Tiger Woods debate: Is back or swing the problem at PGA Championship?

Golf Channel analysts Brandel Chamblee and Frank Nobilo, both former pro golfers, got into a spirited debate regarding Tiger Woods’ recent woes, which include an ailing back and unusually high scores, such as his three-over-par 74 in the opening round of the PGA Championship.

Woods had surgery on his back in March to alleviate pressure from a pinched nerve. Then he had to withdraw on Sunday from the final round of the Bridgestone Invitational, his third tournament since recovering from surgery, after landing awkwardly in a bunker following an off-balance shot from the rough. He said that he hurt his sacrum and that the injury was unrelated to the pinched nerve and surgery.

Chamblee explained in great detail that Woods’ swing is to blame for his bad back.

“It’s technical and the technical’s bleeding into the physical,” Chamblee said. “He’s got so much forward shaft lean that he comes into the ball very steep. If you come into the ball steep that puts your path out to the right.”

Chamblee then got very technical in his explanation after that. But the crux of the problem, he said, is this:

“To offset the loft going forward and aiming left you have to figure out how to get it up in the air. So you lean backwards. When you lean backwards all day long every single day for hundreds of shots you’re going to hurt your back. He’s got all these issues to figure out just to hit a shot straight. In the meantime, all of that is killing his back and is killing his game.”

Nobilo was not having any of that. The injury has derailed his game, Nobilo explained, as well as coming back too soon after surgery.

“He’s not healthy,” Nobilo said. “I don’t think it’s lack of reps. ... That’s not a guy who’s won 14 major championships. That’s not a guy who won five tournaments last year. So there has to be a reason to me. When he pulls out last week, when he’s had back surgery, I really don’t know how much evidence somebody needs. Graham DeLaet took 10 months to get over [back surgery]. I just think four months is way too soon.”