Tiger Woods sinks a very Tiger-esque birdie putt on hole 18 to win The Memorial Tournament. Is this the start of redemption in the public’s eyes?
I can still remember sitting in front of the TV with utter disbelief as the soap opera of Tiger Woods unfolded on that memorable Thanksgiving week. Starting with a story of a seemingly simple car “accident,” followed by stories of a perfect 7-iron (this one swung by his then-wife, Elin Nordegren through the back window of Tiger’s Escalade), and then came the line up of porn stars and Waffle House waitresses who experienced the benefits of Tiger’s other love and proficiency – strange sex. Ugly.
“This is going to be a train-wreck,” I remember thinking as the stories around the water cooler and local golf course bars ranged from how it was going to affect his golf game to the famous, “man, if he wasn’t married with kids, he would be a legend.”
The stories got worse and more unbelievable. His life crumbled in front of him (and those of us who watched all of it unfold). Wife and kids – gone. Multi-million dollar endorsements – gone (although, some stuck with him). This all finalized by an embarrassing press conference apology and a stent at rehab to help identify and treat the source of his behavior (or help restore his image for those more cynical souls).
Time has passed and his presence in the grocery store aisle tabloid magazines has faded. Elin only recently came back in the news in January when she purchased a mansion in Palm Beach worth $12.3 million and quickly demolished it so she could build the house of her dreams (funded by the man of her nightmare). Tiger has been relatively quiet, however.
He has changed swing coaches, changed swings, and experienced further embarrassment; however, this time it was for his performance inside the ropes. His records were heading in the other direction. Now the statistics being discussed were about missed cuts, rounds over par, and tournaments since the last win. He finished 128th on the money list in 2011. Viewers got more used to hearing him drop F-bombs and an occasional “G#% Damnit, Tiger” on weekend tournament coverage than watching him power drives off the tee and finesse putts in from across the green. Man…will he every make it out of this alive?
Fast-forward to now. After a quintessential Tiger chip-in for a birdie on 16 (complete with barbaric scream, fist pump, and roaring crowds) and an equally Tiger-esque birdie putt on 18 finalized when he raised his putter as if it was the sword of William Wallace, he won today. It was his second this year-the first at Arnold Palmer’s tournament in March, but this one seemed more a sign that he might be back: the old Tiger (maybe this time without the Sunday night foursome on his yacht, “Privacy”).
After shaking the hand of Jack Nicholas, the host of The Memorial Tournament, droves of women (and men) cheered, hoorayed, and added “atta-boys” with each hive five. There was no family. No beautiful Swedish model with outstretched arms. No kids in his arms as he hoisted the trophy.
But, has all been forgiven? Will the viewing public consider this another Phoenix arisen from the ashes of disgrace and debauchery? Or, will this result in a re-emergence of all the stories of wrecked Escalades and sexual escapades?
Only time will tell, but get ready for it. Tiger might be back and might tell a story of a man renewed.
—
Photo: Associated Press / Jay Laprete
I never did get this conflation of Tyler’s golfing and his sex life. This talk of “will a win bring him forgiveness” is a good example. From the look of it, his ex-wife will most likely not forgive him for what he did to her anytime soon. Winning a golf tournament – or 20 – is not going to change that. The golf audience, well, we like to watch good golf, and Tyler at the top of his game is just a joy to watch. His marriage or lack of same, or how many women he’s sleeping with, is not… Read more »
“Redemption in the public eye”? Redemption for what, fer cryin’ out loud? How did Tiger Woods “hurt” the public, and why does the public need to “forgive” him?
Oh, I dont think Tiger “hurt” the public. He certainly hurt his image. Prior to this, he was the golden boy of sports: most talented on the course, beautiful wife, 2 beautiful kids…His endorsements spoke for themselves, which is one of the points. The public does not need to forgive him, but he needs the public…this is the reason his endorsers got really shaky, some of them jumping ship, when this all went down. The golf world needs the public to forgive him. There is no doubt the TV ratings are less than stellar when Tiger is not in the… Read more »
You’re right about victories and wins. They seem to bring redemption whether it’s deserved or not. I’ve known several scoundrels who were good at sports. The scoundrel in Tiger may be a big part of what made him the superior golfer of his generation.
PursuitAce, thanks for picking up on the horrific misspelling of “Mr Nicklaus’s” name. My apologies. Anyone reading the post, I am sure, is well aware of his importance in the game of golf above and beyond his hosting of the tournament. Your comment does bring up an interesting position, one that I am not sure I completely disagree with, to be honest. Clearly, the viewing public is extremely forgiving with behavior such as his (e.g., John Daly), and possibly in it for the aspects of the game inside the ropes instead of out. In Daly’s case, his incredible lifetime of… Read more »
The name is Nicklaus, and he’s a little bit more than the host of a golf tournament. The majority of the golf viewing public knows that the majority of high profile men are probably cheating on their significant other. They’re just looking for some good golf and not the redemption of all alpha golfers. Although they would take the redemption if they could get it.