Between the lines
by JASON GORDON
It was late November 2009, and no one knew it but the most dominant athlete of the decade was about to see his fortress of solitude come crashing down.
All it took was one nine-iron to the skull from his trophy wife, a 2 a.m. wreck in his Cadillac Escalade and a little black book that would have made James Bond envious and the facade of Tiger Woods’ seemingly perfect world was gone in an instant.
Although the details of his escapades with everyone from playboy models to waffle house waitresses, and his subsequent multi-million dollar divorce from Elin Nordegren made for great tabloid news, golf just hasn’t been the same without Woods.
Whether you love him or hate him, love golf or hate golf, the sporting world is better with Woods around.
I’ve been lucky enough to see the entirety of the careers of two of the most dominant athletes in the history of sport – Michael Jordan and Woods – in my lifetime. They dominated like Babe Ruth did in the 1920s and Joe Lewis did in the 1940s. Their talent was unquestioned and unchallenged.
Now, between the scandal that bruised his psyche and the injuries that have plagued him to the tune of six surgeries over the last three years, it’s certainly not a given Woods will ever win one more major golf tournament, much less the four he needs to tie Jack Nicklaus’ career mark of 18.
People would have looked at you like you were crazy if you would have spoken those words after Woods won his 14th major at the 2008 U.S. Open at the age of 32. Since then, however, he’s garnered more headlines for what he’s done off the course than what he’s done on it.
To watch Woods now he seems like one of the most broken down 35-year-old men I’ve ever seen.
Of course, it’s not like Woods has spent his career bashing into people full speed like a professional football player, or earned a living taking shots to the head like a boxer, but have you ever seen an athlete fall from grace quicker than the once seemingly invincible Tiger?
When the British Open gets underway Thursday at Royal St. George’s Golf Club in England it will mark the second straight major tournament Woods has missed due to injury.
While an influx of young talent including the 2011 U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy and a host of 20-somethings that learned their passion and fearless nature for the game by watching Woods has brought a level of excitement to the sport, it would be much more interesting watching them go eye-to-eye with a Tiger that was competing with something close to his A-game.
While I’m sure there are many of you out there that are enjoying the fact that the oftentimes aloof Woods has fallen from the heights of his once-tall perch, I’m ready to see the man get himself healed up mentally and physically. It’s time for him to be playing championship-caliber golf again.
With both the National Football League and National Basketball Association owners locking out their players in battles over millions of dollars in revenue, and with more than two months to go until the baseball playoffs start, professional sports can get pretty boring in the summer.
I always look forward to sinking into my couch, turning down the air conditioning and watching golf’s four major tournaments during the days of 100-degree heat in Central Texas – but something’s definitely been missing of late.
For better or worse, I’m ready for a Tiger Woods comeback.
