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re he dies.Dwight Gooden Jr.?issued a statement to the Daily News on Sunday night, saying between the death of Goodens
Stage fright. Health. Confidence. These are just a few of the obstacles Tiger Woods faces this week in his anticipated return to competitive golf.So what else can we expect from the 14-time major winner? Our panel samples all things Tiger for this weeks edition of Monday Four-Ball.1. What will be the hardest obstacle for Tiger to overcome this week?SportsCenter anchor Jonathan Coachman: Confidence. From everything we are hearing, Tiger is physically ready to go. We arent talking about just another player. We are talking about the confidence to be a top-shelf player again. I am not talking about 2000 Tiger, but Tiger is special. Can he have the confidence in himself to be competitive and beat guys like Jordan Spieth or Jason Day? I dont care who you are -- confidence can help you overcome so much.ESPN.com senior golf writer Michael Collins: By teeing it up for four straight competitive rounds, hell be overcoming the hardest obstacle hes had to face -- time. Nothing is more difficult for a golfer than having to sit out and wait to get healthy. Besides that, trusting the new golf ball will be a big obstacle as well. Remember, it took Rory McIlroy a year to win after he switched golf ball companies.ESPN.com senior golf writer Bob Harig: His own expectations. Most realize that a 15-month break due to physical issues requires a grace period. Woods himself knows that. And yet, he admitted Sunday that his competitiveness makes it very difficult to not try to compete.ESPN.com senior golf writer Jason Sobel: Believe it or not, stage fright. As he told Bob Harig on the range Sunday, Tiger is going to feel some butterflies this week. Hell need to rise above it. Harvest the good energy and block out the bad. Its one thing to post a good score on his home course in complete privacy, or stripe drives on an empty range. Its another to do that with people watching all over the world.2. What do you make of Woods decision to change golf balls for the Hero World Challenge?Coachman: Tiger says it all starts with the ball. I am a little surprised he didnt go for Titleist, but leave it to Tiger to go against the grain. At some point he had to make the change, and why not do it out of the box in a small event in the Bahamas instead of waiting for a full-field event in the new year?Collins: Its a smart move to do it now so he can find out exactly how the ball will feel when he hits shots in tournament conditions. The hope is he will get in situations that he hasnt practiced for, so then hell learn exactly how the ball reacts on those ticklish shots that require the most nerve.Harig: It makes sense because Nike is no longer going to be making a golf ball. He needed to find something else, and its quite likely the Bridgestone ball he is using this week possesses very similar characteristics to what hes been using.Sobel: Good for him. Nikes decision to leave the equipment game opened the door for all of the players previously under contract to sample new things. If Tiger showed up this week with the same Nike ball and same equipment, it would show he either hasnt tested new stuff or doesnt care enough to switch. I like the fact that hes willing to explore whats out there.3. With so many questions surrounding Tiger, which one is the most important to answer this week?Coachman: For me, it would be Does his back pass the test? Once he gets through four rounds of walking and swinging, I honestly dont care where he finishes in the field. I just care that he finishes. He disappointed all of us when he didnt play at the Safeway Open in October, but if he comes out with a great attitude and in great physical condition, people will forget that very, very quickly.Collins: Most importantly for Tiger, how does he feel, health-wise, after every round? And then how does he feel after the tournament is over? Could he play again the following week? The health of his back, and health overall, will be the biggest question that needs answering this week.Harig: Can he play 72 holes without pain and discomfort? Getting through an entire week -- including practice, the pro-am and all of his other duties associated with the event -- should be considered a good first step in his comeback.Sobel: Can he legitimately walk 72 holes and post a decent score? I know that doesnt sound like much, but I saw where one betting parlor is taking nearly even money on Tiger retiring by the end of next year and has set the over/under on his number of starts at 6.5. People really seem to think hes done. That, if anything, is what he needs to disprove. This isnt about the result.4. Are you taking the over or the under of 72.5 for Tigers first-round score at the Hero World Challenge?Coachman: I am taking the under. I choose to believe in his greatness. I know one round doesnt determine that, but I think he is determined to come out of the box and show the world that he has his game right away. I believe he will shoot even par or better in his first round on Thursday.Collins: Over. Weve heard the, flushing it, crushing it, puring it on the range song way too many times before, followed by a 78. Tiger shooting par or better after 15 months off is a bit too much to ask even for a guy considered by many, including me, to be the GOAT.Harig: Over. Not because an under-par score is impossible. Who knows, perhaps Tiger shoots in the 60s. But this will be the first time in 15 months hell have a pencil and scorecard in his hand when it matters.Sobel: That sounds about right. Ill take a round of exactly 72.5. All right, considering theres no half-stroke at stake, Ill take the under. Why? Well, I do believe he wants to prove people wrong and will be amped up to compete again. But it has more to do with this: The early Thursday forecast calls for 81 degrees with a 40 percent chance of rain and only a 5-10 mph breeze. Thats called scoring conditions.Hydro Flask Cheapest .35 million, one-year contract that avoided salary arbitration. Plouffe batted .254 with 14 home runs and 52 RBIs in 477 at-bats last season, his second as a regular in the lineup. Hydro Flask Outlet Store . The parade and rally were held to celebrate the Saskatchewan Roughriders 45-23 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Sunday in the CFLs championship game. http://www.cheaphydroflaskireland.com/hydro-flask-ombre-outlet.html . Kyle Denbrook, a soccer player from Saint Marys University, took the CIS male athlete of the week honour. Stanley, a fourth-year business administration student from Charlottetown, scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Dalhousie on Friday and tallied again in a 1-0 win over Saint Marys on Sunday. Hydro Flask Coffee Ireland . But now that hes in the NHL, the Calgary Flames centre showed big improvement in that department by scoring the winner in the eighth round of a 5-4 shootout victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Monday. Buy Hydro Flask Ireland . Nine days before the opening ceremony, organizing committee chief Dmitry Chernyshenko said Wednesday that Sochi is "fully ready" and will deliver safe, friendly and well-run games that defy the grim reports that have overshadowed preparations.Dwight Gooden said in a radio interview Monday that he was reevaluating his relationship with Darryl Strawberry because of his former New York Mets teammates recent comments that the former All-Star pitcher was a complete junkie-addict.The Darryl thing hurt me a lot because I had just thought we reestablished our relationship, Gooden told The Joe Piscopo Show.I forgave him for a lot of stuff. I never threw him under the bus, never said anything about him publicly. For him to say that stuff, you have to draw a line somewhere and I guess do a better choice of picking friends.Gooden issued a statement later Monday in sharp criticism of Strawberry, calling out his former teammate for repeatedly making our differences personal, going back to our days with the Mets.I had hoped we could keep these differences between us, his statement read, while also vehemently denying Strawberrys allegations hes using cocaine. But Darryl could not manage to do that. I am sorry for his inability to show more character and strength. While I was there for him, he obviously was never there for me.Strawberry told ESPN Radio on Monday night that he is trying not to take Goodens verbal jabs personally, saying people in Goodens camp are pleased that someone finally stood up and said something about his issues and his struggles.I just felt like I needed to do this, Strawberry said in the interview. And regardless what anybody else thinks or they can call me whatever they want to call me. As long Ive known in my heart that I stepped up to do the right thing to help this man try to save his life, maybe just one day if he gets there and gets a recovery and realizes how good he is, he can come back and say thank you, you helped save my life. Strawberry said he is convinced Gooden has relapsed into the drug use that derailed his playing career.Hes very good at BSing, hes very good at blowing smoke up peoples behinds and telling them what he wants them to hear, Strawberry said.dddddddddddd If he wants to get well hes going to have to get real. Because this is crunch time for him. This is public for him. Everyone knows that Im telling the truth.The duo, who were the subject of ESPNs 30 for 30 documentary Doc & Darryl, were recently scheduled to make a joint public appearance, but Gooden was a no-show.Hes a complete junkie-addict, Strawberry told New York Daily News about Gooden. Ive been trying behind the scenes to talk to him and get him to go for help, but he wont listen.Strawberry told the newspaper that Goodens son called him to help his father before he dies.Dwight Gooden Jr.?issued a statement to the Daily News on Sunday night, saying between the death of Goodens mother last month and his fathers work schedule, he has been under an extraordinary amount of stress, pressure and above all sadness. Gooden Jr. said his father was planning on taking a break from the spotlight to rest and regroup and address his health and that will be pushed up.Gooden, after Strawberry and others expressed concern for him following his no-show at last weeks event, sent a text to the Daily News that read: I am fine, just finishing up some minor health issues.Gooden on Monday again said he was OK.Everythings good, he said in the radio interview. I am healthy. I dont have a drug problem. I mean, I am an addict ... that dont mean Im an active addict.Doc & Darryl, which debuted on ESPN last month, featured the two talking in depth about their rise to stardom as the Mets won the 1986 World Series, and then their downward spirals as each battled addictions.ESPNs Adam Rubin contributed to this report. ' ' '