Golf and Tiger ("the beast has lost its teeth")
I was never a Tiger fan but I am now.
Regardless of his egregious transgressions, he was, and still is, good for the game of golf for many reasons, not the least of which is that he's undeniably one of the 2 greatest players in history, and he's still alive (with some, albeit diminished, potential). He dropped off the planet because of an unforeseen confluence of serious circumstances: injuries, ridiculous swing changes, and the mental/emotional ramifications following the fiasco with his wife (and long list of "others"). It was enough to crumble the greatest pinnacle ever reached by any sports participant.
Tiger was unbeatable at a game which pitted one participant against the field, and he was so dominant that he not only unalterably entered the minds of his foes, but he relentlessly and ruthlessly savaged the psyches of each one to the point of their cowering at his feet in a perpetual race for second place. The fall from grace was lengthened because of the heights he had reached, and equally dramatic. It's more of a personal tragedy than anything. He was a real-life tragic hero, as we all read about in literature. He too had a character flaw, around which most novels dwelled, and it required his demise just as much as it did for the
fallen heroes of fiction. He had already lost his Dad (for whom he truly played--another story altogether) and his most capable teacher Butch Harmon, but now he would lose his wife, his best friend and caddy Steve Williams, and since he was never close to his mom, he had no one left to run to, so he retreated to his shell irreparably damaged. Recognizing the immeasurable role that the mental aspect of golf plays in one's ability to excel physically, recovery was virtually impossible. The planets must align for the physical freedom to soar.
A comeback would necessarily have to include these: freedom from injury (tough for a sport in which the spine, knees, and shoulders undergo such a violent and repetitive torquing by a powerful athlete), rewards from the swing changes (not going to happen in midst of back issues), and a regaining of support from fans and writers after repentance (which wasn't going to happen in a short time, if ever). Tiger's sudden resurgence of late, although slow to come, is a ray of hope for a game in which many love to have a clear leader or dominant superstar for whom to cheer. And Tiger had already provided the perfect idol to envelope with adoration. A half African-American and half Asian seemed the perfect alternative to the previous stereotypical white hero type who dominated golf for decades.
He was unique and he was invincible. His "subjects" bowed down to him in defeat even before he teed up the golf ball, and that was consistently noted by all the commentators and writers witnessing his exploits. When he comes back, if ever, most fans will be happy again, and for me, I cannot disagree with that distant hope. I suffered when literature's tragic heroes fell because I like heroes. That's ultimately why I changed my mind and decided to support Tiger. I want every player to be at his best, including Tiger, and then we can enjoy the greatest display of golf on its highest plane, as it's ideally intended. Anything less is not as satisfying.
Of course, golf is a game of peaks and valleys for "normal" players----when a swing gimmick works one week and fails the next, so although my ideal scenario seldom if ever happens (for everyone to be at their best at all times), it's still what we hope for. After the fall, Tiger was searching for a game that didn't involve gimmicks (more like small tweaks), but never found it. So, finally Tiger is working through the swing mess, has regained most of his health, has put the indiscretions behind him, and is seeing some semblance of his former game, but imho, he's got a long way to go. I think he's NOT going to get there.
Nicklaus will end up with the greatest record ever, and it's doubtful any one player will ever dominate like Nicklaus did (or the "former" Tiger). If not for the circumstances that brought down Tiger, I believe he would not only have surpassed Nicklaus's record, but he would have annihilated it. Even Nicklaus knows this in his heart. He has never said it outright, but he has alluded to it. I hear it in his voice----a sense of relief that his own record will stand. He doles out plaudits to Woods, as rightly he should, but he's being gracious at best. Nicklaus dodged the most sure bullet ever fired, and at point blank range. After all, the true Nicklaus is all about Nicklaus, and history was and is his driving force. Anyone heard of the Memorial Golf Tournament? As for Tiger's sudden spat with the guillotine, "C'est la vie". Tiger isn't the first hero to fall and won't be the last, but in my mind he was the greatest. To confirm, ask Nicklaus.
In today's world Jordan Spieth is the acknowledged heir apparent, the "superman du jour", but suddenly here comes Jason Day, of whom Spieth says after the recent PGA victory by Day, "There was nothing I could do..." Now THAT'S a sudden jolt, but good for the game, and suggests that even the golden boy Spieth won't reach the point where everybody hands him the trophy after the first round. Good. But Spieth has it all, and at a very young age. I do not say, "Will he win?", but "What will keep him from winning?", having seen his ability and his demeanor. Answer, probably occasional fierce competition from his peers at their best, or (hopefully not) another set of unfortunate circumstances. He's not going to be denied too often, and the trophies will accumulate on his mantel.
Day, McIlroy, and a slew of rising young players like Brooks Koepka and Justin Thomas will soon enter the fray for the majors, and Tiger's back will again keep him in check down the road. Golf is too unforgiving in that regard, and the clock never stops ticking. (Whether he previously used steroids is debatable, and another story, so his body cannot rely on that. I personally, alone or not, believe he did, in spite of denials by his former caddy, but I'll defer to history's playing out for that. Some day we'll know.) His day is done, imho, but he'll have a few good showings, and I sincerely HOPE he does well, for the good of the game and for the hope he instilled in many young players.
I said that his successful return would be good for the game of golf (alluding to a rightful place for sports heroes and their charisma), but it would equally be good for the game of life, in that it would teach that character flaws can affect anyone at any level, and more importantly that they can bring anyone down. Perhaps that is the real lesson for his young admirers, and might serve well to guide their paths.
There surely was no one ever like him, but circumstances happened and he was cut off, and it's unfortunate for those like me (now) who desire golf to be the quintessential arena for individuals to wage battle. A battle with a steel golf club is as close to a swashbuckling sword fight as we'll get in today's world, and I always liked that. Having competed myself at a fairly decent level leaves me in utter appreciation for what the current stars can do with a golf ball. "Shock and awe" seems just as appropriate for a golf course as a battlefield venue.
Jason Day was unconscious in the PGA, and on a golf course that was simultaneously spectacular and insanely dangerous, he cut it up like Zorro on a mission. As Spieth said, "It was a stripe show." Only excellent golfers know what that fully means because it involves how a perfectly executed golf shot both feels and appears in flight, and it's THE ultimate compliment, especially when placed in the same paragraph alongside "There was nothing I could do".
As for Day, I hope it's a renewed case of "I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant", as he is firstly a gentleman and a wonderful human being, and secondly a golfer with rare ability who is finally separating himself from his fellow competitors. But so is Spieth, and so is McIlroy----all men of great talent and exemplary character, equally worthy of the pedestal. They quite possibly pose a real and present danger to disturb that rarefied air of history's golfing elite, and the quest will be compelling to witness. Tiger's not fully back and may never be, but capable men are emerging from the shadows of the arena tunnel, and the game will be all the better. So we have much to anticipate, we armchair golfers.
I'm sure all the players wish for Tiger's return to greatness, and feel renewed that he is showing positive signs. After all, Tiger was likely their idol not long ago. I could easily imagine Jason Day saying something like, "Good on ya, Tiger. Welcome back." Likewise we fans all hope for Tiger's recovery too, but now we are seeing that he must face a brand new onslaught of young lions who never knew of, or succumbed to, Tiger's aura of invincibility. Bottom line, when such great young players are continuing to rise to the top of the leaderboards, the game's magnetism is again reeling us in. And in a game where things can turn so quickly, the quest to be the last man standing is a show I don't wish to miss.
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