The Tiger Woods Watch has reached DEFCON 1 as the entire sports world awaits his return. There are rumblings that Tiger will make his umpteenth come back appearance at each and every tournament on the PGA Tour schedule.
While the scene of his comeback is still a mystery the fact that he is close to being healthy isn’t. He’s been seen hitting balls at clinics and course openings and a few insiders have witnessed Woods go after the ball at full speed so he’s close.
While most of the golf— sports, media I should say is waiting with immeasurable anticipation not everyone worships at the Tiger Woods Alter.
John Feinstein is a leader among those that have called out Tiger over the years for his boorish behavior and total disregard for anyone with a media credential.
Earl Woods raised Tiger as an only child, even though Earl had other children from a previous marriage. And he instilled in Tiger a singular focus to be the best golfer in the world. As a young Tiger was growing up worshiping his father as many children do Earl was being unfaithful to his mom on a very regular basis.
Tiger had come to worship a man who molded him to an assassin on the golf course but at the same time he also acquired a few of his dad’s faults.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I believe his father ruined his life. He raised his son to believe that the only person he could and should trust was him—and then he betrayed him by repeatedly cheating on his mother.
I can’t even imagine the kind of pain that caused Woods. Any son in that situation would feel sick about it but given Earl’s overbearing presence in Tiger’s life from the very beginning, the pain must have been—and probably still is—unbearable.
Which is why when people say I don’t like Tiger, I correct them and say that, more than anything, I pity Tiger. I don’t like the way he’s treated people throughout much of his adult life—notably his children and his wife, but all sorts of people who have crossed his path who he didn’t consider important enough to treat with courtesy. There’s an old saying that you judge someone by how they treat those who can’t do anything for them. Tiger’s flunked that test pretty consistently.
I, like tens of millions of golf fans was captivated by Tiger’s on course heroics. After all who doesn’t want to be witness to history.
But after his downfall exposed him for the serial philanderer he was and a phony with an image contrived by his team I saw Tiger for what he was: selfish, immoral and clueless to other people’s needs.
Feinstein is one of those who wonders aloud how Woods is still the center of the golf world.
Which brings me back to where I began this morning: the world’s ongoing fascination with Eldrick Tont Woods. To some degree, I understand it: the guy is the greatest golfer in history. And, for years, he transcended golf—mostly with his game, but also with a carefully crafted image created by his agents and his sponsors.
What I don’t get is this: We all know now that image was a mirage, no more real than Donald Trump’s hair. One would think that, at least to some degree, Woods would be out of sight, out of mind at this point.
It isn’t as if golf isn’t full of terrific young players; players who, for the most part, embrace the spotlight and the public. Rory McIlroy, Jason Day and Jordan Spieth—who have all won majors and been ranked No. 1 in the world—embrace the notion that part of their job is to spend time interacting with fans and, yes, the media. Rickie Fowler is much the same way although he hasn’t won a major yet.
And Feinstein relates a classic Jordan Spieth story which illustrates the immense difference between Woods who hates the media and Spieth who embraces all that comes with being a top player.
Last year at The PGA Championship I was standing outside the media center talking to Mike Davis, who is the executive director of the U.S. Golf Association. We looked up to see Spieth, running—not jogging, RUNNING—in our direction.
“Just wanted to say hello Mr. Davis,” he said, shaking hands.
“Jordan, is someone chasing you?” I asked.
He laughed. “No, but I have to get inside to talk to the media right away.”
Still not getting it I said, “I’m betting they’ll wait for you.”
He nodded. “I know,” he said. “But there were a bunch of kids back there I didn’t get a chance to sign for. I promised them if they waited, I’d come back and sign when I finish inside.”
With that, he shook our hands and—again—sprinted inside. Davis shook his head.
“He’s the U.S. Open champion and I can’t convince him to call me Mike,” he said.
Classic Spieth, all the way.
While the majority of the golf media is under orders to get Tiger’s name in an article at least five times a day, Feinstein is clearly not.
He just likes to take him down whenever he feels like it.
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