Whenever there is a pressing topic in golf, not everyone agrees on the same course of action. When that happens, we poll our scribes in a format we like to call Alternate Shot.
ESPN.com senior golf writer Jason Sobel: It was renowned golf fanatic Yogi Berra who once said, "It's like deja vu all over again." Through the years, that's been chalked up as just another of his folksy Yogi-isms, but after receiving yet another late Friday afternoon Masters announcement from Tiger Woods, I think the man was on to something. Another year, another Masters without Tiger. He either enjoys teasing everyone with these last-minute decisions or was seriously weighing, until the bitter end, the possibility of playing next week. Do you think he was really undecided before Friday evening?
ESPN.com senior golf writer Bob Harig: I'm not sure it was Friday evening, but according to his agent, Mark Steinberg, it was definitely Friday. He said Tiger wrestled with the decision quite a bit. He dearly wanted to play because of the 20-year anniversary of his first Masters win and what the tournament means to him. But Steinberg acknowledged that Tiger was not fully engaged in practice until earlier this week. That suggests a guy who is nowhere near ready to play tournament golf.
Sobel: And yeah, that's just "not tournament ready" -- which is a completely different animal from "not tournament-contender ready." I wonder what that tipping point really is. Does Tiger think he needs to be only some semblance of healthy in order to be tournament ready? Or does he believe he needs to be healthy and capable of posting four consecutive solid rounds to reach that level? Because if it's the latter, it could be a long time until we see him in competition again.
Harig: Steinberg suggested that Tiger wasn't hitting balls "full on'' until this week. That means this delayed announcement was way more about Tiger's heart than his mind. He wanted to play. He loves the Masters and knew he wouldn't be taking a spot from an alternate. But if you've been practicing hard for only a week? That doesn't make sense. We've talked about this before. There is no point in coming back if he doesn't feel prepared. That doesn't mean prepared to win, just prepared to do what is necessary to complete a tournament: practice rounds, range time, walking long distances, standing between shots -- and doing it day after day.
Sobel: After the announcement was made, and after I'd read too many half-baked Twitter replies from people suggesting he should "give it up and quit," I went on a mini-social media rant. I just don't understand the anger toward him. Look, if Tiger fans are disappointed or discouraged or frustrated or even wary of his all-too-frequent 11th-hour decisions, I get it. But it's the anger -- the vitriol -- that I've never understood. The guy tried to get physically healthy and get his game in shape for a tournament he dearly loves, but he wasn't successful. That's more admirable than the alternative, isn't it?
Harig: I'm with you on that. I've never understood the angst directed at him for this. He's been injured. He's trying to get back. He's secretive and doesn't tell us much, which is frustrating, but it's also his right. So much of the knee-jerk chatter is that he's done -- which might be true but is simply speculative. Nobody knows. If this was truly not physical and all about his game not being ready, that's a good thing. He is going to need time to get his game ready anyway. What is wrong with Tiger doing what he wants?
Sobel: I'll admit it: Less than four months ago, I watched him play four rounds in the Bahamas and thought, "He's back." Now, that didn't mean I believed he'd start winning majors right away -- or ever again -- but I thought he'd be a competitive golfer moving forward. If you asked me right now whether he'll ever reach that point, I'd probably lean toward thinking, "He's done." But we're so fickle. We tend to have such short memories when it comes it to Tiger.
Harig: Anyone who was there at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas or who watched closely on TV could tell there were numerous promising signs. What happened between the Bahamas and Dubai is a mystery. We could speculate until the 2018 Masters. Sure, it is fair to wonder whether he'll ever be able to get to a point where he can practice and compete without pain, which leads to the talk that his career could be finished. But if he wants to keep trying, good for him. Why should anyone deny him that?