There is a lot of speculation about how long Tiger will stay away from competitive golf following the death of his father from cancer. Most of the talk focuses on the streak he appears to be chasing: one set by Jack Nicklaus of playing in 146 consecutive majors.

First of all, since we haven’t said this in this forum, our condolences to Tiger and his mom. The loss of a parent/spouse is devastating no matter what the circumstances or cause. And there was not doubt that Tiger and his father were close. But whether Tiger will play in the U.S. Open is a very interesting question due to several factors.

First is the streak. And don’t be fooled, Tiger has had his eye set on The Golden Bear from the beginning of his golf career. So the incentive to not miss that major championship is strong.

A second factor is the Father’s Day connection. The U.S. Open will conclude on Father’s Day Sunday. Something that will be gut wrenching for Tiger in a way above and beyond the normal tough golf of an Open in the heat of summer.

The third factor is the golf course itself. Winged Foot is one of the tougher golf courses to host the Open. And will Tiger be prepared for that course with a significant layoff from playing competitive golf? And if he isn’t fully ready, how will that affect his decision.

It all makes for some interesting debate. My personal opinion is that Tiger will play. I believe that his dad would have wanted him to. And I also believe that he has a special Father’s Day present in mind for his dad. And the bottom line is that he is a competitor and one of the greatest golfers of all time. And I believe that what has made him great will also drive him to show up at the Open.