Tiger Woods is alive. That’s all that really matters.
If he never swings a golf club again, much less plays in the Masters Tournament, that’s OK with me.
Unless you’ve been in deep seclusion, you probably saw the news a few days ago that Woods was seriously injured in a one-vehicle crash.
When I first saw the news on Twitter, I thought it was a sick joke.
A media member in Southern California reported that Woods had been injured in a car crash near Los Angeles and that emergency crews had to extricate him from the vehicle.
The news was soon confirmed by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and not long after that images of a horrific car accident were being shown on all of the major cable news shows.
Twitter, predictably, went off the rails as people speculated on everything from why he crashed to what his future holds.
Ironically, just two days before the wreck, Woods did an on-air interview with CBS’ Jim Nantz during the final round of the Genesis Invitational. Woods was there as the tournament host; he hadn’t played since the Father-Son event late last year, and in late December he underwent a surgical procedure on his back.
When Nantz asked if he planned to be at the Masters, Woods responded with “God, I hope so.”
But he admitted that his activities had been limited. I got the feeling that he was doubtful to play Augusta this year.
Woods has lived his entire adult life in a fishbowl. He’s experienced incredible highs with 82 PGA Tour victories, including 15 major championships, and made millions through on-course earnings and endorsements. His lows have been pretty spectacular, too: extramarital affairs that led to his divorce and an arrest on suspicion of DUI when police found him asleep behind the wheel of his car with the engine still running.
I’ve followed Woods’ career for nearly 30 years, and his accomplishments are nothing short of amazing. After winning the 1997 Masters in record fashion, Woods really set golf on its ear in the summer of 2000. He won the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach in spectacular fashion, then at St. Andrews he completed the career grand slam by winning the British Open.
I got to go cover the PGA Championship that year at Valhalla, and Woods won a memorable playoff against journeyman Bob May. Eight months later, I was on hand when Woods completed the “Tiger Slam” by beating the field at the Masters.
My favorite Tiger memory, though, is from a couple of years ago. He won the Masters for a fifth time, and the image of him hugging his son, Charlie, and loved ones when he came off the 18th green still sticks with me. The chants of “Tiger” as he made his way to the clubhouse seemed to last forever.
tigerMany people consider Tiger to be the GOAT – Greatest of All Time. It’s a moniker we as a society throw around freely, with a bias toward recent performers. Woods is certainly worthy of the title, even though a certain golfer in North Palm Beach, Fla., could argue that point with his 18 major titles. But I digress.
What can’t be disputed is Tiger’s immeasurable impact on modern golf. He influenced everything from prize money, television contracts and “Tiger proofing” courses to make them longer and harder. He also inspired a couple of generations to take up the game, and showed that minorities could succeed in the game at the highest level.
A year ago, in the wake of Tiger’s comeback win at the Masters, I asked Aiken golfer Kevin Kisner about Tiger’s impact.
“Obviously, the motivation to see how great you could be is a big key to his success. He’s one of, if not the best, players of all time,” Kisner said. “I’ve played a few practice rounds with him and notice that he treats Tuesday like Thursday at a major championship, and that’s why he’s been so successful.”
A healthy Tiger Woods makes golf more interesting when he’s engaged and competitive. But he’s given us more than enough highlights during his career. At this point, I’m rooting for him to be able to play with his kids and live a normal life.
If we’ve learned anything about Tiger, it’s to never count him out.
Thanks for reading.
