A Matter of Tiger

In sports, you have certain numbers that mean something specific. Whether it’s a score, a statistic, a line, or otherwise, we as sports fans cannot live without numbers. In golf, the number 72 is a measuring stick between above and below average. Scoring par on each hole on a course is considered a good score for us amateurs. The pros, more often than not, need to score under par. 5 under par, 7 under par, 11 under par. Whatever it may be, those pros need to be in “red numbers.” Eldrick “Tiger” Woods has never shot for anything over par. However the number 72 means something now to Mr. Woods.

                Tiger Woods outlasted Graeme McDowell and others to win the 2012 Arnold Palmer Bay Hill Invitational last week. His career wins on the PGA tour is now just one behind a man named Jack Nicklaus. Sunday’s win not only gave Tiger his 72^nd career win, but it was his first win since the BMW Championship in September 2009. In case you are counting at home, that’s 924 days between wins for Tiger. Also in that time, there have been 72 different winners on the PGA tour. There’s that number again, 72. Numbers have meant everything to Woods. Since day one, he has had his eyes on Nicklaus’ eighteen majors. Tiger has fourteen. Just a few years ago, it seemed just a matter of time that Tiger would reach and eclipse Jack’s eighteen. However, life happened along the way. That is, a different life than what the public expected from the Superman of the links. We all expect the greatest athletes of our time to be good people. We expect them to follow our family values. We can’t understand why things go wrong for these athletes. But things went way wrong for Tiger, and he had no one to blame but himself. Let’s just say the affairs with the number of women tallied higher than 72. His wife, Elin, divorced him in 2010 after his attempts at reconciliation and his therapy sessions for sex addiction. Tiger had not only hit rock bottom at home, but his game was also nowhere to be found. He lost his #1 world ranking for the 1^st time in 281 weeks. Plenty of people, reporters, peers and fans felt that Tiger would never be the same. He may be a competitive golfer, but never the Tiger we grew to love. And it is true; he won’t ever be the same. He won’t ever win the career slam, holding each grand slam trophy at the same time. And that just may be what makes Tiger bigger in the future than ever before.

                We as the general public are shocked and disappointed when our sports heroes fall from grace. After holding the world heavyweight championship belt, Muhammad Ali spent three years in jail after refusing to enter the Vietnam War draft. When he got out, he became a bigger icon, winning the belt two more times. Michael Jordan had won three straight NBA titles when he decided to spend a year and a half playing minor league baseball. He came back and won three more titles ascending further and further above his peers. Look at music. Frank Sinatra was a big star in the 1930’s and 40’s, but he was broke by 1950 and even tried to commit suicide. He battled back and became a bigger star behind the mic and on the silver screen. Tiger has this same opportunity. Can you imagine Tiger winning a couple of majors in 2012 and capping the year by leading his team to a victory in the Ryder Cup on American soil? Don’t put it past him. He is not only very capable of this, but is also considered the favorite going into next week’s Masters. Not only would a couple more wins pass Jack in career victories, it could inch him closer to Jack in career majors.

                What I said earlier about us not wanting our stars to fall from grace is absolutely true. However, there is a small part within us that gets a kick out of the best in sports battling adversity, and then rising above and beyond that adversity. I have said it before, people need winners. And regardless of what the critics say, Tiger is a winner. Maybe he is not a winner in his family life, but he is in the world of sports, especially when he met and exceeded everyone’s expectations. Maybe even his own. How often have we seen athletes rise to the occasion time after time after time? That is one of the reason we still root for Tiger. That is the reason TV ratings skyrocket when Tiger is in contention on Sunday. We push him. We are with him on every putt.  We follow him on every fairway.  If Tiger becomes the greatest winner of them all on the tour, he will not only go down as the greatest golfer of all-time, but he will put his name at or near the top of best sports athletes of all-time, joining the likes of Jordan and Ali as transcending figures in sports. Regardless if you root for or against Tiger, one thing is for certain. He does makes golf watchable on TV. And Tiger will win the Masters again. Whether it’s this year or next year or down the line. Don’t worry, it’s just a matter of Tiger.