• Out of Bounds

Let the Tiger roar, and throw clubs and swear

Tiger Woods needs to show his emotions on course © Getty Images

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It was great to see Phil Mickelson win the Masters for a third time, it was great to see the buzz back at Augusta and it was also great to see Tiger Woods competing at the top level.

It was a story to touch the heart strings that Mickelson triumphed when his thoughts are clearly on his wife's and mother's battles with cancer. The sight of the second best player in the world embracing his wife by the side of the 18th green was a moving sight and no-one would begrudge him his third Green Jacket.

Mickelson is a firm crowd favourite and they were pulling for him throughout and boy did he oblige with some freakishly good golf. It was a performance that whipped up the crowds to the extent not seen for a number of years. The presence of Woods back on the course for the first time in months also played its part in raising the decibel level.

And now that we have got Woods back on course it is time he is left to play his golf. That he was able to finish fourth was testament to the amazing talent that he possesses. He mixed the sublime, witness the stunning second shot on the ninth on Thursday which somehow brought a birdie, and the ridiculous - notably the snap hook off the first tee on Sunday.

It is totally understandable that Woods was rusty on his return to action, it would be inconceivable that the phenomenon that is Lionel Messi would be at his sharpest following five months on the sidelines, but there seemed to be more weighing him down than a lack of match practice.

The positive and negatives sides are all part of Tiger Woods © Getty Images

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His off-field problems have been well documented and much has been made of his comments about trying to be a better mannered and more humble person out on course. It appeared that Woods was fighting those demons as well as the course at Augusta. The expletives were toned down and the club throwing was curbed, although he did drop his driver in frustration following a wild hook on the final day. But from Out of Bounds' eye, to take that away from Woods takes away from the player.

What Woods has or has not got up to off the course is the business of himself and his family. Out of Bounds does not really care. What Out of Bounds does care about is his performances on the course.

On the eve of the Masters, Woods said: "I'm not going to get as hot, or as exuberant. I have made a conscious decision to try and tone down my negative outbursts. I will be more respectful of the game, and acknowledge the fans, and show my appreciation for them. I haven't done that in the past few years and that was wrong of me."

The latter statement needs to happen, the fans invest a lot of money in the game and should be acknowledged, but for Woods to tone down his demeanour on course will detract from his game. Out of Bounds does not want to see Woods snapping clubs and snarling at anyone and everyone, but the odd swear word is a million miles from a Roy Chubby Brown show and in the heat of battle is understandable.

After walking off the 72nd green with a respectable, but nothing more, fourth place Woods said he would take a bit more time off to "re-evaluate things" and also added that "people are making way too much about my emotions. How can people think I should be happy about the bogey at the first hole? I hit one of my worst low shots at five. I hadn't hit a good shot in five holes, so I wasn't going to be happy."

If Woods is constantly wrestling with his emotions rather than doing what comes instinctively then he may never return to his peerless best. And that would be to the detriment of the game.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.