Watching Tiger struggle a tough assignment

Courier-Journal photographer Michael Clevenger followed Tiger Woods on his round Friday at Valhalla, when he shot 74 to miss the cut in the PGA Championship.

I remember when one of our C-J sports columnists moved on to greener pastures. In his last column he talked about some of the truths about journalists and sports columnists. I still remember that column. In it he talked about how, even though you were there to cover an event with a neutral eye you still hoped that the player who hit his first five shots would hit their next five shots.

I've always kinda felt that way about what I was covering. I always hoped that the legendary athletes would deliver a legendary performance. A performance so dominating and complete that the images it would create would burn deep into our collective memories. So many people love to see the most talented and skilled among us fail or be humbled.

I guess to some of us that makes the superhuman among us seem a little more ... well, human. I've always felt differently. I always hoped that they would jump higher and run faster when my camera was trained on them and run set a new record or benchmark or personal best when my shutter fired. The mood when that happens at any event always sets the tone.

Friday my job was to cover the legendary Tiger Woods at the PGA Championship at Valhalla. Woods won the last outing of the PGA Championship in playoff holes back in 2000. He was already making his mark back then. I remember reading an article during that era wondering if there was a need to make courses tougher, more "Tiger Proof".

Tiger is legendary. I was hoping for a legendary performance.

It didn't happen. Tiger exited the PGA Championship without making the cut. Not even close.

From the first tee shot to the time he walked off of the 18th green I witnessed a man at odds with ... something. Struggling. Trying to find his way. Trying to find something.

Drives into the crowd. Putts that wouldn't fall. Sand traps. Woods couldn't find momentum. He couldn't find his game. He was anything but legendary.

What I saw through my lens was not the same Tiger Woods I've seen in the past. He was far from dominating and far from legendary. What I saw was a man at odds with himself and a man who seemed to be at odds with the very game that made him that legend. I saw him smile exactly twice. Once joking around with Padraig Harrington before the first tee shot. The next on the 18th hole when Harrington's caddy scolded people for walking on the sidewalk close to the course. Woods shot a look to his caddy and they smiled.

But for most of the day I saw a very uncomfortable Tiger Woods. On more than one occasion I saw him near tears and trying to compose himself. He was in unfamiliar territory. The fans, however, were completely supportive, and even generous in their support of he and Phil Mickelson (they seemed to forget about Padraig Harrington even though he was hitting some spectacular putts).

I know that Tiger has some back issues and is struggling with his game and I know that he withdrew from his last tournament. I was hoping that he would come to Louisville and play like the old Tiger. The Tiger that seemed to redefine the game.

The Tiger that I saw looked uncomfortable in the very arena that he used to own. I hope he finds his way back. I hope I can see him again one day turn in a legendary performance in my hometown.