sportsfanIQ

The initial developments of this story are, by now, old.  The timing of my thoughts, though, have nothing to do with the most recent details of what is seeming to be a multi-layered tale, told mostly by the media.  

It took me a few days to process the magnitude of what Tiger Woods admitted to, when he professed his rumored "transgressions."  And although it has taken me almost two weeks to decide where I stand, I still feel as though his actions, and the impact they'll have on the game of golf and fans of athletes in general, have not yet fully sunk in.

Does Tiger Woods owe me, or anyone else for that matter an explanation of what happened outside his Windermere, FL home?  No.  Just because we buy the products he endorses, or swing the equipment he uses does not entitle us to the intimacies of his relationships, plural. 

Unfortunately, the true consequence is the damage done to the sport he plays, which prospered with each successful moment Tiger attained.  

Regardless of the steps Woods takes to repair his image, it's too late to recapture the casual fans, the ones who tune in on Sunday to witness Tiger walk another eighteen on his way to yet another championship.      

Personally, my admiration for his athletic abilities will never waver.  He still performs a game that eludes the majority of us at a level we're unable to fathom.  His personal life has always been private to most.  And for that, it isn't difficult to separate the before and after of this still unfolding story.  

But for the fan that was attracted to golf because of what Tiger embodied: focus, determination, and of course, family, they're gone.  And they ain't coming back.  For all the wives of golf fans that sat watching on Sunday afternoons simply because Tiger was in hunt, their interest has officially expired.  

Don't get me wrong.  I feel no sympathy for Tiger Woods.  I do, however, feel sad for the game of golf and sports as a whole.  Living in the era that we do, where athletes' finances are so superior to most occupations, provides an element of immortality for the elite competitors of sports.

This enables leagues or associations to market their lead figures in such an iconic way that any accomplishment they attain elevates their respective sport to enormous levels.  

Tiger Woods will win championships and, who knows, perhaps become more inspired to break Jack Nicklaus' majors record of 18 sooner than he planned.  But the lead up to this task has been altered in such a way that history will have no choice but to tarnish the journey.  

Tiger Woods lost face when he crashed his SUV outside his home. 

But golf lost its ambassador.  

Okay, this humble writer will admit it—Tiger Woods is not invincible.

He has officially been taken off his pedestal and, at least for now, stripped of his title, "God of Golf." Because in all fairness, treating him this way—the way the entire PGA world treats him—puts more pressure on everything he does.

After Woods held a four stroke lead going into the third round of the PGA Championship, one stroke off the record five, he was all but proclaimed the winner.

And could anyone argue?

History told us with any lead, let alone four strokes, Tiger dominates. He was 8 for 8 having led or been tied in a major after two rounds and 14 for 14 after three. Judging by these numbers, we came to expect nothing less than victory on Sunday. But this time, that wasn't the case.

Y.E. Yang beat Tiger at his own game—sort of. Although Woods has never come back to win a major the way Yang did, Y.E. held his composure down the stretch and hit a clutch 206-yard shot to within eight feet on 18, practically hitting the pin in the process.

After Woods left his approach shots on 17 and 18 in the heavy rough, slightly off the green, he was unable to get up and down, and bogeyed both en route to a subpar 75 round.

But that wasn't the fascinating part.

Having studied Woods since he burst on the majors' scene in 1997, his crumbling demeanor was awe-inspiring. This Sunday, on 18, for the first time, his head was down, his shoulders slouched, and his mind adrift.

Someone close to me suggested he's not as mentally tough as he once was. And maybe not. Even the great Jack Nicklaus, when asked about Tiger's chances of catching his record 18 majors, remarked how unpredictable it can be once he has a family to worry about.

So is Tiger weakening in his mind or is his game fading?

If you ask me, it's neither. The reason we all become so shocked when Tiger fails is because we've come to expect so much thus far. Maybe for once, the pressure is finally off him and he'll excel to even greater heights.

Maybe next time, when faced with similar conditions, instead of 14 for 14, he'll be 14 for 15, he'll be able to go out there and do what he does best—win.

Tiger has always placed enormous emphasis on winning majors, so when he doesn't, it's his own fault any failure is deemed so large. But honestly, he's won five tournaments since coming back from knee surgery—more than anyone else in that time. And finishing second in a major is still pretty good.

Will Tiger catch Jack? This writer is still betting yes.

But please stop expecting a Tiger Slam or some other Godly feat each time he walks to the first tee box. Because after this past Sunday, at age 33, the once fully-armored Tiger Woods appeared human.

 

News flash to the entire PGA Tour: your eight-month window of opportunity officially closes today at 2:20PM.  At this moment, the greatest golfer every to swing a club will tee off, thus ending his absence due to reconstructive knee surgery.   In order to show how much this window will be closing, let's analyze Tiger's five performances in 2008, culminating with his 14th Major victory at the U.S. Open.

In January of 08, Tiger was victorious at the Buick Invitational.  His 19 under par separated him from second place by 8 strokes.  If not for this victory, Ryuji Imada (don't worry, I've never heard of him either) would have taken home his 2nd win of 2008.  Phil Michelson, the #2 player in the world finished 6 under par; 13 strokes off Tiger's pace.

A month later, Tiger prevailed at this weekend's event: The WGC Accenture Match Play Championship.  This format is the fields' best shot at defeating Tiger.  As any golfer knows, anyone can have a bad day.  Shoot one off round and you're eliminated.  Last year, though, Tiger didn't simply eek out a victory; he handled Stewart Cink 8 and 7 on the final day.  For all those who aren't familiar with match play, 8 and 7 means Tiger was 8 holes up with only 7 to play.  Basically, Tiger put in a little over a half days' work to take the championship.  

In his next tournament, Tiger once again roared at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.  This time, he outlasted 45 year-old Bart Bryant by 1 stroke and deprived Bryant of his only shot at a 2008 victory.  Woods birdied the 18th hole for the win and left Bryant to contemplate a world without Tiger.  

Just a week later, Tiger finally seemed human when he finished 5th at the World Golf Championship.  Granted, he only fell 2 strokes off the leader, but for Geoff Ogilvy, the eventual winner, Jim Furyk, Vijay Singh and Retief Goosen, it must have been a relief to again realize that Tiger was able to be tamed.

This feeling definitely resonated for Trevor Immelman when he walked 18 holes on Sunday at Augusta and left triumphant.  Having already won 4 green jackets and pursuing his 14th Major, Woods left Georgia defeated for a 3rd straight year, with the last two having finished a lone second.  For a man who prides himself on collecting Majors, and is still pursuing a "natural" Tiger Slam (all 4 majors in the same calendar year), this lost left a bad taste in his mouth.  Tiger's next foe was warned.  

And that brings us to Rocco Mediate.  Rocco stood stroke for stroke with the almighty Tiger and had him knocked down on the last hole of the U.S Open, twice.   Both times, Tiger showed why he is #1 as he birdied the final hole in regulation to force a playoff, and again birdied 18 in the playoff to force more golf.  Rocco finally succumbed to the "Tiger" force and embraced Tiger afterward with a hug.  This gesture appeared more helpless than anything else.  Can you blame him?

Finally, as Tiger limped off into his eight-month hiatus, the PGA released a collective sigh of relief.  In doing, they realized their chance to shine was upon them.  The only one to rise up, however, was Padraig Harrington who won the next two Majors (British and PGA Championship).  Sure, there were others.  Vijay Singh took home three wins, including the FedEx Cup; Camilo Villegas took home two; and even Davis Love III took home one.

But Tiger Woods dominates his sport like no other athlete can.  He presented the PGA with a glimpse of what a Tigerless Tour would look like.  In it, ratings lagged, no future prominent star rose up, and the #2 player in the world waited until two weeks prior to Tiger's return to take home a victory.  For eight months it was anybody's time.  Now, there's only one game in town.  And he goes by the name of Eldrick "Tiger" Woods.