Losing his stripes - the fall from grace of Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods has bigger problems these days than trying to stay ahead of Phil Mickelson.
Lon Horwedel | AnnArbor.com
Maybe I’m so intrigued by his situation because I’m a golfer myself. Or maybe it’s my love of history (and let’s face it, Tiger Woods is a historical figure in our culture, like it or not). But for me, my fascination with Woods started kicking into high gear in October of 1999.
At the time Woods had just won his second major and helped the United States Ryder Cup team win back the cup from Europe. All the signs were there for super-stardom.
But on October 25th, 1999, the golf world cared little about Tiger Woods or his enormous potential. Instead, our attention was tuned into two-time U.S. Open champion Payne Stewart and his private jet, which was silently streaking several thousand miles off course before running out of fuel and death-spiraling into a South Dakota farm. It was then and there that I had the sickening premonition that “something really bad is going to happen to Tiger Woods.”
Tiger Woods tees off during the 2004 Ryder Cup at Oakland Hills Country Club when life was good for the world's most popular athlete.
Lon Horwedel | AnnArbor.com
“He won’t acknowledge me because I’m a grown up.” I told them. “But he might say hi to you.”
Sure enough, as Woods walked by us on the first fairway, my girls shouted out, “Hi Tiger!” and to his credit, he stopped in his tracks, turned toward them, and then smiled and waved. They nearly peed their pants.
To see Tiger in action is truly spectacular. He has an aura, a focus, which is unrivaled. He does things on a golf course that defy logic and reason (and sometimes physics). It’s rare when he doesn’t pull off the seemingly impossible.
But despite my intrigue and respect for his talent, I’ve never been a big fan of Woods. I always found his behavior to be boorish. His club-throwing, spitting and incessant use of obscenities seemed immature to me, and he treated photographers with absolute disdain, often dispatching his thug/caddie Steve Williams to rough up a lensman or two if they, God forbid, snapped off a picture of Woods at the wrong time.
It’s not that I don’t like Tiger so much as I always kind of felt sorry for him. Though most golfers I know would have loved to have been Tiger Woods, I never in million years would have traded places with him - even before he was found to be a fraud.
Tiger never seemed happy to me. And when somebody supposedly has everything - immense talent, fame, fortune, a beautiful wife and two beautiful kids - and then throw it all away, were they ever really happy?
Tiger was our (golfer’s) Santa Claus. He wore the same color red, he always came through in the clutch, and he did things that seemed impossible. The only difference is, unlike Santa, who we put our faith in cookie crumbs and an empty glass of milk as proof of existence, we actually saw Tiger perform his magic.
Now we feel like we’ve all been had. We don’t know what to believe. It’s like we’re all third-graders again, the ones who stood up for Santa when our classmates laughed at us and told us he wasn’t real. But he was real - he had to be real. Right? Imagine our disappointment when we found out our classmates weren’t lying.
So something terrible did happen to Tiger Woods. It turns out he isn’t real after all. At least not the way we hoped or thought.
And that is sad.
Lon Horwedel is a photojournalist with AnnArbor.com. You may contact him at lonhorwedel@annarbor.com.
Comments
Cindy
Thu, Jan 21, 2010 : 10:03 a.m.
I was at the Ryder Cup when it was held at Oakland Hills Country Club. My friend and I were so excited because we saw Tiger Woods on the practice putting green and were able to get within 10 feet of him. To the left of us was an approximately 10 year old boy who obviously idolized Tiger. He kept yelling "Tiger, Tiger" over and over again. Not ONCE did Tiger smile, wave or even look at this kid! That was the day I stopped liking Tiger Woods.
racerx
Wed, Jan 13, 2010 : 5:06 a.m.
Curious, has any other people received a "personal" reply from you posts like I did from Lon? This guy cribbed my email address to send me a "personal" reply. Granted, what I posted probably didn't go over well with him, but gee, get a life and please don't "personally" reply back to me!
treetowncartel
Mon, Jan 11, 2010 : 4:41 p.m.
This is old news, and really not news at all. there was a great little tournament in Hawaiii this wekend. I would have rather read a golf article about that. You still could have taken a one sentence shot at Tiger and noted his absence from that tourney, since he effectively took 6 slots from it with his victories last year.
Blklight
Mon, Jan 11, 2010 : 10:12 a.m.
Lon you're about 2 weeks too late with this, we've all moved on thank you for giving us your opinion but this story is DEAD. Leave Tiger Woods to his personal life, because it is none of our business! I agree fully with A2dave, tater and racerx..time to move on and let this "story" go
racerx
Mon, Jan 11, 2010 : 1:30 a.m.
@A2Dave: Thanks! Finally! Sane, responsible and couragous response to ONE person's dribble who has an audience. As millions of others I'm sure Lon will be glued to the TV set when and if Tiger returns. And thanks so much for the Babe Ruth reference! The piling on is increbile, but regular people everyday has the same "trangressions" and divorce courts are filled with them. It is only these weak minded people who hold athletes, movie stars, etc., up on a pedestal as if they are more than human. When they fall and crash, like regular people do, then have your world crash with them. It's just so relentless that people think these people are "more than us" regular people. Stop reading People, US Weekly, OK! Lon, come back into the read world!
G2inA2
Sun, Jan 10, 2010 : 7:42 p.m.
I LOVE Lon's Reflections. Glad they are back in print! Keep 'em coming!
Grumpy
Sun, Jan 10, 2010 : 6:04 p.m.
Its like were all third-graders again, the ones who stood up for Santa when our classmates laughed at us and told he wasnt real.
Craig Lounsbury
Sun, Jan 10, 2010 : 2:36 p.m.
If success in Golf is measured by how few times you have to hit the little white ball, less is better, it begs the question "why do it at all?"
bedrog
Sun, Jan 10, 2010 : 2:07 p.m.
a sociobiologist would say...and maybe partially correctly...that any "alpha" animal, particularly in such obvious hierarchies as athletics and politics, is hard wired to spread their genes around to improve the species....thus politico and sports infidelities should come as no surprise. will sara palin be next? wait...that one has an obvious flaw!!!!sorry!
Dale Isenbletter
Sun, Jan 10, 2010 : noon
I like what a2dave and tater had to say. I watch Tiger for one reason Golf! I don't remember Tiger at anytime standing on a soap box proclaiming to be anyone's moral lighthouse. I did have to laugh at the caption under your photo Lon about Tiger trying to stay ahead of Phil. I don't believe Tiger has had much sleep loss trying to stay ahead of Phil. I would like to see Tiger in front of a mike answering a few questions, taking his lumps and getting back on the course---soon! I feel sorry for the kids and of course his wife but they will lead a charmed life I'm sure. Tiger does not need to be married that much is obvious, get a divorce, get your focus, and get back out on the course. Tiger does for this sport what any great champion does for his or her sport, he draws us to it with a fever we have never know before. I have seen people call in sick to work to catch the end of a tournament with Tiger in it. Viewership changes 39% when he's not playing, he is an economic impact. We embrace icons from many different backgrounds: religion, politics, and sports to name a few who have fallen from grace and I am sure when Tiger steps back onto the course the crowds will be there.
eom
Sun, Jan 10, 2010 : 11:31 a.m.
The world is a better place with Lon's reflection pieces...Thanks Lon.
A2Dave
Sun, Jan 10, 2010 : 10:32 a.m.
Nothing we like better than to build up, idealize, mythologize and worship unrealisticly heroic icons, so we can revel when they fail to meet our standards for perfection, gloating hypocritically in our "disappointment". His "transgressions" are the most common, human and, outside of the harm to his family and his pocketbook, least damaging. Indefensible? Yes. And I don't mean to trivialize them. However, unlike so many of our iconic "heroes", he has not corrupted the game, committed a crime, abused drugs (either recreational or performance enhancing) or alcohol. Babe Ruth was guilty of much more notorious behavior,and remains an icon (rightly or wrongly) to this day, even as his records have been surpassed. Perhaps it is good to be reminded that the "gods" we create have the same feet of clay they had before we lionized them. Maybe then we can just appreciate their abilities and excellence at their trade, and stop requiring that they be perfect in every regard. Hail the fallen, and hold the hypocrisy.
81wolverine
Sun, Jan 10, 2010 : 8:50 a.m.
I agree with the writer. Tiger has not been a happy person for a long time. That's probably one reason he guarded his privacy so diligently. He didn't want anyone to find out. But, this is certainly not uncommon among sports celebrities. It's mind-boggling to realize how much money Tiger has cost himself through his "transgressions". He's certainly not going to return to the place he was before Thanksgiving last year. He may win golf tournaments again. But, his iconic place in sports is now vacant.