Apr 14, 2019; Augusta, GA, USA; Tiger Woods celebrates after making a putt on the 18th green to win The Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports
Perhaps it is only fitting that on the day the iconic and wildly popular Game of Thrones resumes for its eighth and final season, that another throne was recaptured. This throne is in Augusta, Georgia, home of the Masters Golf tournament, which is the sport’s most prestigious event. In as dramatic of fashion as fire-breathing dragons or frozen zombies could match, and after 11 years, Tiger Woods is once again a major champion.
Comeback stories are always appealing. What is unique about Tiger’s is how far and public his fall was from the top.
The man once held all four major titles at one time (The Tiger Slam). He was the highest-paid athlete in the world and considered by far the most dominant athlete over his sport in the world. The gap between Tiger Woods and say Phil Mickelson was far wider than Michael Jordan and Clyde Drexler or Muhammed Ali and Joe Fraizier. Speaking of Jordan and Ali, those two, in addition to the Williams sisters, are the only other athletes that compare over the past half century in terms of moving the needle of public interest, even beyond the die-hard and marginal fans of their respective sports.
But neither of them ever fell as far as Tiger had. Ali’s fall was exclusively political and of conscious when he chose to refuse induction into the armed forces during the Vietnam War era. He was stripped of his title and license to box in his prime for 3 years. He would come back to win the heavyweight title, not once, but twice.
Jordan never had a fall but a self-imposed sabbatical in the wake of the murder of his father. He would return to lead the Bulls to 3 additional titles, earning MVP in all three Finals series.
However, Tiger’s decline was as much due to his own self-destructive, non-golf-related behavior as it was due to injuries. How far had Tiger fallen? In July of 2017, he was ranked number 1005th.
That was not a typo.
Less than two years ago, Tiger Woods was not even a top 1000 player. Announcers were openly saying that he should join them in the broadcast booth.
Today he is ranked number 6.
The closest comparison that I can think of is the fall of Andre Agassi. He was ranked number 1 and had collected three major titles, only to fall to being ranked number 141 in 1997. Off the court, there was a disintegrating marriage to actress Brooke Shields and drug use. But in 1999 he would begin his climb back that would eventually lead to five additional major titles, to include completing a career Grand Slam…a feat his top rival Pete Sampras was never able to accomplish. As popular and iconic within tennis as Agassi was, in terms of larger cultural impact, he was never on Tiger Woods’ level.
It is hard to put one’s finger on Tiger’s appeal. It certainly is more complex than the obvious, which is being Black (even if he is confused about such matters) in a lily-white sport. Certainly, the power of his game and early historical dominating wins at the Masters and US Open helped. The confident and purposeful strut on Sunday in the trademark red shirt and black pants is as identifiable branding as there is in sports. His once reputation as the most mentally tough player on the tour was the stuff of mythical folklore. I also suspect his gallery appeal is a part of the formula.
By comparison, golf fans are tame and the polar opposite in every way of soccer fans. The exception to this is when Tiger is near or on top of the leader board on Sunday at a major. The roar for Tiger is unlike the roar for any other player and can be unnerving to other players. We saw an example of it Sunday with Brooks Koepka. Over the past 18 months, Koepka has been the best player in the world, winning three majors and ending 2018 ranked number 1. However, on the 18th hole, with a chance to cut into Tiger’s lead, he missed what should have been an easy putt. Just before he lined up to take the putt, he heard the roar of the crowd…the roar golfers only hear when Tiger is on the prowl. To his credit, Koepka was among the many fellow golfers to greet Tiger’s return to the clubhouse for the “Green Jacket” presentation after his win. This may be tradition, but I prefer to think of it as a generation of golfers, who grew up watching Tiger at his best, giving him his proper due. The case can be made that no single athlete in American history has increased the public interest and revenue in his/her sport more than one Eldrick Tiger Woods. In other words, they know who the hell has been buttering their bread.
The King of Golf is back and the entire sports world is for the better.
