress fracture in the same knee that he suffered just a couple weeks before the event. After all that, he still walked 91 holes to beat every other golfer in the competition, on a knee that grew worse with every step. If you're still not impressed you may want to check yourself for a pulse.
Yes, what Tiger did was absolutely impressive. He won a major championship when he should have been on crutches. The question now is: Should he have been on those crutches instead of playing on the damaged knee? Did Tiger risk too much by playing in the U.S. Open? Other athletes have had to face to same decision, for some it worked out and became the stuff of legends. For others, it's a sad end to an illustrious career.
In 1988, Isiah Thomas' Detroit Pistons faced Kareem and Magic's Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. During game six of the series, Thomas fractured his ankle. He continued to play on the ankle for the remainder of that game, as well as the following game seven. Despite the injury, Thomas set a finals record by scoring 25 points in one quarter. Unfortunately for Thomas, the Lakers would go on to win that game as well as the final game of the series to take the NBA championship. He would eventually end his playing career after suffering an Achilles' tendon tear in 1994.
Michael Jordan had a situation similar to Tiger's, in which he played through a disability and still tasted championship glory, during the 1997 finals. While he did not have an injury like Woods', Jordan did play with a severe illness in game five of that series. In the game that became known as the infamous "flu game," Jordan played with a fever and stomach virus. During that game he put up 38 points, including the game-winner. With only seconds left in the game, Jordan would collapse into teammate Scottie Pippen's arms, exhausted.
During Major League Baseball's 2004 American League Championship Series, Curt Schilling took the mound for the Boston Red Sox for game six despite having a makeshift procedure to help repair a torn tendon in his ankle. The procedure did not actually repair the tendon, but made it so that Schilling could at least play through the pain. Despite the pain, Schilling would pitch seven innings with four strikeouts, while only allowing four hits and one run. This game is forever remembered for Curt Schilling's sock, which was soaked with blood from his injured ankle.
Then Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper tore his anterior cruciate, medial collateral, and posterior cruciate ligaments. The injury would require season-ending surgery in which doctors would have to rebuild his knee. These injuries are known to have a recovery time of about 12 to 16 months on average. While Culpepper could not play on it that season, he faced the problem of returning from injury too soon. That off-season Culpepper was traded to the Miami Dolphins, where he would attempt to play in the season opener, only 11 months after his injury. After poor performances, the Dolphins put him on the shelf for the season. Culpepper then had to have arthroscopic knee surgery that November to remove some loose cartilage in his knee. Since then, Culpepper has been traded to the Oakland Raiders, and has yet to regain a starting role, despite being a three-time pro-bowler.
At this point, no one knows what the story of the rest of Tiger's career will be. Doctors have reported that he will be able to compete by the beginning of the next season. Tiger has been documented many times saying that his career goal is to surpass Jack Nicklaus; to top the list for the most major tournaments won all-time. Nicklaus currently sits on top with 18 major wins, while Tiger is dangerously close with 14 wins.
The problem I have with Tiger competing in this year's open is that it was an unnecessary risk. While Tiger is trying to win as many majors as he can, he has plenty of time to do so. Prior to a couple weeks ago, Woods was only five major wins behind Nicklaus. He had already won the U.S. Open twice before this year, so it was not as though he was trying to notch that first win at the open. When Tiger comes back, that knee may not be able to hold up to his style of play, with his staggering 134 mph club speed. He may have to change his style to a more finessed game rather than a power game. While he is one of the best putters on the tour, his long drive gives him a distinct advantage over the rest of the field.