8:25 AM
John Briese
That has become a phrase muttered it seems anytime anyone has talked about a golf tournament in the past 14 years. It was 1997 when Tiger Woods put together one of the greatest performances in Major Championship history winning the Masters by 12 strokes at the age of 21. After his emotional and heartfelt embrace with his Father coming off of the 18th green that April day, the world immediately crowned him the new King of the golfing community. Before you knew it we all had Tiger head covers and were wearing red on Sunday to emulate the best golfer in the world, who would in the future most likely become the best golfer who had ever lived. He was a golfing and advertising dream, turning anything he touched to gold, and drawing crowds that greats like Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer could only dream of. Then…it all came crashing down seemingly overnight.
We have all spent the last year dissecting Tiger’s personal life and how it may or may not affect his struggling golf swing. Now it is time to ask ourselves the question, is it OK to root again for the man we have idolized for over a decade? What he did was wrong, no one is disputing that, but should we be happy at his misfortune or should we feel sorry for a man who’s world has turned upside down in a tumultuous past 18 months? I found myself talking to a friend the other day, asking this very question and he lumped Tiger in with Ben Roethlisberger and other athletes who had committed crimes and other despicable acts. I can’t make this connection because even though I think that cheating on your wife the way Tiger did is just as heinous as assaulting a young girl (and no I’m not saying that to get in my wife’s good graces, she doesn’t even read these) I believe that because it is not a criminal act it is a part of his personal life and does not concern the rest of us. What he does behind the doors of his home (or anyone else’s home) is his business and his business alone. What I do care about is how he performs on the golf course. What I really care about is the fact that when he has his swing dialed in he is the most electrifying and entertaining golfer to watch. If I were at the Masters this week I would want to see Rory Mcilroy hit a 340 yard drive, I would want to watch Fred Couples walk up the 18th fairway, and the rest of the time I would follow Tiger, because you never know what he is going to do. He has been criticized for his attitude and temper on the course because apparently everyone thinks he should not be allowed to be upset if he pulls a ball left off the tee, or misses a makeable putt. But who among us hasn’t screamed something that we wouldn’t want our Mother to hear after missing a four foot putt? I am thankful that the media wasn’t there the day I flew a seemingly easy 60 yard wedge shot over the green that wound up costing me three strokes; after the ball landed I took my 60 degree wedge and snapped it over my knee, all that with a $7 bet on the line. Golf can be an emotional sport, and it can be one of the most frustrating sports in the world. If you played it for a living, you would expect every shot to be perfect, and when it wasn’t you are going to be upset, you’re going to say something you shouldn’t, and you’re probably going to act in a manner that you won’t be proud of a couple hours later. All Tiger’s attitude does is show us that the unflappable machine that we have pictured Tiger as for all these years is actually human.
The more I think about it, the more I think that I am just as hypocritical as the people I have complained about many times. I enjoy watching Tiger play, and I hope he wins every week. I’ve never felt that way about a front runner before seeing as I’m always rooting against the Yankees, the Lakers, or the $&@$%#! Colts, but I love the fact that Tiger still has a shot to beat Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 majors. In the fall of 2010 that record seemed like it was destined to fall, but here lately questions have arose whether Tiger at the age of 35 can win five more majors at the rate he is going right now. Jack won six majors after his 35th birthday, but he didn’t have the weight and media pressure that Tiger has hanging over him, and he never had to go through the type of things Tiger has in his personal life. It will remain to be seen, but personally, I hope he pulls it together and does break the record. I hope he becomes the greatest golfer that ever lived, because despite all that has gone on he is still the most amazing golfer I have ever seen, and that I may ever see in my lifetime. You may get tired of ESPN putting him before the rest of the field; reading the bottom line that shows his score before the leaders. You may grow tired of watching him be the lead when young players like Mcilroy, Brandt Snedeker, and Kevin Streelman deserve it much more than he does, but I’m sorry I don’t. I think those guys are amazing talents, but in the end I’m still going to root for Tiger. Friday evening I watched the replayed coverage of the Masters since my pesky job wouldn’t allow me to stay home and watch it all day like I wanted to. What I saw was a fist-pumping excited Tiger Woods that resembled the Tiger of old. It gave me hope that he would be able to return to his old self and put all the nonsense behind him. No matter what he does, if he goes on to demolish Nicklaus’ record, or if he never wins a tournament again, my first question will always be, “How did Tiger do?”
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2 comments:
Nobody ever can doubt that Woods is probably the greatest golfer ever. But....he was more than that....he was a modern day hero, as a matter of fact he was the only modern day hero. I remember saying that it was unfortunate that the president was Obama rather than him. But then BAM: the obvious lying about the incident and then the following revelations as to conduct and image. Too much to take, actually one of the biggest disappoints of my life. It is unfortunate that his father passed and was unable to control and guide him. The $$$$ the attention, the uncontrolled adulation would destroy most men. So for me at least, I feel like a woman scorned, and I harbor a lot of ill will towards him. I just wish that somehow it could be made right and forgettable.
wow, I've never heard anyone speak so passionate about Tiger Woods before. I guess since I am not a golf fan I really could care less about what Tiger does on or off the course. But, I will say this.....everything is unforgivable until the "unforgivable" affects us directly. That's why judging people is definitely not always in our best interest. That's my two cents.
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