Tiger Woods: Out of The Woods

admin — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 06:35:54 +0000

This is not a simple up and down par save. No various assortments of skillful shots will be able to help Tiger through this predicament. Regardless of what the man does throughout the rest of his career he will always be defined by what has surfaced since Thanksgiving. Just in case you haven’t been paying attention to the biggest sports story of 2009 let me give you the abbreviated version; Tiger Woods was in a car accident, has been “allegedly” involved with multiple women other than his wife, and his sponsors/world is crumbling around him. It is a story that keeps snowballing and its unique aspects will be analyzed. I would like to touch on but a few of those, including its impact on golf, his family, and his future. And Like Tiger I will attempt to sort out this mess…
First of all, let us try to get a grasp on the magnitude of this story. The Tiger Woods saga was on the front page of the New York Post for a record 20 days, passing a little story called 9/11. Unbelievable that with so much else going on in our world that this story has this kind of impact, but that is another argument for another time. There are no parallels to this. Some say it’s a lot like the Kobe Bryant situation but guess what Tiger is much bigger than Kobe. According to Forbes magazine, Woods is the first billion dollar athlete. He is a brand that makes the sport of golf relevant, and what do these events say about the sport of golf which is supposedly a gentlemen’s game? He has tarnished the game, his image, and most importantly the relationship with his family. Be that as it may, it probably won’t affect him on the course.
Tiger will come back to golf and will continue to be the best. He will go on to break Jack Nicklaus’ majors winning record and may be remembered as the best in the history of golf. Unfortunately for Tiger none of these accomplishments can undo what he has done. Although his actions will never be forgotten, playing and playing well is the only way he will be able to move on. Let’s be honest, whether you love Tiger or love to hate Tiger, we all want to see him back on the golf course. Worst case scenario, he’s back by The Masters.
None of that matters to Elin Nordegren, also known as Mrs. Woods. We all know he cheated not only because of the accusations but because Tiger himself has apologized for his discretions. Whether he cheated with 12 women (as the media is reporting), 6 women or 1 woman it doesn’t matter. All those numbers address are the severity of his personal problem. Tiger is human, he has problems (major problems) and it has cost him not only from a financial standpoint. We all know Elin didn’t bash out the back of Tiger’s ride to save him from the big bad fire hydrant. She did a number on not only the car but rumor is to his trophy room and his face (broken nose, chipped teeth, possibly more). Although this is purely speculative it does make sense because he is yet to make a public appearance. Not only is Elin going to abandon ship, so are many of his sponsors. Accenture and AT&T are some of what is sure to be only a taste of what is to come. Tiger like any other human being should be and is paying for what he has done.
It is the story that never ends. More and more women claim to being with Tiger as his world continues to unravel. Woods’ real colors don’t consist of his Sunday red. Even though he asks for privacy, he shall receive none here. He didn’t want privacy when he was making his billion dollars. You can’t pick and choose when you want to be famous. The true Tiger has come out of the Woods.

Words: Cliff Pyron
Photos courtesy of Hutton Harris

A Week at the Masters

admin — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 01:03:33 +0000

by Cliff Pyron

Even if you are not a golf enthusiast there is just something special about The Masters. This tournament is the unofficial start to the PGA tour season and sets the tone for the year in golf. There are more interesting storylines going into this tournament and the golf year than can be remembered in recent history. I am writing this article on Friday from Augusta, bringing you a firsthand look at the golfers of yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Today was the final round at The Masters for two of golf’s most legendary players in Gary Player and Fuzzy Zoeller. Player, 73, received a standing ovation on almost every hole and is in phenomenal shape. He paved the way for international players to play the game in the United States. The respect for this man in the golf world is shown in his pairing with Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus in the annual par-three tournament on Wednesday at Augusta. Seeing them together was truly an amazing experience that I will tell my kids about some day. Enough with the sentimental junk, lets break down the actual competitors…

Every golf conversation starts and ends with Tiger Woods. We are witnessing the greatest golfer and perhaps the greatest athlete of all time in Tiger. Fresh off knee surgery and a win at Bay Hill, Tiger looks to prey on his competitors this year and return to his dominant ways. So far through two rounds Tiger is -2 and may be too far from the leaders to make a run but is probably looking at a top-ten finish. When you see him you feel like you are in the presence of someone special and to be honest he doesn’t even look real, but this highly decorated profes-sional is going to return to his winning ways sooner rather than later regardless of how he finishes at Augusta.
Although he may never truly be the rival to Tiger that the media makes him out to be, Phil Mickelson is the underrated player of the people. His sincerity and kindness coupled with his overshadowed accomplishments make him one of the most loved players on tour. Phil obviously has the talent to be dominant it is just his mental game that sometimes hurts him. Already with two wins on the season and competing thus far at The Masters, look for Phil to put together perhaps his greatest year since 2004 (when he won The Masters, finished second at the US Open and second at the British).

Other possible threats for this year include Padraig Harrington who won two majors in Tiger’s absence last year. Current Fed-Ex points leader Geoff Ogilvy will also be in the mix after his hot start. It could also be Sergio Garcia’s year as long as he focuses on his game rather than the ladies that follow him around. But the one player to watch out for is 48-year-old Kenny Perry. He is tied for the lead here at The Masters, has already won this year, and debatably had the best season of any player on tour last year. He’s not flashy but he has such a solid game. The aged Perry is successfully putting off his stint on the Champions Tour and unlike these young guns will not bow to Tiger Woods.

It should be an outstanding year on the PGA Tour. Watch it to witness greatness, watch it to see lasting tradition, and watch it because it is the best sport to watch in HD!

TWP Magazine » Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods: Out of The Woods

A Week at the Masters