Your article hit the target about golf as the beautiful, emotional & physical game. Personally, I never for a moment stopped being a Tiger fan since his professional tour entrance. In my opinion, it was in poor taste that someone armed with a cell phone camera, living in a gated, private community, captured in an unfortunate personal moment not related to golf; brought Tiger down to his knees. (who does that? ugly people.) I am very happy that Tiger delivered.
Roll Tide!
1
One of the few times Friedman got it exactly right, and Michael from S.F. needs to learn something about forgiveness.
Tiger Woods the serial cheater and drug user? That Tiger Wood Woods???
1
The thing about golf is that with every swing lies the potential for glory or disaster.
What a beautifully-written piece - thank you for the great pleasure of being able to read it.
1
Tiger did not win the Masters. The other competitors lost the Masters. In the future this tournament will be forgotten.
What will be remembered are Tiger’s girlfriends, his immaturity, and his basic foolishness.
14
Happy to hear you are a golfer. Just adds another reason to support you. Golf is the greatest sport because it allows a participant to achieve success similar to that of the best pro- but perhaps only once in a hundred holes. I can't dunk a basketball, throw a baseball 90 miles per hour or run through a defensive line consisting of 300 pound players. But on rare instances I can smash a drive, hit an unexpectedly great second shot and birdie, or even eagle a hole. Other sports don't permit that enjoyment.
10
One of Tom Friedman's best columns... ever!
11
This should be read by every golfer, regardless of your personal skills.
This should be read and understood by every mortal of the realm whether you’ve ever played golf or not. It’s about the game of life itself. Forgiveness of one’s self is the road all mortals must travel to reach destiny.
10
This is one of the most beautiful and meaningful essays I have read in a long time. It should be required reading for everyone, golf (or Tiger Woods) fan or otherwise. Thank you Mr. Friedman!
7
Hope reigned supreme satisfaction. So thrilled to have witnessed this extraordinary win and to see the result of the combination of luck and amazing skill.
1
That’s nice. Glad his skill paid off, but I stopped being a fan at his “his industrial-scale marital cheating.” Still revolting.
14
All I need to know about Tiger Woods was shown on Friday, when he and someone in security crossed paths. The man fell. Roger kept on walking like nothing happened. He didn't stop to see if the man was hurt, nor to simply check on the status of another human being. It's obvious to me that Tiger Woods' travails over the years have shown him nothing. He's no champion, regardless of how well or poorly he can make a stick hit a ball.
10
On 16th, the one unifying factor of all those elements you mentioned is - experience. Been there. Done that. 👍
Tiger’s victory is even more amazing when you consider the emotional trauma he suffered as a domestic abuse victim. His spouse literally attacked him with a deadly weapon, forcing him to seek safety in a locked vehicle, and then she broke out the windows of the vehicle in her attempt to kill him with her deadly weapon.
As a survivor of domestic abuse, I can assure you the emotional scars of such horrendous verbal and physical abuse linger long after the danger passes.
Tiger’s victory is a victory for all victims.
3
This was a terrific article.... except for the Clinton/Trump analogy, which is very very tiresome.
2
"Golf is all about how you react when you get a bad bounce." Oh so true. I think Trump could learn a lot from Tiger in that respect. Then again if they played golf together I'm sure Trump would claim he beat him.
3
I’m not sure that while Rome is burning, Tom Friedman needs to write a column about Tiger Woods.
12
The only thing I learned from this column is this: Tiger never should've gotten married.
10
I don't think this impressive comeback warrants a Presidential Medal of Freedom. I'm unconvinced Woods has advanced our country through this. He is a fantastic athlete, for sure, but the jury is still out on other aspects of his life.
16
Yes, Tiger went through years of difficult couselling and rehab, then the difficulties of relearning how ho could play the game. We should remember he did all that because he could afford to. He didn't have to hold down a job through all of that. His past winnings made it possible. Almost all of us do not enjoy that luxury. True enough, he could have chosen to call it quits, and live the rest of his life as a former 'great' in the game, doing endorsements, appearing at the Masters every year, perhaps even getting to the point, as a former winner, getting the honor of teeing off on the first hole of opening day. But that's not in his nature. He had an enormous debt to pay, to his father, and his family, and in his mind there was only one way to do it. And he started on that journey two years ago, and has accomplished a major hurdle. Now, he will have to prove that it was not a fluke, as some of his detractors will likely begin to posit, if he doesn't win another major, and another. I wish him well in his endeavor, and hope his body holds up. There is still the remarkable feat of Jack Niklaus winning his last major at the age of 46. If he can do that, it should be enough. Hope so.
9
One point that I thought made by Tiger on Sunday that Mr. Friedman did not mention. At Amen Corner was Tiger was competing against about eight - ten players who were in contention or even ahead of him. At Number 12, four of the six players in Tiger's group and the group ahead of him, succumbed to the temptation to hit a "perfect shot" to seize an advantage. All four hit their shots into the water. Tiger The Wiser hit a more reliable shot into the middle of the green thus accepting a likely par vs. a risky attempt at a short-putt birdie. He continued to hit conservative shots for the balance of the round, including the gorgeous shot at 16. Smart golf by a wise and mature golfer.
6
Great piece, Mr. Friedman. I've been a fan of yours and a fan of Tiger's for years. Thanks for giving us insight into this deep passion of years. And go Tiger go!!
6
Most normal people wonder why media would bend over backwards to idolize someone called Tiger Woods. Golf is a game. It's actually not a metaphor for life in any respect. Awarding meaningless titles to meaningless activities demeans life's important milestones. Important milestone like entrepreneurial business success deserve notice and accolades. BTW, Mr. Woods won the Masters (only) because of the freakish unexpected collapse of far more talented golfers, i.e., a default win, if you will..
13
I so not understand all the hoopla.
Trump is a much better golfer.
5
Despite reading and watching various news pieces about Tiger's victory at the Masters, not one points out the true turn around event - Tiger was arrested for driving under the influence and his blood work showed a man addicted to many pain killers - opiates, marijuana, alcohol...
This wake up call and subsequent decision by Tiger to stop masking his physical and emotional pain and confront his pain, is what finally led him to this point.
This should be the defining lesson - that once we stop running from our problems by abusing prescription pills, drinking and/ or smoking - only then can we enact the true deeper change within ourselves.
18
I play the game ... never.
But our pundit explains it so I'll understand ... thanks.
But the most heroic story until last weekend
so far as I know is Ben Hogan's comeback.
He was famous before a car accident and
afterwards.
That's all I remember from the film at least, tho
not sure about car wreck, maybe a literal
fall but surely not the scourge of polio, the
1950s fear besides the atom bomb.
Friedman has put together a great analysis and explanation of why, in spite of his original and tragic shortcomings as a truly inspirational champion and role model, Tiger is coming back in spite of all odds: truly amazing and inspirational.
That said, when Trump tries to grab some of the spotlight with his announcement about awarding Tiger the Medal of Freedom, it makes my blood boil. Tiger may be returning to his former winning ways...and improving his personal social humanity as a part of it all....but that is not what the Medal of Freedom should be about...it is about service and dedication to America. The reason for awarding it, as found on Google, is for:
"...an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.”
I personally don't think Tiger's accomplishment...so far..
meets that criteria...but I guess my expectation is not that of Trump's. His is to direct attention to himself more than anything about the what the medal represents.
9
I've never been a fan of Tiger Woods, predating his narrow escape from his wife's 6 iron. That said it's sad satisfaction that the catastrophe in Paris has swept a golf tournament from the news.
2
Well, it wasn’t Alex Honnold climbing El Capitan but it was pretty cool.
I wrote Tiger off several years ago and now willingly eat my serving of crow. Seems there’s very little he can’t overcome. Congratulations to him.
More importantly though; Tiger, an acolyte of Michael Jordan, has never been a voice for social change. This medal of freedom thing is an opportunity for Tiger to break that mold too...
29
@Cliff Hanna
The "medal of freedom thing" is just another example of Trump not getting the meaning and seeing it as an opportunity to show himself off. If Tiger goes along with it so be it, and he needs not be a voice for social change. That is not where his passion lies and there is no shame in not being a social activist leader along with being a truly great golfer. Just by conquering a white man's game, especially at Augusta National, is contribution enough.
8
@Cliff Hanna I was happy for him on Sunday. He deserved and worked for the win. Accepting the Medal of Freedom from cadet bones spurs diminishes him in my eyes.
3
I agree with you, but I have to tell you what I see and that is that Black men (he can pretend to be otherwise) have ALWAYS had to come back from adversity and trauma and have survived over the past 150+ years. It's a testament to their strength and courage. As a Black woman and mother of 2 Black children, I am proud beyond belief. Let's not forget, just how WE are treated in Amerikka!
12
@Teri
This was not about Black vs White! This was about a human being who lost his way through personal mistakes and physical issues. He came back from both adversities and reached his total potential. Also I live in America not America!
6
As a non-golfer I've always been amused about the sport. However, Thomas Friedman's column gave me a glimpse of what makes it such an addicting and world class past-time. I never respected golfers as athletes. How could you compare a golfer to the formidable skills of a major league baseball player or an NBA basketball star? Maybe you can.
I will say I have little or no sympathy for most of these very highly paid elite golfers like Tiger Woods. Woods really doesn't care about anything other than himself, does he?
5
@Yankelnevich
Did you see the heart-melting long embrace between Tiger and his young son immediately after he won? I guess not. If you had, and if you have anything resembling a human heart, you couldn't possibly say "Woods really doesn't care about anything other than himself." That was one of the very few moments when genuine. joy-overflowing love and family pride was caught on camera. I've seen tons of comments on YouTube and elsewhere that said, in so many word,s "I don't care anything about golf, but that loving embrace between Tiger and his boy brought tears to my eyes."
30
@Yankelnevich
It is ~because~ Tiger Woods cared for nothing other than himself and Golf that made him the champion he is.
And the "formidable skills" that you cite for professional athletes in MLB and the NBA are honed by just such an obsession.
Is it healthy? I have no idea, because I chose to be a Generalist in life rather than a Champion.
@Yankelnevich
You're right and you're wrong. He didn't care in his youth. He very much cares in his middle age..
5
Another column on why Woods' activity on a manicured lawn is "inspiring", maybe even heroic.
Color me unimpressed. Woods seems like another selfish athlete, pursuing a selfish dream with nary a care about the world outside the rarefied clubhouses of elite golf.
Contemporary American society is juvenile, superficial, and vacuous - and most of the American media feeds us juvenilia, and empty stories glorifying this or that empty-suit media creation.
Woods has done nothing - nothing - that puts him anywhere near heroic. We are so starved for heroes that our culture elevates the trivial and the vacuous to the status of heroism - revealing the utter emptiness and poverty of the contemporary American soul.
38
@Space needle When walks onto a golf course, most of the time he is the only man of color there. Do you think that was easy when he was 18 or 22 or 25? He brought African Americans to the game of golf. And the spotlight was always more piercing on him because he was black.
12
@lalucky Some valid points, but let's remember the actual pioneer of african-americans in golf: Charlie Sifford. Tiger had it much easier, and when given the opportunity to speak on behalf of black causes, he passed.
There is no woman in the whole world who would ever get a pass like Tiger has, in regard to personal behavior.
27
@Patty
The name Hillary Clinton comes to mind.
5
I totally agree with the sentiment that what drives success, in both golf in life, is the willingness to put in the hard work and time that makes one great! In the age of $100bn IPOs and instant gratification from getting likes on social media, people tend to forget the value of many hard days work.
However, I think that other parts of the article are typical of Thomas Friedman--pseudo-intellectualism riding on feigned expertise. For example, choosing the appropriate speed and angle at which to launch the ball is not a geometry question, its a physics one! Geometry only deals with the fixed properties of space, but you need, at a minimum, Newtonian mechanics to describe the movement of projectiles through that space. As for what he calls physics, that more like biomechanics (which maybe boils down to physics as well--but if you're a strict reductionist what doesn't?)
Mr. Friedman, if you are going to make analogies using well studied mathematical and scientific constructions, please be sure that you use them correctly!
9
Your take on Mr. Friedman being well outside his area of his expertise reminds me of a story an old friend/mentor told me many years ago. My friend was hosting an internationally regarded expert for a speech the expert was giving. While my friend and I were lunching my mentor was called as the expert had set the microwave oven aflame, I believe using aluminum foil. Enough said.
1
Great take on a great moment in sports history - Tiger winning a major after so many years without notching this type of victory. The moment was one of awe and one that spoke to me as it did to you, Mr. Friedman. Overcoming difficult times in our lives; I did so as well in a work-related way. Watching Tiger, rooting for him on Sunday to complete his journey made me think of mine, it made me well up with happy tears. Thank you for writing about it from this perspective.
22
A few thoughts on the Masters and Tiger. He was chasing Molinari, the leader, for most of day 4, and then Molinari let his nerves get the best of him with some errant shots on the back 9. How long can you be the hunted without succumbing, especially when paired with your pursuer? Tiger pounced, and then he became the hunted, with just a few holes left. And Molinari was not the only one in pursuit, and Tiger knew it. So with a two stroke lead hitting on the 18th, Tigers second shot (approach to green) was waaaay off. This told me that he was human, and that stress got to him as well. I was glad to see him pull it off, as I've always liked Tiger. He does seem more comfortable in his own skin.
14
So the game was played as was designed....prey and predator?
@Steve
Actually...With a tenuous one-stroke lead on 16, Tiger nearly aced the par three. That shot and subsequent birdie increased the lead to two (and effectively won the tournament). Tiger then split the fairway with his drive on 17 and had an easy two-putt par. On 18, he found the right side of the fairway, but 1) had a mud ball (those always come out unpredictably when mud is on one side of the ball) and had a tough angle to the pin. He had to play a cut and wanted to make sure he did not undercut it...an overcut would be fine...given the pin position. I'm not sure what signs of stress you're referencing.
2
@Steve
Tiger's second shot on 18 was intended. He only needed a 5 to win. That is what he needed and that is what he got. But yes, he is human. And yes he was under stress.
Very smart..too.
Mr. Friedman, nice that you and Mr. Trump have a common passion in golf.
Mr. Trump is also a Tiger Woods fan and will award him the Presidential medal of Freedom
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/15/sports/golf/tiger-woods-medal-of-freedom.html
3
Mr. Friedman is stunned and amazed at Tiger Woods' achievement. He ranks it on the same level as a presidential election upset, the founding and successes of a major American company. It's a metaphor for life itself! Rosie O'Donnell once said that 'golf is men in ugly pants, walking' or words to that effect. Well, the pants have gotten better.
2
Everyone likes to root for an underdog. The irony here is that Tiger Woods was a winner who made himself an underdog.
And maybe coming back from that made him a better human being, not just a great golfer.
4
Excellent article Tom. A three putt green is life in miniature. And yet it is a simple game. Hit the ball. Go find it. Hit it again until you put it in small hole on a pretty section of grass.i
1
What about his wfe's "bad bouce"?
4
Thomas Friedman wrote: "I was awed by Tiger Woods’s comeback for the ages by his winning the Masters at 43 years old. [...] It was as if Bill Clinton came back and defeated Donald Trump for president in 2020."
^ Hmm. A better comparison would be Bill Clinton coming back and, at age 72, repeating a certain physical feat in the Oval Office. We would be awed due to his age of course.
1
OK. You can salute the athlete. But the man. I don’t think so. Maybe Tiger is less of a vapid, self-absorbed jerk than he used to be. He smiles more. Whatta guy. But he buddies up to the cheater in chief. He has never stepped up like Lebron, Chris Paul and others to fight for his race. He learned a lot from the other empty vessel, his buddy Michael Jordan. It was a great golf tournament. Leave it at that.
8
How did we become so jaded?
2
it is so unfortunate that you link, even remotely, his industrial scale sexcapades with bad bounces in golf and life. The guy should be blocked by every moral person. instead you Honor him because of his athleticism. Shame on you!
4
A "bad bounce"? The guy cheated on his wife with a dozen escorts and porn stars. And got a DUI. A broken arm or the loss of a child is a bad bounce.
7
Life isn't like golf. Life is what's happening when you're not playing golf.
55
@Shalby Golf is like life, however you want to phrase it, it's a metaphor.
6
Richard Rohr, a Franciscan priest, author, and mystic once wrote "Challenges and disruptions invite us to move from the first half of life to the second half, from forming and serving the ego, to the ego in fact serving the soul. "
Welcome to the second half Tiger!
5
Tom. If all you had to do all day, all life, all the time was to hit a little ball to perfection while everyone else had to cope with the same life setbacks and settle for bupkis for carrying on, I'd say take a hike or get a life.
Tiger Woods is the facsimile of a drunk who has seen the light and can return his occupation after destroying a marriage and descending into dissipation.
Its's a good thing he can play golf.
1
Tom,
I like you have played golf and enjoy the challenge. Nothing shows your true character than how you handle yourself around the course. It's the only sport I know where you call penalties on yourself.
I'm no Tiger fan for many reasons but you can't deny that he's carried the sport on his back for 20 years and for that every tour pro owes him much. His victory Sunday will go down as one of the greatest comebacks in sports. Well done!
If you want to read a book about character and golf (or lack thereof) I highly recommend Rick Reiley's Liar in Chief.
2
Well said. The best ways to get a good sense of a person's character is to see them after a couple of glasses of wine or after a couple of holes of golf. If you're willing to cheat at golf you're willing to cheat at life. Not to mention what willingness to drive your cart on a green tells us about your character.
3
Kudos and cheers to Tiger Woods.
To all those who continue to criticize with bitterness, you are doing little more than throwing stones from your glass houses and revealing your smallness and bitterness.
5
Sorry bro... you just don’t get it. Forget the 16th. It was all about the 12th. The courage and conviction to leave yourself with a 50 footer when everyone else is going for broke, and dunking it in the water — that’s how you win championships. Sort of sad that you actually write golf articles — you don’t get it. Period. Stop writing. Go live it. Until you do, you won’t get it. Period.
What if he did all this using steroids?
Geography?? Come on Tom, you're better than that. What you refer to as geography is topography.
2
Thomas Dude, I can't believe you're all in on Tiger. You are seldom...if ever...all in on anything. You see the dark side, the "local rules" as you call them, everywhere, particularly in the middle East. Okay, so now you're talking golf. For some of us it's a rising handicap. For others it's a faux religion. But like all religious myths, there are good stories and not so good ones. I'm still stuck in the mud with a sick Tiger backing out his Esplande over a sprinkler head. Sorry, I can't stand up and cheer. For Mantle either. Yet, truth be told, I'm envious of their trysts. Hey, I've had a few. They were mostly great fun. And when I got caught it didn't cost me a hundred million just a heart that was solid gold. Go Tiger. We worship you.
Dear Mr. F:
The profundity of your narration on Tiger, gives birth to a 5th.symphony like the one of .........congratulations.
1
Dear readers: I am sorry that my first comment escaped edits. It definitely could have used a little more of the backspace key. My apologies to anyone I may have offended.
Tiger has proven the he is human, just like us. There is a personal journey for all of us to find our purpose, and it might lead down unimaginable roads. He was high, then he went as low as anyone can go. Now comes some vindication of the greatness he represents. He is a special person, not because of his God given talent, but because he almost blew it away only to realize that perhaps there is life after screwing your life....just like the many reformed drug abuse people who claw their way out of their own personal hell.
4
Perfectly put! Tiger's win proves that golf is truly a "zen" experience, demanding the alignment of mind, body and spirit. What a pleasure it was to watch Tiger show us how it's done and give us all hope that if we learn from our mistakes and work hard we, too, might get the chance to transcend them.
26
Thank you Thomas, as a sometime frustrated golfer, you summed it up perfectly.
I believe the hardest issue for Tiger to overcome was his infidelity! I think it was Dr. Phil who said “you have to forgive yourself before can ask anyone else to forgive you” I think along with being a good father and hard work this became the formula to this amazing achievement. It was amazing to watch!
As the longtime and current editor of various golf magazines, a job I took back when Tiger won his first Masters, all I can say is, thanks, Mr. Friedman. You get it. And if you don't mind, I'm sharing a link to this column to our many readers who are constantly working to improve their games, and their lives.
37
Tiger advanced an image of himself as a squeaky clean guy and made untold millions on that image. It was then revealed to be a fraud and now he claims that the fraud itself is an adversity that we should celebrate him for overcoming. What a load of nonsense; I feel like we are being taken to the cleaners by a con artist who already took us there once. We are falling into a narrative he has tried hard to craft of Tiger as the victim - e.g., by going to rehab for sex addiction, suggesting all of his extremely numerous foibles were the result of a disease and not his own responsibility.
Look, winning 15 majors is an amazing feat, I do not mean to impugn that aspect of this. But canonizing the guy all over again is just ridiculous in light of his history.
80
@Michael
The country elected a serial cheater and liar president and there are those who have canonized him as he continues to lies and cheat. And the millions Tiger made were due to his golf skills not inheritance from a rich father who was once a member of the KKK.
24
@Michael
I’m with you Michael. He might have redeemed himself if he had the courage to join LeBron, Chris Paul and others to fight injustice. But he won a golf tournament. Salute the athletic feat. Not the person.
7
@Michael
Tiger did take responsibility for his actions and apologized numerous times to family and fans. How much control he had of his sexual escapades at the time it all came crashing down is an empirical question – not a determination you can make arbitrarily, and it is best addressed by relevant medical/behavioral experts. Don’t you think that Tiger has shown remorse and experienced great personal pain since his down fall? Is the redemption of his reputation not possible? I don’t believe anyone is trying to make or sell him as a “squeaky clean guy” again but do believe that fans are appreciating his efforts over the years, at great expense, to get things right and to return to a competitive level of golf. Sorry you can’t see that.
11
What I found most remarkable about Tiger's victory at the Masters yesterday was that it earned the praise of both President Trump and former President Obama.
To have these two individuals in accord in their acclamation attests to how extraordinary Tiger's accomplishment was.
109
@Fred Hutchison. how would trump know. he cheats in golf, just like he he has cheated his way through life. Calling it empty praise is an insult to the word empty.
23
Tom, wonderful equation of golf and life and Tiger and all of us in it. I wish Tiger would play a round with you and the other guy in the WH. Who knows maybe you guys could rub off on him about true hard work, perseverance, insightfulness and maybe even a little honesty.
I am very surprised to see the number of Tiger trolls, not just in this column but in others as well. To me it has been very sweet to see Tiger become humble through his adversity, not bitter or acrimonious. He rarely, if never, interacted with his fan base so positively as he does now. Young1 Tiger never genuinely smiled, never took a moment to enjoy the azaleas. The winning absolutely impressive. But his growth as a person has been my greatest joy in watching.
2
Thanks, Mr. Friedman. Wonderful essay.
Golf is indeed a lot like life. Fortunately, I don't screw up my life as often as I screw-up my golf game with self-inflicted mistakes.
Tiger Woods' comeback from all those self-inflicted mistakes, in both life and golf, was indeed truly impressive and an inspiration to me.
Also nice to read a column not about politics.
24
Love Friedman as a writer. Think his analogy/metaphor is spot on as far golf/life is concerned. Tired of the “for the ages” language. Fantastic effort to come back and maybe he’s conquered his demons. I don’t know. But, with all due respect, I’ve given up putting celebs on pedestals. I think of the vets with lost limbs or who are homeless or worse-took their lifes because their demons were unconquerable. Yep, the guy has great talent. Just appreciate that and quit making him into a god. “in the hole"
Regardless of the subject, passion and talent should translate into interest. Friedman's passion is evident. Woods' talent is proven. And none of this lands.
I still think golf to is a boring and utterly useless activity.
Life lessons from a sport? I'll take them surfing - there's little more humbling than getting smacked around by a totally indifferent ocean. Surfing hero? Kelly Slater is a god. Oh right. He likes to golf.
I've had exactly one back surgery, more extensive and invasive than Tiger's and I'm a lot older but I can testify, coming back to somewhat normal function is a challenge and I'll never make it back to where I was before I destroyed so many lumbar discs. Tiger didn't need to do anything more than reclaim his ability to walk, live a reasonably physical life, enjoy the vast fortune he had amassed with his many brilliant performances. He is a champion however, he could never have become a champion without a focus and drive that the vast majority of people simply can't comprehend. Champions aren't necessarily sweet people, often they're not. Ted Williams was an unmatched baseball player, also kind of a jerk. Asking a person to be both a champion AND a hero is a very big ask. My hero as a boy was Willie Mays, a truly great ball player and in many ways a great man. He demonstrated, year after year, that being a joyous good sport was its own reward. Ty Cobb set more records, is regarded as the third greatest ballplayer of all time, maybe that makes him more a champion than Willie. I'll keep Mays as a hero and respect the accomplishments of Cobb, and of Tiger Woods.
3
Well, he'll have a chance to parallel his golf comeback and redeem his character when Trump attempts to award him the Medal of Freedom. Taking a cue from the majority of athletes and artists who have refused to play the sycophant role with Trump, he could refuse the invitation. It would provide Tiger a chance to make a statement while confronting the best-known cheater in the sport he epitomizes.
11
Thanks for the insightful column Mr. Friedman. Surprising to see some negative comments. I wonder if those people understand how special Tiger Woods' win was on Sunday.
Sure, we all know about Tiger's poor choices and past failures. He is, after all, a weak and flawed person just like the rest of us. Maybe even more flawed than many others. Not only that, but at the age of 43 after so many health problems and surgeries, Tiger Woods is no longer physically equal to some of the younger players he is competing against.
But he won anyway. He beat all the best players in the world. He beat them fair and square on the best golf course, under the toughest conditions and with the most pressure.
So how did Tiger do it? The great Bobby Jones once said "Competitive golf is played on an eight inch course located between the ears". Tiger Woods won because he was mentally stronger than the others. In the final stages of the tournament, when the pressure was greatest, Tiger was calm and steady while the other players faltered.
It was a beautiful thing to see. A rare glimpse of the best in human capabilities. From a less than perfect individual who had failed in the past, no less. And a great inspiration, since any of us can develop mental strength and other positive character traits. Hats off for Tiger.
113
The whole sports world reflects how crazy our world has become. The insanity of sports players being paid astronomical sums of money for what they do. Come to think of it, same with actors, executives, all others getting a bloated payday. But anyway, the fact that this guy has made hundreds of millions of dollars for getting a ball into a hole in the ground is the height of absurdity. Granted, he may be very good at it, but he is still just putting a ball into a hole in the ground. Truly insane.
27
Have you ever played golf?
3
Just a passing thought from a citizen of the country immediately north of the United States. I cannot understand why many of the commentators on this editorial proclaim what an awful person Mr. Woods is and cannot seem to recognize the sense of wonder about Mr. Woods' amazing winning of this year's major tournament. I also wonder where were all these judgemental people on election day of 2016 when your country voted for a President who in his life to that date destroyed two marriages, conned thousands of people out of hard earned money and had one of the slimiest business reputations in New York City
22
@J. David Burch They were with Tiger Woods pretending that Trump is a human being.
Takeaways:
(1) Taken as a whole, golf can be a brutally unforgiving sport. The slightest flaw in just one swing during a round of golf can make the difference between the others in one's foursome having to buy the beer afterwards or one taking his/her six-iron and turning it into a helicopter rotor-blade as it makes its way toward the middle of the pond into which one just plunked his/her golf ball. A well-hit, high fade lands one foot to the right of the crest of a mound on the right edge of the fairway, takes a hard right kick and finally comes to rest twenty yards away from the short grass and in the clutches of a thick holly bush from which there is no escape.
A tiny flaw in one swing, the nature of the course itself---golf can be an unforgiving sport.
But, reading many of the responses to Mr. Friedman's column and Tiger's win, golf is apparently far more forgiving than many who play it, watch it or read about it.
(2) The character of an athlete can, to a great extent, be measured by the appreciation for and respect accorded him/her by his/her teammates and/or opponents. They know far more than fans will ever know about a competitor---both on and off the field/court/course. Watching, listening to and reading the reaction of Tiger's competitors to his win tells me all I need to know about the person/player he has become.
(3) Thomas Friedman not only plays golf, not only loves golf, but gets golf.
5
Ah, golf -- occurring as it does on grass kept green with poisons and tended with polluting machines, watered despite droughts, mangling and occupying huge swathes of land, with access limited only to those who can pay -- as a metaphor of life. Get a grip, Friedman, and not on a golf club.
3
I find it pathetic to read all the bitter, deprecating and self-righteous posts regarding Mr. Woods from so many who have clearly never done anything wrong or hurt others in their entire lives. The lack of self-awareness would be stunning until you look at how many of these same people gave us our current president and continue to blindly support him.
5
Nice metaphor. Tiger Woods may be the perfect symbol of a comeback since he had to forgive himself for being a jerk, not just recover from back surgeries. Can you do the same?
2
I like golfing, and it's about the only professional sport I'll tune into for a few minutes on TV. Having said that, this endless reverential mystique about golf being so much like life is quite sad. Whacking a ball around a manicured field has no magical power to reveal your flaws or make you a better person. If you want to learn something about yourself through sport, go rock climbing.
As for Tiger's Master's win, well Americans love people they perceive to be winners. Trump, Tiger, Lance Armstrong, Jesse James, Bonnie and Clyde, these are not admirable people but they have enjoyed success and are (or were) revered for it. Tiger didn't just cheat on his wife. He has been rude, petulant and arrogant for decades, abused drugs and has swirled around individuals who were purveyors of performance enhancing drugs. None of that matters to many, many people because he won a golf tournament. Sorry, but it matters to me.
3
Another “heroic” golf story.
2
Just for the record. The media is amazing. You like Tiger so what seems to be obvious, that he is using Peds again, is ignored. Way back, he visited the same Canadian doctor as many of the other known HGH users. He got a pass from you all then, and a bigger pass now. I suppose that, unlike those you dislike, no Pulitzer quality investigations of Tiger. Maybe, TMZ will show interest 😉.
1
If you don't play golf, why would you care?
I don't.
@Gilbert. If you can’t see beyond the metaphor...best you should find other material tp read.
tiger is amazing. i hoped he would one day thrill us again, but yesterday was one that i'll never forget. one reason to watch sports, is the factor of the unpredictable. golf has that factor, and with a charismatic star as tiger woods is, have high hopes he stays healthy, and provides more brilliance on the course. the young stars, justin thomas, rick fowler, xander s., rory, bubba, jason day, dustin johnson, jordan speith, and tiger's contemprary, phil m., give golf fans a lot to look forward to watching. thank for this piece, tom.
1
I'm glad that Tiger Woods won his fifth jacket, and Friedman is a greater reporter, but I'll use this column to replace my page marker in George Will's paean to baseball that I've never finished. Both are great for fanatics of the respective sports to read, but rather over-the-top for the rest of us. :-)
2
I would have thought Friedman could have found a better metaphor for life than Tiger Woods.
3
In the final analysis, Woods is still just a golfer. He fits the bill as an exciting person to watch, but let's not turn him into more than he is: just another human who came back as many others have.
2
From Thomas Friedman, Foreign Affairs columnist with a journalistic drive that made for the most brilliantly written piece on golf I have ever had the privilege to read.
You said it well, Mr. Friedman. Better than could ever be said about this game of life. The Game of Golf.
1
"The biggest takeaway for me is the reminder of the truism that golf is the sport most like life, because it is played on an uneven surface."
Well said! Mr Friedman. Your encomium to golf is almost as good as Bart Giamatti's paean to baseball, "The Green Fields of the Mind":
https://yalealumnimagazine.com/articles/3864
2
Since I don't think that putting a little ball into a little hole is significant in any way, Woods has a chance to make a difference with his renewed fame.
He ought to snub Trump's offer for the Presidential Award that's been offered by the racist, heartless, con man that Trump is.
If he does accept it, he can dedicate it to the children that
Trump separated from their parents.
6
We love to build them up, because it's so much fun - and good copy - to tear them down.
Don't wooze me about that "game of life" stuff...
2
When I read that Mr. Friedman was writing a column on golf (and life), I knew it would be a gem. Very nice, Mr. Friedman!
1
Human life is weird. One can look at little kids in the eyes, and tell them without lying, that if they really apply themselves to practice, they could grow up make a living by hitting a tiny white ball with a metal rod into a little cup on the grass. And they might even get very rich and somewhat famous.
3
Tiger Woods was, is and will always be one of those Champion of Champions in the World of Golf... And, a champion of mastering the living of his life... the physics, geometry, geography and psychology... of becoming who you are and meant to be. How many of you first saw Tiger Woods putt golf balls on the Johnny Carson show? He was maybe 5 years old..? And, was already recognized as a possible champion of the game of golf. And, obviously the game of life.
Thanks Tom...we needed that.
8
Tiger Woods cheated on his wife and small children. His 'comeback' is from woes he created himself by being dishonorable, cowardly, and duplicitous. He is no hero. A great golfer, yes, but no hero.
50
A Congressional Medal Of Freedom for winning at golf? Really?
And it's being awarded by Trump, a notable golf cheater - a disgrace to the game?
I watched it only on Sunday. It reminded me of the election. Woods didn't win as much as the other back nine leaders all choked. Just like Trump. He thinks he won the election. Hillary was handed the entire thing and she gagged on it.
I'm not buying any of the heroic or "uplifting" part of this story.
5
"Golf is a sport like life..." reminds me of one of my favorite golf quotes that reflects life, itself: "Golf is a game in which you yell 'fore,' shoot six, and write down five."
3
Tony Finau and Brooks Koepka are class acts. They came in second and had nothing but praise and admiration for Tiger winning his 15th major.
Well done Tony and Brooks; hopefully you and Tiger will all be in the mix that final nine on Sunday at Pebble Beach!
1
All any of us really wanted to know was that there was a real human being underneath all of those Nike logos, muscles and red shirts...and on Sunday we found out that there really is, and it was glorious!
3
Great golf story and moment. But I cannot erase the image of Tiger’s friendship with Trump, a cheat at golf and life and the worst role model imaginable. What does that say about Tiger as a person.
10
Only a golfer could say those words and know what they mean to the world of golf. Golf is the most difficult sport that one could ever play.
1
Tiger Woods is not being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom because of his remarkable comeback. He's getting it for not revealing how much Trump cheats at golf.
10
You forgot the calculus in the geometric function of club head angle and ball spin. That’s the one that always bedevils me.
1
Heartening to read. Tiger came back and so will Notre Dame.
All the years that Woods was not winning anything, we got Tiger Woods this, Tiger Woods that, no matter who actually was winning, or how poorly Woods played. No matter who won a given tournament, it was all about him. He won a great victory this last weekend, but now we won't hear about anyone else for another ten years.
2
While watching Tiger Woods win on Sunday and his playing partners struggle with bad lies and penalty shots, I was reading Rick Riley's new book "Commander in Cheat". It's a discourse on Trump and golf. I couldn't help but think that Trump would have taken each of those adversities and cheated, and in the end, claimed to have beaten Tiger by 5 strokes.
1
Remember...it's just golf. Talk about a 1st world problem. I'll take up golfing when i can't walk!
3
Mentally, greatest comeback since Dwight Gooden. Physically, greatest comeback since George Foreman. As a whole, greatest comeback ever.
@Observer of the Zeitgeist So tell me how is he going to come back from befriending Donald Trump.
Feckless hero worship column:
Good grief, three players tied the course record at Augusta National on Saturday. Mackenzie and Jones' masterpiece of course design has been turned into a glorified pitch and putt.
The golf industry has so inflected the game; turf-grass so conditioned (coked-out), it actually propels the ball away from trouble for the golfer. The only penalty a golfer can commit now is selecting the wrong club, as Molinari did on 12 tee on Sunday. Tiger is great. Modern golf is a guilt-free zone any sociopath would admire.
The world doesn't need any more Theranoses or deferred prosecution agreements for corrupt friends of high ranking officials. It needs harsh consequences for leaders who make poor decisions.
1
A historic athletic turnaround for sure. But how can we honestly assume he has reached any kind of personal transformation when he openly associates himself with a man who freely espouses the life style we now assume he hast left behind. And now he's 'teed up' to receive the Medal of Honor from this supremely dishonorable man. Sure, celebrities shouldn't be expected to be moral exemplars. But after a horrific record of misogyny and blithe indifference to issues of racial injustice, is it too much to ask that he not aid in promoting the normalization of the most openly racist and misogynist president in our history? He has plenty of other celebrities with whom he can feel exceptional.
4
Tom: You can master all four areas but you need physical ability as well. Tiger is very strong and I suspect could have been a world class athlete in any sport. Also he really showed his humanity after winning the Masters in that you can see he really loves his kids.
3
" he went through four back surgeries and the global tabloid exposure of his industrial-scale marital cheating"
What an intro Thomas! Lot to blame the Tiger for, but not that
never-give-up desire of a true athlete.
I too was in awe of Tiger this weekend. Not just because of his performance but because of his comeback... and what it took to get there.
That being said, too many people like Tom and Trump and others praise this game as an ultimate standard and put it on a pedestal... let’s not forget the fact that golf is elitist, exclusionary, and terrible for land and water use.
Oh, and I would consider baseball, soccer, basketball and football just as hard on all the levels you point out.
1
What a fabulous article by Thomas Friedman. Life, like golf, "is all about how you react when you get a bad bounce." He hit the nail right on the head!
22
If you’re proposing that golf is a metaphor for life generally, then there are problems. To those in corporate life the better metaphor for life would be a team sport—especially football, but, as we learn more that football is increasingly destructive—CTE and all that—then certainly basketball, or any team sport, actually. The sport metaphor reveals that there are different corporate cultures, especially as revealed through the media.
To continue the metaphor, individual sports at some point are revealed to be extended social activities, involving trainers, training camps for kids, agents, and the media generally, etc., which makes us ask if there really is such a thing as individual sport—whether it’s tennis, or bicycling, or bowling. They all involve “teams,” showing us that the individual aspect of the sport has other rhetorical purposes—perhaps to keep those of us who aren’t particularly successful as individuals in “the game of life” at least able to vicariously participate.
With respect to the “game of life,” in short, sport appears to be a bit of a con—the circus in bread and circus.
Hey, it’s your metaphor, Mr. Friedman, not mine.
2
I think his second best shot of the day was the 50-foot putt on the 9th hole. The ball must have travelled 70 feet, over hill and dale, rolling, rolling, changing direction, finally landing a few inches from the cup. It took 23 seconds to get there.
3
I cannot express how much joy I felt on Sunday when I heard Tiger Woods won the Masters. In an era of unhappy news, this was, to me, a breath of fresh air.
I played golf when I was young for a short period of time. Watching others play has always given me great pleasure, but none as much as Tiger Woods. After the undoing of his life, I was on a roller coaster of feelings as he had his ups and downs, both physically and psychologically. Now, I believe he is a better person as a result of everything. I am looking forward to watching him as he lives out the rest of his career.
5
How one reacts when confronted with a bad bounce (in life) is what I also have taught my yoga/golf classes.
With the practice of Yoga off the mat, several lessons can be applied while playing Golf mindfully. It's nice to remember that golf is a sport almost like life because it is played on an uneven surface. Good and bad bounces are built into the game, and so much of success in golf & life is about how you react to those good and bad bounces.
When the mind unlocked+calm the body is relaxed and you can swing freely again.
I love this sentence, "Each and every golf round is a journey, just like all of life’s journeys, it’s never a straight line. It’s always full of crazy bounces, self-inflicted mistakes and unexpected detours, and a journey of discovery about yourself and your playing partners."
3
Mr Friedman states that his biggest takeaway "is the reminder of the truism that golf is the sport most like life, because it is played on an uneven surface." Unspoken is the underlying western assumption that "life" is all about individual achievement pursued without regard for the broader consequences. Any honest golfer will tell you that the game strips away every excuse and leaves you to experience the immediate consequences of your choices and actions. That is the brutal beauty of golf and why I tell my friends it had to have been invented by men who wear skirts while they play the game. Tiger's victory is so sweet for all of us because he overcame the consequences of his "first half of life" ambitions to win this past Sunday. His victory won't put an end to global warming or the fatal flaws of American consumer capitalism or our western definition of life, but it does reveal the character refining potential of suffering and loss. What Tiger will do with his "second half of life" character is yet to be seen. The same is true for most of us.
5
Terrific writing and a reminder to everyone. We need to try a little harder in order to be better.
4
Although I usual enjoy Mr. Friedman's articles, this one is about as tone deaf as it could be. Golf does imitate life in very important ways. The most important way was left out. It shows how society devotes a great portion of resources to the entertainment of a few wealthy people. Golf is almost entirely, though not entirely, a sport played by a privileged few. The cost in money and time to play a single round is out of reach for the vast majority of people...even those in the middle class of America. Think of the amount of land that is set aside for golf, even in public courses. Think of the water, a precious resource, that is used to maintain the courses. Think of the chemicals that are used to maintain the resources and the amounts that end up in the water that everyone uses. Think of the houses adjacent to those courses which are contaminated by those very chemicals when the wind is blowing during application. His love affair with the sport is fine but he should remember its cost for those who cannot afford it.
10
Well, my green fee is $7 for 18 holes, plus another $5 for the cart if I wish to use one--which is rare. The parking lot is filled with pickup trucks. The course was an old cow pasture, and the barn remains intact, blocking me from a straight drive to the eighth green. As for chemicals, only oil, which seeps up from the ground after especially heavy rains. It's a far cry from Augusta, but we don't cry even though, like golfers everywhere, we mutter inappropriate words after hitting a crummy shot. Tom Friedman, thanks for not writing a political column, This one is a gem.
2
@jcs The cost of getting into golf can be a subject for another day, jcs. Too bad you seem unable to get any joy or energy from the best comeback story in the history of all sport, maybe the best EVER. Did you not notice that Tiger is African American? Chill out and don't rain on the parade.
@jcs Think of offering such praise to a man who is willing to golf with Trump. That is the most horrific part to me, though your description of the "sport" and its costs is apt.
You got the rationale for physics wrong. To modern physicists time doesn’t actually exist (or is reduced to space, namely space-time, and in a formula is represented as 1 and can be either + or -, it doesn’t matter, revealing that to a physicist it has no direction). Therefore, from the point of view of physics his winning the Masters at age 43 is actually somewhat irrelevant.
You’re not referring to physics generally, but to engineering, or, at most, mechanics.
And I’m in danger of being labeled a pedant.
2
Amen, brother. Now there's something we can agree on. Thanks for writing this article.
6
@djjr Absolutely right. A great piece.
I saw Tiger's first Masters win and I saw Sunday's marvellous round. Both filled me with joy and provided an enormous uplift.
It is indeed, something I hope we can all agree on.
4
Friedman forgot to mention other variables involved in playing golf - the strength and direction of the wind and the proper club. The baseball and cricket players have one bat; tennis players have one racket; but golfers have to constantly change clubs.
I don't care for golf as a sport because I think it is more recreational activity. But I am amazed at Tiger Woods' achievement. Lesser mortals would have given up a long time ago. Not only did Mr. Woods have to overcome his infidelity and his back surgery but, between those two setbacks, he also had to learn a new style of swinging the club.
Tiger Woods is not just a golfer par excellence but a wonderful role model for anyone who needs to see how one can overcome the odds, no matter how overwhelming they may be.
21
@DA Mann
Yeah, wonderful role model: Cheat multiple times on your wife (and family), then practice hard to win a lot more money, then win a lot of money.
Teach your children well.
6
This magical, insane game of golf is larger than Mr. Friedman's formula of physics, geometry, geography and psychology. It is a challenge to, and a marker of each player's identity. My father, the golf nut if there ever was one, went to the course each time - with his boys in tow - determined, like all golfers, to find that one swing key that would propel him to the next, higher level of performance. In doing so, he would become another, better, different person. Although that round never arrived, it hardly mattered. Golf remained, for him, as it does for so many of us, the one arena wherein on any sun splashed afternoon his life could be transformed. His field of dreams. Just as the limits of my Dad's identity were for so many years met head out on the golf course - never to be fully accepted - so too was Tiger's on Sunday. This was not a transformational day for Tiger - it was a remarkable day that confirmed the identity of a remarkable individual.
12
Tiger's fall from grace was abrupt and painful. But the seeds had been planted many years before: in his childhood. His father
steered Tiger's enormous talents into such a narrow pathway that Tiger had no chance to experience more than a slice of life.
The lesson here is that "The child is father of the man."
Our task is to work on helping families take good care of their children to bring them to fruitful adulthood. I honor Lebron James work with education in his birthplace. I love watching Tiger play because I love playing golf. But I hope I see Tiger taking James as a model for a rich successful man giving back to humanity.
29
@memosyne Where have you been?? You hope that you see Tiger taking Lebron James as a model for a rich successful man giving back to humanity?? How about this: "TGR Foundation was established in 1996 by Tiger Woods and his father, Earl Woods, to create and support community-based programs that improve the health, education, and welfare of all children in America." That was 23 years ago when Tiger was 20 years old! Tiger's foundation has improved the lives of more young people than any other educational organization established by a current "rich successful man"! How about checking out the following:
https://tgrfoundation.org/
No one can argue with what Woods did on Sunday. He came back and won a Major. After everything. I get that. Probably one of, if not the, greatest sports achievements ever. You speak of all the rehabilitation he underwent, both physical and psychological. But what I see from Woods is a guy who shows the world what he can do on the golf course, but, outside Mr. Friedman's general depiction, we see little of his personal redemption. Woods had the means to turn his life around: the money, the resources, the personal trainers and so on. Most people don't have that luxury. But do you see Woods doing public service announcements or him doing interviews telling not so fortunate people that it is possible to make up lost ground? I don't. What does he do for the African American community? Not much I see. What does he talk about on TV? Himself. I guess my angst is : To those who have been given so much, so much is expected. I want to see more than Woods playing golf with Trump. Be more of a role model to a poor kid in a single parent household than to a bully president is all I am asking. Wouldn't it be nice for Woods to say after a round with Trump: He asked me to play a round. I asked him to not cut food stamps. We both got what we wanted. And if Trump doesn't deliver, I'd cancel my next round with him and play with some inner city kids, instead. Now that would be something to see.
72
@Walking Man Somehow I can't see that happening because he is his favorite subject. The fact that he counts Trump as a friend, and has for some time, is enough to make me question his true character. I was becoming a Tiger fan, but have decided to pass. Tales of redemption only go so far.
24
@Walking Man--- so well stated. His over tournament interview was all about him. Yes-- a golfer for the ages but far from humble-- almost like he has prove his worth to the world-- almost he seems to come across the world is against me.
So much different than an interview with the "king" Arnold Palmer after one of his Master's victories.
24
@Walking Man - https://tgrfoundation.org/about/
What can the rest of us take away from Woods' victory at Augusta National? The one thing that allows us to savor life's successes more than anything else: humility. Tiger grew up believing it was his destiny to become the world's finest golfer; he then fell victim to the parallel belief he was entitled to all the riches and delights this planet has to offer. After his fall, he learned that good fortune--luck--is as much of a gift as shotmaking skills. And now, he has (at last) become grateful not just for what he has earned, but for what others and chance have bestowed upon him. And yes, that's humbling.
5
@TJCso well stated. His over tournament interview was all about him. Yes-- a golfer for the ages but far from humble-- almost like he has prove his worth to the world-- almost he seems to come across the world is against me.
So much different than an interview with the "king" Arnold Palmer after one of his Master's victories.
2
Nothing lures like celebrity. Maybe the writer should ask... many of us fall. How many of us have the millions for rehabilitation, support, lifestyle management, coaching, meditation, recuperative retreats in the bahamas, what else, to get back on our feet? I'd propose the writer look closer to the street, at the glory of many in more humble circumstances that rise through similar and more dire challenges on a monthly, weekly if not daily basis. Feel breathless and exalted by their grit and their courage.
23
@Zagana Doesn't matter what you have or don't have at your disposal, you still have to do it. Going through the pain and suffering of self discovery is all of our jobs. Sometimes the more one has, the greater the distractions available, the harder it is to avoid those distractions and do the life work necessary for true personal growth. In that way we are all the same. We witnessed someone who did it and long before he won the Masters. We have been able to see it in his demeanor and how he has carried himself for the past few years. The tournament last week brought just it to light.
2
Tiger overcame enormous physical and psychological pain by re-learning the only skill that had ever mattered to him. He didn't try to become great at something else (though it was clear on Sunday that he had also learned to love his kids). He was saved, literally, by golf - by addressing more completely than ever before the game's myriad complexities and challenges. A lesson for us all.
2
I don't play golf and don't watch golf...except when Tiger is playing. Tiger has done so much for the sport of golf, including having non-golfers like me watch the sport on TV. I even watched the encore presentation because I knew how significant Tiger's win was. It was beyond historical. I have never witnessed this kind of comeback. No matter how many more years he has in him to play golf professionally, I am so happy for him that he has returned to the top roaring.
13
Wonderful out of character essay. I fully agree with your analysis of the impact Tiger's foibles on his collapse. When I saw Tiger walking up the last hole, more so on Saturday, with thousands cheering for him you could see the emotion on his face. He seemed to be thinking how can all of these people still love me after all I have done? Tiger's experience also shows that Americans are a forgiving people. It is amazing how some of our greatest heroes in sports, politics and entertainment have not been paragons of virtue, yet we continue to adore them.
6
I was in an Atlanta theater waiting for a play to begin when the director took the stage to announce Tiger's victory at the Masters. The audience of older, mostly white women deeply steeped in the arts clapped and cheered the news. Yes, American's gravitate to underdogs and applaud comebacks.
5
When a stranger in my foursome told me "the nicest people you'll ever meet are golfers" it confirmed what I'd learned years ago about truth in opposites: my own experience was that many of these strangers on the golf course are among the nastiest (but always with a smile) people I've ever met. Not my kind of sport or people.
17
@Rethinking
In reality, golfers are no different from everyone else, some nice, some nasty, most in between. Any attempt to categorize them is bound to fail.
In almost all these comments the writers fail to see the comparison of Tiger Woods with many of our fellow human beings who have tried to rehabilitate themselves after serving time. For most ex-cons there is never anything they can do to redeem themselves and rebuild their lives. The expectations are failure and the support little. I am always amazed how Old Testament the Christian society we have acts when it supposedly is following the tenets of faith, hope, and charity.
11
@Duane McPherson I suspect that if each convict released from prison was given millions of dollars to rebuild his or her life, we would see more comebacks.
@voyager2
I'd just settle for letting them get a job or rent an apartment to begin with.
His achievements notwithstanding, Tiger created his own bad bounces with his behavior. Besides, bad bounces signify in a different way to a man who is worth a billion dollars.
Golf, as with most sports, is not rocket science. As a columnist who plies words for a trade, Friedman overdoes it. Tiger is blessed with a genetic inheritance that combines the strength and elasticity to enable him to torque his body and swing as hard and accurately as he does and yet finesse putts like the lag putt on 9 on Sunday. That putt was the key to his round. Tiger converted what might easily have been a three-putt, with its attendant loss of momentum, into a gloriously easy two putt.
Tiger has one of the best setup routines I have witnessed—not too fast or slow, rhythmical and graceful.
But on Sunday, Tiger also enjoyed plenty of luck. The tournament was in the hands of the typically unflappable Molinari, until he inexplicably dunked it in the water at 12 and again at 15—a double bogey on a par 5 most pros treat as a par 4. So, too, with Koepka, who also dunked it at 12 and missed bonafide birdie opportunities at 17 and 18.
It would have been fun to have seen Fowler win his first major or Langer, who has never missed the cut at the Masters, win his third at age 62.
Still, it was a remarkable performance by a preternaturally gifted golfer.
As for the greatest of all time? Nicklaus was the greatest of his generation, just as Watson and Tiger are the greatest of theirs.
10
Regarding Tiger's 'luck' in winning Sunday....try replicating Tiger's workouts in the gym, stretching regime, and other practice routines at the range before casting Tiger as one lucky bloke.
Gary Player's quote comes to mind: “The more I practice, the luckier I get."
Good 'luck', Tiger, at Pebble, the Old Course, and Beth Page....you don't need it, but regardless, you've got lots of folks rooting for you.
And Congrats on your well-earned victory in Augusta.
8
@Chance
"But on Sunday, Tiger also enjoyed plenty of luck. The tournament was in the hands of the typically unflappable Molinari, until he inexplicably dunked it in the water at 12 and again at 15—a double bogey on a par 5 most pros treat as a par 4. So, too, with Koepka, who also dunked it at 12 and missed bonafide birdie opportunities at 17 and 18" Luck? How about strategy and experience. Also, the Tiger effect. Molinari and Koepka were trying to steal one on 12. They paid for it. Tiger played against the course on Sunday. Molinari and Koepka played against Tiger.
6
@John Galetka
"A shot that goes in the cup is pure luck, but a shot to within two feet of the flag is skill.”
-- Ben Hogan
1
I bet if it was profitable enough big companies could have given Lance Armstrong a comeback.
Difference between Lance and Tiger. Lance got caught.
5
@Greg
Beg to differ. Tiger didn't do anything illegal. He cheated on
women, but followed the rules of golf. And he did get caught,
1
@Greg
Are you suggesting that Tiger is doping? Sounds like it.
1
Woods is a brand. The companies that own him spend millions to make him look good. The same way these same companies spent millions making Trump look good. Isn’t Trump’s victory as great as Tiger’s ? Even better because he was political amateur in a field of professionals?
3
@Greg If they have spent so much to make Woods look good, why on earth would they allow him to golf with Trump and throw that investment out the window?
1
Wonderfully written article - loved the connections between physics, geography, geometry, and psychology. Golf is all of those things - but this was also, on a more personal level, a story of redemption, dumping baggage, rising above one's mistakes through focus and determination. Seeing a triumphant Tiger Woods return to such a stunning victory and then to share it with his loved ones was so satisfying - just a great day for golf!
19
Another “Master”piece Tom.Loved it,in spite of all the nuances.
This “Masterpiece at Master’s 2019” exemplifies numerous
aspects of life and living today,including but not limited to Tiger Woods’ comeback,or the first women’s event at Master’s,or Mother nature’s “Perfect Storm” setting etc.
May long live the mysticism of “Success against adversity” .
Thanks and congrats to you,and ALL at Augusta National & Master’s for helping write this Masterpiece.
DrET
6
As a person who deeply disliked golf when I encountered it as an adolescent (club so long, ball so small and far away, target so even more far away, back and arms and legs so difficult to manage, AH!), and who also found watching golf on TV one of the most horrible of boring tortures -- I perked up when Tiger came on the scene. He made everything exciting! And he didn't look like everybody else either -- he had an interesting background! Clearly he was a genius and a leader. When he crashed out I said, 'He is a leader. He will be back.' And then everything got worse and worse and worse (ah, so like golf!). I gave up. Sort of. Nothing, nothing, nothing! Could possibly make me happier about golf, about life, about human persistence than this return to triumph of Tiger Woods. Thank you for writing this. And thank you, Tiger!
14
What a fantastically written article. I'm not a golfer, I'm a tennis player, I think there are some similarities between golf and tennis, but I admit, golf is just more. More difficult. More something. This article really captures the essence. The essence of golf so that even a non golfer can understand. Great Job!
6
Every single person in the world deserves a second chance. To see them use it right is always more exalting than their previous achievements. Help people around you achieve their greatness.
24
@SL Too bad he blew that second chance by associating with Trump.
Bravo Freidman, the exhaltant
tone of this article mirrors my soaring heart as I watched Tiger
ignite, fist to the sky, offering his winning pearly grin to us all, again. Thank you Tiger,
Thanks Tom Freidman for knowing how best to say
Thanks.
16
You have written a great column, one of particular interest to me as it contributes to #ourtopstory which I consider a very worthy focus of attention for The New York Times and other top tier news organizations. This is brilliantly observed. Though not a golfer, I’m thinking your words will be read by golfers (and others) for a long time. It is such excellent coverage of human excellence that I am persuaded will make an enormous difference to human beings in a future where we have access onscreen to Tiger’s responses to questions posed by the best reporters and biographers and fans. I thank you, and I ask you and your colleagues to tell #ourtopstory.
7
Earl Woods expected his Son named Tiger to be the GOAT. This comeback is Sears buying Amazon, Radio Shack buying Apple.
2
Great article. Great play from Tiger. Great day for golf. I've played most sports through my life, and golf is by far the most interesting, challenging, and difficult.
For me, golf is a six mile walk in a beautiful municipal park built for a few thousand dollars almost 100 years ago. The course is inexpensive to maintain and is host to 60,000 rounds each year. The inexpensive golf fees adequately pay for the upkeep. It's hardly elitist. It's people of all backgrounds and ages just trying to get better while having fun.
It's hard to imagine another game that I could play for over 65 years and still believe that my best is in front of me. But that is exactly what I know to be true. The simple act of playing the game on foot (and not in a cart) has helped provide me the health, strength, physicality, and skill to actually get better at the game in my 70s. As John Updike said, "I am curiously, disproportionately, undeservedly happy on a golf course". That's me.
Golfers and non golfers can equally understand that what happened in Augusta yesterday was important and lessons can be learned. In winning, Tiger showed that talent, hard work, focus, perseverance, belief and steely nerve can overcome the doubts within us while also quieting the doubters. I bet that millions of us who witnessed Tiger's win will take something positive to the golf course and to other aspects of our lives.
You can see someone for their greatness or their shortcomings. It's a choice.
17
I think a part of Tiger Woods success involves people who inspire us to do great things. First it was Tiger Wood's father who was his greatest inspiration. As his children come "of age" and begin to understand the significance of his achievements, they are now his greatest inspiration. I do not think these two situations are coincidence to his success.
6
God is forgiving when one learns to appreciate family, friends, lessons learned from suffering & practice, practice, practice!
Wonderful article on Tiger Woods. Great comeback for he who learned the hardest lesson of all.
20
@Harriett Meinders Yes, the most difficlut lesson of all...to forgive yourself and become a better person.
@RP Rose A better person does not golf with Trump.
No Tom, Tiger winning is not like Steve Jobs getting fired and coming back. Jobs never faced the physical, let alone mental prospect of living a life of intense pain, of not being able to get out of bed in the morning and of not literally not being able to perform his profession. Plus Tiger's accomplishment is his alone - one man competing against a fellow athletes, the course and the weather - Jobs has other people "performing" the job.
6
@Tony "Jobs never faced the physical, let alone mental prospect of living a life of intense pain, of not being able to get out of bed in the morning and of not literally not being able to perform his profession. "
Guess you never read or heard about Jobs battle with pancreatic cancer for 7 long years and how he eventually got so ill due to the debilitating effects of his terminal illness that he had to step down as CEO of Apple and died a few months later.
17
@Tony
Steve Jobs died aged 56 of pancreatic cancer Oct. 2011.
1
Heartfelt congratulations to Tiger Woods! When I read the headline that he had won it actually brought a tear to my eye. I always liked Tiger for some reason. He seemed like a real person and with all his early success seemed to yet find some room for some humility... a rare thing these days. It was painful to see him fall and struggle over the years, but I would guess that it was never as painful to anyone as it was to him. But with this win I felt like something good happened, by God, at a time when so much of what happens is not good at all. It's so nice to see someone demonstrate the courage, self-awareness, incredible tenacity, and great skill required to pull off this win. I'm thrilled for him! Many people will never forgive his failings, as if they have none of their own. I applaud him. He has faced his own demons, met them eye-to-eye, and come out on top. We can all learn something from him.
24
"Golf is the sport most like life, because it is played on an uneven surface."
Said a writer who doesn't surf.
I'm a giant fan of your work and with all due respect - golf is played on a constant surface, it's not shifting in large ways every millisecond as is the case with surfing. It's a sport played on perhaps the most controlled environment of all sports - highly limited access is the model (economic, gender-based, ethnic, geographic...). When you surf the person next to you may be a Senator, teacher or homeless... and you're inhabiting a zoo, you're inside the cage with animals that see you as visitors. Augusta doesn't allow too many bears on the course.
Granted, it's not a contest - which sport is most like life - that line just made me sit back and think of our different perspectives.
On the other hand maybe golf is the sport most like life, as life is increasingly about access and exclusivity. In the meantime I'll stick with surfing.
12
@jim moriarty Agreed. Tiger's comeback is exemplary and inspirational after giving up golf for years, addicted to opiods, multiple back and knee surgeries.
On the other hand, he hits a ball around some grass. Not much different than billiards or darts. His sport does not risk death which many, like surfing, downhill skiing, Tour de France cycling, auto racing, maybe NFL etc do.
This is not to take away from Tiger, because he is in a league of men that could take on that risk, but in the end, he hits a ball along grass.
2
Two amazing things happened at Augusta National this month. this awesome comeback and Augusta National inviting a women am tournament to be played there-- Is this a new Augusta National?
4
Maybe there's a column in your future about golf and climate change. As temperatures continue to rise, and weather continues to get weirder, professional golfers and their caddies will feel it -- they have to play in the afternoon, in the summer, outdoors. Real life involves taking important stands on major issues. I see that the PGA (not the tour) issued a sustainability report in 2018. I wonder if the move of the PGA championship from August to May was partly to get it out of the heat.
5
@P Heinrich I was thinking the same thing. The Master is held the first full week of April because that's when the course is prettiest. But the flowers are going to start blooming earlier and earlier. When will the Masters follow them?
2
It is amazing how many immensely talented people—athletes, artists, actors, business leaders—fall from grace due to their own inner demons and personal flaws. Infidelity, addiction, bad character and other self-destructive behavior seems to be the price many of them pay for the talent God has given them.
Often these demons destroy them. Tiger Woods’ story is uplifting because he refused to be defined by the mistakes he made and the health issues that threatened his talent. Day by day he worked to re-earn the talent he was given. Most don’t have the fortitude and inner strength to do that. His fans love him for doing so.
Of course it is great for Tiger. But it is just as great for the rest of us, who can draw inspiration from a man who hit rock bottom multiple times and yet kept at it until he reclaimed who he was.
32
@Jack Sonville He hit rock bottom when he golfed with Trump. How is he going to live with that?
" Sports don't build character, they reveal charcter". True. Wish I'd said it first. Congratulations Tiger
13
@Peter Donald Trump?
1
No matter how you slice it, this was THE comeback story of the decade. The man's triumph boosts the spirits of all of us becaue those of us who are not perfect know that we feet of clay. To overcome what Tiger overcame and then end up on top was breath-taking.
16
Wow - you just blew my mind! A real pleasure to read something uplifting - optimistic - and of course the Great American Comeback Story that we all root for! Mr. Friedman you may be writing out of your normal element, but bravo - a beautiful piece - and about someone who not that long ago was basically written off as ever coming back to win a major tournament, let alone the Masters and with such incredible shots as you so deftly described. I didn't watch it, but I wish I had.
17
Thank you for your commentary. I rarely watch TV but yesterday was a bad weather day in Atlanta which interfered in our weekly golf game.
I watched the Masters final in it’s entirety. As a lesson for this country split into too many tribes, it is a story of acceptance, perseverance and redemption. I am a physician who understands the physical limits placed on athletes who suffer mayor injuries. Tiger’s recovery is extraordinary. In my great wisdom, two years ago I predicted to friends that he would never win another tournament let alone a major. This is not only sports story but an American story that resonates to the spirit that made this country unique. Thank you Tiger Woods. Let’s forget the political tag line-Make America Great Again. It already is.
32
@Rein Saral Yep, I'm another one of those predictors who thought Tiger would never win again. The greatest individual sports comeback ever.
But, more to the point, a comeback of personality. It's good to see him smiling on the course. Joking with his competitors. Fist-bumping two little kids walking between 17th green and 18th tee on SATURDAY OF THE MASTERS. All things he would NEVER have done before, in his prime.
After all these years, yes, I am finally a Tiger fan.
Moments that uplift people across the world come very rarely indeed. Tiger’s win at The Masters was indeed one such moment. Of being able to bounce back. To remind us all of the frailties of being human. And of how good we can be. A true test of mind and body. We feel for him. We share his joy and pain. And today we thank him, once again.
20
This current non-golfer started watching the tournament and got hooked, so much so that I decided to watch instead of going to Palm Sunday service. As you have stated “What a privilege! I saw Tiger make his comeback and win the Masters at age 43. What a crazy, wonderful, amazing journey!” This is exactly how I felt!
13
Great column. So what if it's not Tom's regular beat? All the negative comments are undoubtedly written by non-golfers who simply don't get it. That doesn't make them bad people, just non-golfers who don't get it. They should find Robin Williams discourse on golf. It may not make them change their minds but it might help them lighten up a bit. I'm a mere hacker on my best days. My golf philosophy: Realistic expectations and a sense of humour! And every once in a while, all of stars align and I execute a shot that I can say with conviction that even Tiger couldn't surpass. And the last shot always ends up in the hole, regardless of who you are. In the end, though,it's just a game and while we might well want to ascribe to it some lofty metaphysical themes, it's just a game. Fore!
10
I was channel surfing Sunday, noticed Tiger was tied for first--I hadn't even known the Masters was going on--and sat and watched the rest of the tournament, uneasily. Like so many, I was enchanted by his rise to the top of his sport. And like many, I was disgusted by the revelations from his private life. So as I watched him win the tournament, all these years later, I was happy for him, but it didn't make me admire him as a person as I once did. I admire the achievement, which was, is, superhuman. The person almost seemed separate from the performance--the most skilled automaton ever to play the game. Big deal.
8
@Jack
Is your last name Nicklaus, perchance? :-)
But even Jack celebrated Tiger's performance. And all the past Masters Champions at the course donned their Green Jackets to greet him on his way to the clubhouse.
Why? Because after four knee surgeries, four back surgeries, and personal tribulations ... he has become more humble. More accessible. He now looks others in the eye, shakes hands, and even laughs.
I (try) to play Golf. But even if I didn't, I'd appreciate the Redemption of Tiger Woods.
Do you play golf Jack? If you do then you missed his whole point.
There are many things not to like about Tiger Woods. But your take is harsh. Automon is a very flippant take on an artistic display that Tiger put on the last 4 days.
Not a fan of golf. Not a fan of Tiger Woods. But it was a sweet victory, and I congratulate him and anyone else who wins like that.
3
Your analogy relating golf to life also applies to the obstacles we face as a nation under Trump and the Republican Party. I feel like as a country we are facing the equivalent of 700 yard par five with only a nine iron in our bag. Shooting par may be out of the question but with a series of good, straight shots and not losing focus, we can still have a very good result. The choice of America’s caddy will be very crucial in meeting this challenge. For me, the young mayor from South Bend would be a very wise choice indeed.
12
Yes, much to be admired and praised here!. But won't Tiger Woods damage it all by actually accepting the "Medal of Freedom," of all things, from Donald Trump? What "freedom" exactly does it recognize? The Green Jacket is a truly deserved honor. It would be gauche to wear that medal with it.
11
@Skeptic
Oh c'mon. He did do something pretty spectacular. It recognizes the freedom to rebound, the freedom to envision and work for it, and the freedom to risk loss to try to come back.
11
@MJB
Hence, Green Jacket, for his ability to rebound in the professional sphere. But the Medal of Freedom is for:
“especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.”
And his willingness to accept a Medal of Freedom shows exactly what is wrong. It is rarely given to an athlete for a specific performance, but for lifetime achievement. Does Tiger Woods truly redeem himself by showing that he understands how his ego lead him down the path of self- and family-destruction? Or does he accept the medal and show that he is still driven by egotism?
10
@Skeptic
The real reason for offering Woods the Medal of Freedom? Trump craves reflected glory wherever he can get it, because he himself is so pathetically empty and knows it.
1
So now the fraud in the WH, who CHEATS at golf, wants to give the "Presidential Medal of Freedom" to another famous cheater, Mr. Woods?!? Why, of course!
23
@Slann
Trump is trying, in truly Trump Fashion, to make Tiger's great triumph all about Trump.
Nothing more complex about it than that.
2
What a great and “surgical” column, muchas gracias Sr. Friedman !
2
Of course it was a wonderful achievement and as a golfer Woods has fully earned his celebrity and his fame. But as a lesson for life, his success is as seductive as it is misleading. Woods is a shining example of the rewards that belong to the winner, rewards that are grossly disproportionate to the value of his accomplishments. Has Mr. Friedman forgotten the tragic human stories that engages his journalistic writing? Tiger Woods successes are far removed from the pain and suffering of so many men, women and children across the world. Will they be able to escape their personal tragedies by trying harder and never giving up? It is cruel to even suggest that Woods win at the Masters provides even the glimmer of hope to those who suffer in circumstances that are completely beyond their control.
18
DT is going to give Tiger Woods the Presidential Medal of Freedom. What about his wife who was raising a baby, and their daughter? She is the one who should get the Medal for public humiliation, fear of potential exposure to sexually transmitted diseases, loss of her marriage as she knew it, holding down the fort, a decent person. No, it is a man's world, where the sexually predatory males should receive a pass, whether a President or a golfer. The women are just those who have the character, and don't fall apart, but must persevere for the sake of the children, and their own sanity.
54
@MaryKayKlassen
I totally agree. True, he made a comeback at golf. He won an iconic tournament. He overcame serious back problems. Does that erase the wreckage he left behind? Not so sure...
10
@MaryKayKlassen Thank You for putting this down in ink. Women have always had the man's back but never really put on the throne like a man is.
2
@MaryKayKlassen It's still a man's world, as it appears. I agree with you Mary Kay. It is truly a joke that the redatory President would give the Medal of Freedom, tp Tiger Woods. What is his rational? Tiger Woods is all about golf and if he has learned a lesson in and of life, then I congratulate him, but the Medal should be reserved for the truly deserving, His Master's win has been rewarded with a green jacket and lots of money. Now, leave him to continue to raise his children and to find an explanation for them to understand what he did to their mother.
2
Foreign affairs column? Heavens to betsy, I could have sworn he's been in the Opinion section for years and years now. The only one with his own mock column generator online, so cliched have his offerings been. Although others like Ross Douthat are surely deserving of their very own mock column generators . . .
So Thomas Friedman wrote an introduction to a golf book. So what, and who cares? How many times do we have to read the words geography, geometry, physics, and psychology in one short column? As though plenty of other sports don't have their own lucky bounces and inches, albeit with defenders of the opponent making life far more difficult than the "sport" of golf.
Besides, isn't enough stuff happening in the world of foreign affairs these days? Leave the sports columns to the pros, and we'll try to keep the sportswriters from writing about 2 Arab countries kicking out their leaders this month, the yellow-vests, the rise of the far-right in Europe, or the fact that "undemocratic" Israel just reelected Bibi for the 5th time while the Palestinians haven't had elections in 15 years.
Fore!
6
@foodalchemist Friedman was so wrong for so long about Cheney’s Iraqi debacle, that six month periods of time came to be known as Friedman units. Yet like all of us, both Friedman and Woods are entitled to seek redemption.
No no no, no no, no no. You lost me at "by becoming a good father and a better person to his fans and his fellow golfers." Is he a good father? Didn't he try to sell himself as a good father (and husband) the first time around? I have no idea what kind of father he is, and I suspect you don't really know either. Is he a "better person"? Again, no idea. This is, or should be, the lesson of Tiger. He is a great golfer, and that is all we know about him. He has great willpower . . . when it comes to golf. Please, please, let's just leave it at golf this time around and have that be enough.
29
@Realitycheck You are clearly not paying attention. Either Tiger is now both a better person and a better father, or he is even better at acting than he is at golf. He has put forth so much excruciating effort to get back to where he is, how could he find the energy to adopt a convincing false persona on top of it? And why would he try? What I saw yesterday was a newfound grace and humility and tremendous love for his family.
6
@Realitycheck Agree. Didn't we all think we were seeing that the first time around? All we know about him now is how he played golf for four days.
6
I never thought he would ever come back.
Love Tiger's amazing win and resurgence.
Now, if only he'd stop golfing with Trump. THAT would be a major statement.
27
If you ever want to know a man's character, play 18 holes with them. There is no hiding who you truly are out there on the course. If you're a cheater. It will show. If you're a liar. It will show. If you're angry. It will show. If you're kind, collected and humble, it will show. There is no hiding who and what you are on the course, and Tiger's shown us again he is truly among the worlds greatest. Thank you for giving this golf fan the greatest sports watching Sunday of his life. What a Masters! Simply awesome.
10
the moral is: it pays to cheat on your wife. people will love you more for your suffering.
11
@rpl
Very few people go through the international humiliation of having their affairs published. I believe Tiger was punished for his sins; let it go. He went through multiple back surgeries, an addiction to pain killers, a DUI (for prescription drugs) all on the international stage. That he can come back physically and mentally is a testament to his talent and perseverance.
26
@rpl More than half of us do it at one time or another. My advice is to tend to your own garden and get a life.
Another proof that it is impossible to write anything interesting about golf.
It is not a sport when you can play, drink beer, and smoke at the same time.
5
Watching Tiger win the Masters in these dark days of American politics, in a weird way gave me some hope. If a black man can push through racism to dominate a white upper class game of the privileged, maybe that can inspire others to move forward, in a rigged system. That Tiger picked himself up from his mistakes and redeemed himself, gives me hope that our country can seek redemption in the 2020 election.
7
I don't need to wonder what the response would be if a stellar women athlete, who was (supposedly) happily married with 2 children, was caught cheating on her faithful husband with dozens of men for years, and after divorcing her supportive spouse, was arrested for a DUI. Would we be throwing accolades her way? Would she be receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom? Would we be holding her up as a wonderful example of resilience and cheering her comeback? Pretty sure the answer to that is "no". She would have lost all of her sponsors, and been driven out of her sport. I think I'll hold off on the hypocritical applause for Mr. Woods. Pathetic.
30
@KeepingitReal I hope we would all applaud her for her transformation and getting her life back on track. We all need to go through transformations and straighten ourselves out to live a loving, compassionate and giving life to help each other through very tough transformations.
13
I'm more envious of all the commenters here who have apparently never erred in their entire lives and then took the time to comment on how they don't like golf than I am of Tiger himself. Inerrant with tons of free time.
13
The subhead reads, "Golf is all about how you react when you get a bad bounce."
Sorry. Tiger did not get a "bad bounce" in life. Getting a "bad bounce" is receiving a cancer diagnosis, losing a life partner unexpectedly in an accident, being born into a war-torn country, or any number of other factors we don't control.
Tiger made his own bad bounces. Kudos for him for returning to the top of his game. But let's not glorify him as a hero. Many people have to fight addiction, depression, destructive tendencies - and they do it without fanfare. But it's the sign of a large ego to believe that he now deserves the Medal of Freedom (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/15/sports/golf/tiger-woods-medal-of-freedom.html). So maybe he hasn't learned very much, after all.
18
@NI Maybe you should just wait until he is actually awarded the Medal of Freedom, and not comment on his ego as if he's already accepted it.
Unlike the so-called president, Tiger Woods has apologized to those he hurt, redeemed himself, and has invested in the therapy (psychological and physical) to make himself a better person. If you can't find that admirable at some level, then you are guided by predisposed notions, and hate.
1
@NI Thank you. he certainly is no hero.
1
Another proof that it is impossible to write anything interesting about golf.
It is not a sport when you can play, drink beer, and smoke at the same time.
Tiger's misdeeds crushed him. Trump's--not so much.
2
@Paul
That's the difference between a person with a conscience and one without.
Next you are going to hear from Trump.No body plays better golf than me, not even Tiger Woods, believe me, Tiger would agree
2
"Golf is all about how you react when you get a bad bounce." In the case of Donald Trump, you cheat.
7
The fact that you wove Tiger, Clinton and Trump into a letter sweater in the same paragraph speaks volumes about the shameless depravity you’re suggesting we put up with “for the love of the game” and compare it to life. In my view, for Tiger and the world, close but no cigar would have been the better outcome and lesson of the day to set in stone. It must be nice to have a zillion dollars, cherry pick medical care to repair your back and hire shrinks to help you put a smile and calm on your wall of shame. Golf = life? Fake news.
3
@BeamInMyEye I'm discouraged that people have so little compassion for people who make human mistakes and work to transform themselves to live better lives in the future. It has nothing to do with how much money or fame you have, we all need the help and compassion of our fellow human beings as we struggle to undergo our personal transformations.
14
Dear fellow human, I regret conveying lack of compassion. That was not my intent. Friedman’s piece is about how tough a game golf is on a good day and that overcoming the combination of physical and mental anguish to comeback and win deserves recognition. It was the best thing I’ve read in the last 24 hours describing it. While I’m all for transformation and will be the first to sound three cheers for the underdog coming out of nowhere victorious, Tiger knew how to win in Augusta. He did it 4 times before. As far as golf is concerned, Spieth and Molinari. will deserve a medal of freedom if they can ever escape their nightmare at 16 and win a Masters down the road. For me, Phil Mickelson and Freddie Couples are better role models on the links. They smile a lot.
3
My wife was getting giddy and a little googly-eyed yesterday talking about Tiger's comeback, basically for the same reasons given here. Me and my buddies just stared at her. If I pulled off the stunts that Tiger did, I'd hire a security firm to ensure my safety from her righteous fury, and she knows its true. Interesting how distance apparently makes indiscretions less poignant.
There's probably a lesson there in how sexual liaisons probably shouldn't be as big of a deal as we make them out to be, but I'll broach that debate AFTER I've re-stuffed the couch cushions.
5
@htg I’ll make it easy on you. Sexual indiscretions, as common as snowflakes, are so not a big deal and reactions to them are best left to the individuals involved. Personally I am a big Lennon fan. “And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.”
Let me say up front that I am not a fan of golf, I have tried it it and all I accomplished was to prove my ineptness and to bring a muffled chuckle from those watching the debacle. But I have watched Tiger Woods always rooting for him as he made his mark on the game and then took his huge personal nose dive. His come back is astonishing and gives us all hope. To add another metaphor its like the Titanic resurrected itself from 2 miles down and made its grand entrance into New York harbor, bruised but triumphant.
6
There's is a dignity in Tiger's comeback that even the Golf-Cheater-in-Chief can't spoil (though he's already tried to, with his crude grandstanding offer of a medal). Go Tiger!
5
Fine...he won.
So that means that we won't be seeing bad Tiger for at least a little while.
You know bad Tiger: he's the Tiger that whines and throws tantrums and pouts and acts like a spoiled and entitled god.
His latest win is a win for poor sportsmanship. Yeah team!
4
@Cary
You've not been paying attention, Cary. His physical and emotional tribulations have transformed Tiger in a way that his relentless pursuit of Jack's record 18 Majors could never have accomplished.
He engages with fellow pros and fans alike now. Looks people in the eye. Shakes hands. Smiles and jokes. Note that all the past Masters Champs were on hand to don their Green Jackets and congratulate him.
5
Congrats to Tiger Woods it great to see him get his golf mojo back.
I think Tigers biggest challenge yet is coming up. I think it would seriously behoove Tiger to not accept the Medal of Freedom that Trump says he will give him.
8
Millions of us cheered yesterday as Tiger did what few thought he would ever do again. It is heartening to see that most of us still believe in and celebrate second chances, the great come-back, the fallen hero rising from the ashes. And, in Tiger's case, we also had to forgive him for letting us all down a decade ago by being such a narcissistic "jerk". Sports can, at times like this, bring us together in the kind of tribalism that is healthy, inclusive and joyful.
4
I agree with most of Mr. Friedman's assessment but the two things missing from his assessment is Mr. Woods' use of drugs and his failure as a role model when it mattered most (the two not being related).
Perhaps the pills he was popping actually elevated his game? No-one will know. But Tiger was juicing during the most formative years of his golf career and that alters the geography dramatically.
Mind you, those same pills may have played a role in both his demise and then destruction but I will agree with Mr. Friedman that it appears that Tiger was clear-eyed on Sunday.
But that leads me to the issue of lost innocence. Not his, but ours. Tiger is not a product of the "our eyes are closed" pre-#MeToo era or that of 50's. 60's and 70's. He and his success, as well as that of the sport of golf in general, are a byproduct of 24-7 TV coverage of the sport as well as a ravenous internet world.
And here Mr. Woods was lifted on shoulders as the ideal role-model, bigger and higher than pretty much any competitor in modern history. And for a while, we all bought into it.
That is not to say that Mr. Woods isn't human and incapable of human failures, small or large. But he lost his hero halo a long time ago.
His story for me is more about being really good at golf after major surgery and having a little bit of luck in that another guy hit his T-shot into the water.
Yet, I am happy that he has found peace. Everyone deserves peace. And I wish him continued success. That's all.
2
Tiger's downfall had nothing to do with a "bad bounce", he created his problems and hurt many innocent people along the way.
ScottF
10
There are those who try to master golf as you say, and there are those who cheat at it and in life like Trump.
1
C'mon, what else was he going to do? The only thing he knows how to do is play golf and golf is the only thing he knows anything about.
He's still the guy that stiffed Rachel Robinson despite her personal request that he honor her husband the year his number was retired for all of baseball. Among his many other "I'm not black, I'm Tiger" moments.
So, yeah, he's a great golfer, one of the best ever. And a selfish, self absorbed man. The contrast between him and Jackie Robinson couldn't be greater. Hope his kids learn the difference.
6
Who else could go out on Sunday and put on the red shirt that means "Winning?"
Golf is a rich white European American Judeo-Christian " sport".
The novelty of Tiger Woods half- black African American paternal heritage overshadowed and overwhelmed his half-brown Asian Thai maternal heritage.
Tiger Woods was all about the babes, the fame and the Benjamins. Woods is no Jackie Robinson nor Muhammad Ali. Coin and commerce drive the likes of Tiger and Michael Jordan.
Tiger Woods " success " gives aid and comfort to condescending paternalistic liberal white pity and condescending paternalistic conservative white contempt in equal measures.
Donald Trump " plays" golf.
10
Wow! Do any of the people making these comments have any clue how to do what he did??? That includes his reveals of 2009!! Not me, and I'm sure none of you! Can't the guy bask in his history making achievement?? Or, would stuffing him in a room with the current president indefinitely be his just dessert?
1
The more I practice the luckier I get . Arnold Palmer said that or Friedman claims it is Gary Player. Who said it ?
1
@Dr Wu, Friedman is tight, it was Player.
Whoa Tom, we all recognize the enormous personal accomplishment of Tiger Wood's amazing win before on Sunday, but being a multi-millionaire certainly helps significantly. To add some perspective, it took place at what was until recently, an iconic symbol of white male supremacy in the United States, the Augusta National Golf Club. It allowed no black players in the Masters till 1975, no black members till 1990, or female members till 2012. Only blacks could serve as caddies or members of the service staff. Bob Jones and Clifford Roberts, the creators of this golf tournament, and always referred to deferentially by the unctuous Jim Nantz, were unavowed racists. The name, "The Masters" is most fitting, and lest we forget, a perfect discription, for most of the history at the Augusta National Golf Club.
4
Take Alex Zinardi's story. Compare to Tiger.
One of the greatest comebacks in sports history?
Please. Not even in the top 50. Most of Tiger's issues were self induced.
2
@sofaman
As were Michael Jordan's. What can you tell us about Alex Zanardi's personal life?
As long as we're considering constitutionally-prohibited comebacks, can we please have Barack Obama defeat Trump in 2020 instead of Bill Clinton
7
I am so happy for him when I saw the news, so happy for him, for this comeback victory, which I'm sure that to him, it would feel many many times more fulfilling than the previous ones.
2
Thomas, this was certainly the best article I have read on the sport of golf. Tiger and Augusta are polarising, but it’s easy to put them aside when immersed in the beauty of your poetry, if I could indulge myself. Do keep writing about golf.
4
I have played golf my entire life. I am blessed to have some ability to play. I watch as much golf as I can. Watching Tiger yesterday was the most satisfying ending to a story I can ever recall. I used to cheer so fervently against Tiger. Yesterday I couldn't help but cheer him on. I found myself smiling.. and even shed a tear when he hugged his family. What a journey and what a way to bring Golf back into the main stream! I will forever be a fan of Tiger Woods! The GOAT!
5
As I've always said to my son, be careful whom you choose to look up to as your heroes. Sports figures, in general, have shown themselves to be heroes on the field or on the course, much as movie starts portray themselves as heroes on the screen, only to be no one to admire in their real lives. Don't admire a person for how they play or how often they win, admire then for who they are. In most cases, one will find these people closer to home, within their own community.
7
It was truly wonderful to watch. There are many great young golfers out there now, many of whom I enjoy watching. Still, it was great to see Tiger fully recover from first his terrible behavior then his physical struggles.
4
Mr. Friedman, what about the one- half of the population that is denied the opportunity to even attempt a golf shot at Augusta? Spare me the bigotry and the paeans.
3
@integrity I think you might be saying women can't play there. Although true in the past, not true anymore. There are female members now (granted, there are only about 3 of them) and they just held an amateur tournament for amateur women players last week. They have a long way to go for true equality, but there are making an effort. Also, see the drive, chip and putt contest open to all kids that is all expense paid for kids and their families. And the article was more about golf and Tiger Woods than it was about
Augusta.
3
@integrity Augusta now hosts a Womens Amateur tournament. To Little To Late agreed. But it is a start.
1
Oh, how quickly we forget that Tiger Woods supported the former prohibition denying women the opportunity to play at Augusta.
1
From the poem " How Did You Die?' By Edmund Vance Cooke:......" You are beaten to earth?...Well, well, what's that?....Come up with a smiling face.....It's nothing against you to fall down flat....But to lie there...that's disgrace.
4
"Get a bad bounce?" Hey, it was nice to see him come back from being down, and hugging your kids is nice. But ALL of his troubles were self-inflicted, including his injuries, which he got during self-indulgent fake Navy SEAL training. And his down times featured dating Lindsay Vonn and other celebrities while cruising around on his 155-foot yacht "Privacy." Not exactly the hero's journey through hell. Spare us. Give us stories of REAL heroes overcoming REAL tribulations... or is that just Nick Kristof's beat?
13
Oh, come on. A man hits a little ball with a stick into a hole and he is grossly overpaid and honored as if a hero of the republic and an inspiration & a role model for the young. Give me a break. The man is serial cheater, dishonest and has the personality of a bowl of overcooked broccoli.
A decent society would pay teachers & nurses & EMTs & environmentalists & homeless advocates & medical researchers & animal rescuers decent salaries instead of rewarding athletes with immeasurable riches. What lives has Tiger Woods saved? None. How many schools has he built? None. Tiger uses his money for more self-aggrandizement, buying yachts & mansions & consorts.
Golf is dull & boring and lacks the challenges of sports like skiing and white water kayaking.
The doctors & nurses & epidemiologists who go into epidemic and war zones with Doctors Without Borders to provide medical care & relieve suffering ---- these folks are worthy of our admiration.
Tiger Woods is just a cad who hits a ball around with a stick, and this on environmentally-harmful golf courses inundated with bee-killing, insect-killing, bird-killing, life-destroying herbicides & pesticides. Golf courses pollute ground & surface water with chemical contaminants, the chemical use has negative impacts on "non-target" wildlife, altering & damaging wetlands & replacing natural plant communities with artificial environments. But hey, preserving the planet is less important than men getting to whack balls around.
17
@Earthling
And Trump is awarding him the medal of freedom.
4
@Earthling You should have researched the Tiger Woods foundation before displaying your ignorance. The foundation educates and inspires many inner city children, all possible because of his success and his money.
Furthermore, the USGA, through environmental sustainability initiatives and collaboration with turf grass growers, have developed grasses which are drought tolerant and require less fertilization and no herbicide treatment. Golf courses, especially near densely populated areas are replacing landfills and other derelict brownfield sites, resulting in much needed, healthy, open space while creating natural biodiverse habitats, including bird sanctuaries.
1
@Mary Ann
And all the sportscasters and sportswriters and op-ed writers are celebrating because they can once again just write about Tiger to sell advertising instead of having to do research and columns on all the other current pro golfers.
We could follow an interesting field of young up-and-coming golfers, golfers in mid-career, and oldsters with great records.
But, it's so much easier just to write a Tiger Woods column and go back to barbecuing with friends and neighbors.
"I was awed by Tiger Woods’s comeback for the ages by his winning the Mayters at 43 years old. What can be learned from it?"
Well, You can learn that if he wins another of the PGA major tournaments when he's 46, he will tie Jack Nicklaus.
Cosmetic sports fans who only know what they've seen on TV make me laugh, every achievement they see is "the greatest".
Thanks, Bagger Vance couldn't have said it better.
1
I've been a golfer for 33 years. I'm getting worse at it as I age, but my passion for the game has never diminished. I've always been a Tiger fan and I couldn't give a toss about his personal life. I saw the impact his indiscretions and injuries had on his game, but I always thought he'd be back. His performance at augusta (my lower case, as I think the place is a plutocratic swamp) has inspired me to reject what I believed to be age-related performance deterioration and to strive for a lower handicap.
2
Who among us stands poised to cast the first stone? We should offer everyone the chance to be seen as more than their worst mistakes.
13
A wonderfully stated, thoughtful piece of writing. Thank you.
5
The Presidential Medal of Freedom given by Trump to Tiger? The optics of such an event will speak volumes: One philanderer congratulating another for defying the odds in a competitive public event of a different "sport." Winning a public competition doesn't rehabilitate Trump nor Tiger from a past of self-centered nastiness, despite their illusions to the contrary.
10
@James Randall At least in one instance, you're being overly harsh ... !!
@James Randall Must be difficult for you, being perfect, to live in an imperfect world. At least Tiger has apologized, redeemed himself and did the necessary work to rehabilitate, and has become a better person for it. Trump, not so much. By the way, the Medal of Freedom has neither been given nor accepted yet. And, personally, if it is offered I hope Tiger turns it down. The MoF is meant for far greater accomplishments.
1
Golf is a dysfunctional sport, if you can call it, that keeps Physical Therapists in business. As for Woods, he's hardly a role model. Come to think of it golf is not a sport at all.
3
I find myself rooting for Tiger again because he represents greatness. I hope he has changed his personal ways. I don't know how to justify this acceptance of Tiger in the face of the horror of having a president with similar personal demons. Of course, Trump is a well-known cheater on the course, which I believe Friedman addressed with "Do you throw your club? Do you cheat?" So, perhaps that is the difference. Trump's greatness doesn't actually exist. He has cheated at everything.
3
Breaking up your family by cheating on your wife with multiple women in multiple cities around the world, then suffering the inevitable psychological consequences is "getting a bad bounce"? That's more like intentionally driving the ball three fairways over because you're so supremely full of yourself that you just KNOW you'll be perfectly fine because you're invincible.
Some of his health problems may fall into the "bad bounce" category, although some are the result of too much effort spent in the weight room. But to describe his psychological disorientation after Thanksgiving 2009 in such passive terms defies logic and the laws of personal responsibility (i.e., karma).
8
I really don't know if Tiger Woods is any more of a "mensch" today then he was 10 years ago and I don't really care. What I always appreciated was Woods' superior golfing ability. Woods had it more than anyone else with the possible exception of Jack Nicklaus and I admired him for that quality alone. It would have been thrilling to see him break Nicklaus' majors record and that is why I rooted and still root for him. Perhaps he may yet exceed 18 major wins and that will be a sports story for the ages. For in addition to his abilities, what Woods has, as much as any other athlete has ever had, is grit.
6
Bravo! Tiger Woods and Tom Friedman.. One- a great American comeback. The other? Happy news for one day. My inner jock thanks you....
1
I know a golfer who doesn't experience the game as a miraculous spiritual journey.
But is still a reflection of his life.
He cheats, lies, and shows low character.
He is orange.
8
It would not be like Bill Clinton coming back and beating Trump. That would actually matter. Golf is a sport. No serious implications on the fate of the world.
1
@Randeep Chauhan
Sports competitions ~are~ a metaphor for the game of Life itself. The Scoreboard, in full public view, shows you, and the world, exactly how you are doing. What could be more clean than that?
I have a close friend who's an artist. We were talking about Baseball. He sneered at the "millionaires who play a child's game.
I asked him: Imagine yourself and your easel near second base. Your canvas is blank. In the broadcast booth, three art critics wait to dissect every stroke. Do you think you could even ~lift~ your brush?
The man crossed a Screen Actors Guild picket line to film a Buick commercial. There is no 'moral lens' that can prettify a SCAB.
6
Why is it that the only marriage bow that matters concerns sex?
A woman can allow herself to become physically unattractive, waste all the family’s funds, verbally abuse and denigrate her husband, and eat bon-bons all day long while watching movies on her iPad while he works 70 hours a week. No problem. But a man plays one game on a different course - and he’s a monster.
@Jimmy,
What generation are you?
4
This win is such a great reminder that no matter how low you go, or how dark your behavior becomes, there is a way back. The shame that results from doing bad things to others and to yourself is immense. You feel like your brain is permanently broken, that you ruined your one chance to live right. This is temporary pain and even into your 40s and 50s there will still be an opportunity to re-wire your brain and turn it around.
So happy for this man.
5
Redemption is preceded by wrongdoing. Let's give Tiger the benefit to the doubt that he has grown from his mistakes, personal and professional, and is now a better person all around than ever before.
7
Sorry, "benefit of the doubt..."
The most poignant summary of Mr. Woods' victory came from Tiger himself, when he described having come full circle from, years ago, enjoying his father's support at the tournament, to having his dad pass away, and so now being the father himself. Such is the bittersweet motion of life; maturation, loss, defeat, victory all go hand in hand.
8
Sure great golf is inspiring. Especially when a guy like Tiger fell from the towering heights of his early career. But described every long-time professional athlete. Tiger’s feat is no more astonishing than David Beckham’s performance with the LA Galaxy. Or Kareem’s longevity.
Could help read the first part as a dig at golfs most notorious cheater and current White House inhabitant.
"Good and bad bounces are built into the game, and so much of success in golf is about how you react to those good and bad bounces. Do you quit? Do you throw your club? Do you cheat? Do you whine? Do you blame your caddie?"
Hmm...I believe Tiger's reacted in all those ways over the course of his career (except maybe quit). Still, it's a remarkable athletic achievement, and speaks to his his singular focus on golf above all other considerations.
2
No doubt this was a tremendous accomplishment, and Woods deserves credit for his perseverance, and getting his life together.
Yet, there are so many who receive far worse bounces – lets call them bludgeoning's and train wrecks and cataclysmic disasters – in their lives and they manage to survive and claw their way out of holes deeper than most could imagine.
Many manage to do so and maintain their sanity and integrity.
They do it without fame and wealth. And they do it without cheers or accolades or acknowledgement of any sort, except that they are still alive.
They have fought to see another sunrise, while mostly unnoticed by the world around them.
A little perspective please.
10
@Equilibrium
..”A little perspective please.” Agreed.
Alas, but most people don’t have their “train wrecks” make front page news and have their personal misdeeds become recycled news stories day after day, year after year.
5
Mr. Friedman, enough of the tired cliché that sports (of any kind) are a metaphor for life. Simply not true. Nor is there any redemption with success in sports.
Mr. Woods in an entertainer, that's all. He didn't save a life, educate a child, or buy a homeless person a meal. He has yet to do anything with his life that is significant. And he probably won't.
17
@Jack be Quick
The TGR Foundation for underprivileged children was created by Woods in more than 20 years ago.
From the website: 87% of the students began to plan future careers. 91% reported increased confidence about their futures. And 1,000 Teachers benefit annually from professional development programs.
https://tgrfoundation.org/about/
1
@Jack be Quick Look up the Tiger Woods foundation. You will see that what he does is significant and he has done more to educate a child - many children - than you could ever dream of doing. It's easy to hate and criticize - it's also pathetic.
1
I was privileged enough to be there on Monday of '08 following with more than 20,000 people on the back 9 of Torrey Pines South. It was electric. Never expected to see anything like it on a golf course. It was more like a rock concert. To get that win on a bad left knee, again, and with a fractured tibia was astonishing!
But Tiger's 15th major, even watching on TV, was a sight to see. I don't recall clapping for maybe 5 minutes straight after any other event ever. It was so great, my hands hurt. And, it seems to me that Tiger has gained a virtue he never seemed to have before, a little humility and considerable humanity.
Congratulations Tiger!!!
6
@burfordianprophet
Yes, there are many stories about personal successes at the community level about people who've overcome past mistakes and moral failings. I've read about many of them.
The triumphs of the Human Spirit are worth celebrating. The fact that Woods achieved his in the glare of the public eye is no less deserving.
3
@Lewis Waldman. So, we're celebrating a person who overcame self-inflicted obstacles. This happens on a daily basis for millions of people around the world. Welcome to our reality, Mr. Woods. But where's our celebratory dinner?
6
Golf is an incredible game. It is really that 6 inches in between the ears that makes it so hard. He overcame and mastered the mental and physical barriers that essentially held him back from winning in the majors, and it had a lot to do with humility and personal growth, it seems.
Tiger previously always had to win from the lead. He had to dominate and tear apart the rest of the field by being in front most or all of the way. That fit in perfectly with his "domination" during his sexcapades. He was something like 0 for 65 when coming from behind in the majors.
Not yesterday. Yesterday he showed that hard work, tenacity, and inner resolve didn't require him to demolish the field from the lead. He showed the maturity and wisdom in being able to emerge from a tight field competing intensely throughout the round.
5
I understand the hate towards Tiger, but I don't share it at all. I've always been a fan - he inspired my interest in golf (as a twenty-something woman), and my mom's, and we loved to play together even though my mom was quite terrible. She died two years ago, and the only shirt of hers I begged my father to keep is a golf polo with little tees on it. She would have reveled in Tiger's victory. Watching with my 1-year-old daughter, rooting for Tiger the whole way down the stretch, I cried when he sank that final putt. My little girl, for her part, mimicked his celebration by raising her arms in victory.
It's hard to put into words why I love watching Tiger play golf - maybe it's because I'm a golfer, and I understand how hard the game is. Maybe it's because he's such a fierce competitor, which I find inspiring.
Whatever it is, yesterday was a truly awesome day in sports.
26
What an absolutely marvelous column! Great job Mr. Friedman. And Bravo Tiger Woods! It was an honor and a privilege to watch that performance. I will remember it forever.
6
I agree Tiger Woods' come back from many issues both personal (more important) and professional is inspirational and remarkable. I'd put it at a low probability event but not the lowest I've seen.
I'm a scientist. I constantly deal with failure, far more often than Woods did, and in a lot of ways with a lot more at stake (I'm trying to cure/treat every disease). In my early career, I too was extremely successful with few things going wrong. But over the years, I've had more natural ups and downs (and likewise I've had more ups and downs in my personal life). In a lot of respects, my life has never been better both professionally and personally but at the same time I've not achieved my singular goals. So hopefully I will get that break.
1
The “bad bounces” in Tiger Woods’ life were partially of his own making. You know why they are so there’s no need for me to repeat them again. That being said, he’s done remarkably well in rebuilding his body, his golf game and, slowly but surely, his reputation. I’ve never had the mistakes of my life plastered all over the print and electronic media so I don’t have the experience of having to overcome the negativity. Tiger seems to be doing it and is apparently a better person than he was before so I salute him.
4
So many of us grew up watching Tiget woods, he inspired us all, golfers and non golfers. Little Tiger on Mike Douglas Show, his dad and mom always present in his life and we were part of a TV family when they were on. Tiger was a part of our life whether he wanted to be a member or not we welcomed him into our space.
We all grew up and made mistakes his dad died and Tiger seemed lost, mistakes were made unfortunately His issues were played out for all the world to see. Tiger enabled golf players to make big paydays and these same players who reaped the salaries made fun of Tiger ,made racist jokes about Tiger and chicken . ESPN loved talking about him as a has been . On Friday these same espn talking heads were happily trashing Tiger. Overweight people who can’t play anything but talk and talk. They make there money being hateful
In this Holy Week with the destruction of a beloved French institution yesterday we wept with joy because Tiger played a magnificent game and tonight listening to the French President we will rebuild this beautiful church with great love from all of us.
We have all been inspired by Tiger and the words of rebuild by the President of France.
3
You have captured beautifully the essential drama of golf and its insoluble challenges that so mirror life.
To golfers, it is a sport that can truly never be mastered and exposes all sorts of imperfections. Tiger Woods with his great skill and athleticism and indomitable will has at times come as close as humanely possible to achieve brief moments of perfection at the highest level. We average duffers occasionally perhaps by even accident hit a great shot and are rewarded by a glimmer of hope that we can replicate that result. We are driven to return to the game fully knowing our limitations and admire Tiger Woods for his remarkable comeback from adversity to the unexpected heights of a Masters championship. It was a deeply moving and memorably human event that rarely occurs in golf and life.
4
Spot on Thomas......I so loved this piece. You really do understand the human condition, not just world affairs. You make me smile and I'm glad to follow your writings, books and musings throughout the years.
5
God bless Thomas Friedman. He is the smartest and wisest columnist working today. But he is wrong about golf being the sport with the most to teach us about life.
Try jumping a horse, Mr. Friedman, an endeavor in which the trajectory of the ground and the wind speed, not to mention the rain, are out of our control. And those elements are only the beginning. Add in a 1000-plus-pound creature, who does not speak your language and depends on your emotional and spiritual state for guidance, and who both looks to you for direction and expects you to listen to him, and well, like life, it is a great deal more complicated than most of us can ever have imagined. And victory or triumph, at least as this moment in history defines success, not nearly so accessible.
So, let us all offer a blessing to Tiger Woods for his resilience and redemption and sheer persistence. His comeback this week is the story of (subtle) muscles flexed and strengthened that are even more important in life than in golf. At the same time, let us not forget that many people, especially women equestrians, have been living Tiger Woods’s victory for many years and across all kinds of extremely difficult circumstances, healing themselves, their horses, and all those who cared to look up, sense the energy, and see the larger picture.
3
@Nancy Koehn
God between Thomas and Golf and you and horses I get exhausted just scrawling down the comment section.
Very nice comment.
I keep telling myself focus, focus, focus and practice,
1
@Nancy Koehn
How could an opinion be wrong?
Just beautifully said, with such deep understanding and regard. Thank you. And Go, Tiger!!
9
Good column. Cheers to Tiger and all who appreciated his accomplishment -- against some very, very good competition. We needed that!
And by the way, "watch this" is NOT the two words one would hear in that shot situation. Maybe from Tiger, but not the rest of us.
5
Heeding the words of wartime leaders Tiger determined that he would NEVER EVER give up. To persevere and rebuild his back to withstand the pressure of a violent backswing is nothing short of a medical miracle.His ability to shut out the critics and concentrate on the next shot is legendary. He is the master of the Masters and a passionate parent.Sunday at the Masters was unforgettable drama. Welcome back Tiger!
6
It was definitely a nice Sunday story. Congratulations to Tiger, and his family for supporting him through all the ups and downs.
7
For redemption to take place there also has to be a foil: the 4 other past Masters winners he played with provided that. Epic comeback against all odds. Only wish I had put money on my private musings.
4
Is golf a metaphor for life, or a metaphor for a life of wealth? Consider, first you find a large acreage and clear it of most of its plant and animal life, replacing those with with the surfaces you need to play your game. Then, you pay a crew of other people to maintain it in immaculate condition, so that you and others (most of whom are also wealthy) can use it for sport. While engaging in this sport you either have someone else carry all your gear, or drive it around in a silly cart that has few other practical uses, but is fun to cruise around in when you're drunk. Lastly, you go on and on about the arduous psychological hurdles you must overcome whenever your ball happens to land in a divot.
That said, what a comeback by Tiger!
17
@Lester Jackson You’d be surprised at how many of my fellow golfers who play the public course in my working class town of Lynn walk.
Tiger overcame a sex addiction (can we please say that out loud?), a divorce. back surgeries, knee surgeries, and an addiction to painkillers to win the Masters for the 6th time.
Ben Hogan threw himself in front of a Greyhound bus to protect his wife. He went on to win 6 majors despite suffering from circulation problems and other physical ailments.
What Tiger did was great. What Ben did is heroic.
Let’s hope Tiger, in his recovery and victory, finds it in himself to help others.
12
@Shiloh 2012
Sex is not an addiction. It is a choice. Tiger chose to cheat on and lie to his lovely wife about his rutting with a bevy of low-lifes. Sexual promiscuity in men is a choice, and one that is frequently made by men who are lauded and hold powerful or monied positions. They do it because they can. Moonves comes to mind, as does Weinstein and their ilk.
Woods may be good at hitting a little ball with a stick into a hole, but that does not make him a hero.
2
@Shiloh 2012 You can dream.
Best sports/life analogy ever. Far above par.
6
@Susan A
Don’t you mean below par?
I've never been a big Tiger fan. He's had a LOT of issues dogging him, many of his own causing. I've heard that he can be surly and unsportsmanlike on the course, and he never seemed to be gracious to his competitors, especially when he lost. He's won a billion or so in golf and endorsements, and tossed some of it away by being an entitled cad. I never found him to be that interesting on or off the course...I enjoyed the many rivalries in golf more than Tiger himself. Today's players need a bit of a 'Tiger' break, and it would be great if some new stars with distinct personalities similar to Palmer, Nicklaus and Trevino break out.
However, I appreciate all he's fought through, and he played well on Sunday when it counted. Good for him, hopefully good for golf.
7
My deep admiration for Tiger has always been about what he's able to do on the golf course. The fact that he was not a perfect husband was never an issue for me because I don't "know" him or anyone close to him. The only part of him I have any claim on is the part I see on TV when he is inside the ropes. And that's always been quite enough for me, especially these last few days.
But for all the material success he has achieved, I wouldn't trade places with him. I can go out to dinner and be left alone. I can take my daughter for an ice cream and no one will accost me. Living in the goldfish bowl that is his world, he can do none of those little things that the rest of us take for granted. Most of us will never have money and fame. But I appreciate that I have things that money can't buy.
Congratulations, Tiger. I'll keep on watching as long as you keep playing. Thank you for your golfing excellence.
4
So the horrific way he has treated women over the years is just part of the backstory? Part of the setbacks he has had to overcome? Now that he is a winner again, he gets a pass on his treatment of women?
31
@Karen
I hear your frustration, Karen. In no way do I give Tiger a "pass" on his past mistakes. Neither did Friedman.
I can spend days, months and years lamenting my past errors in thought, word, and deed. And I have!
Then I came to realize that my Guilt (which I consider a thoroughly useless emotion) no longer served me. What's more, it was actively holding me back.
1
@Karen
No one is giving him a pass on how he has treated women over the years. We are talking about his golf comeback.
1
@Karen. His ex wife seems to have moved on with her hundreds of millions. Why can’t you?
The Redemption Story is a powerful one in American history.
Just in 2016, we had a washed up former tv celebrity and hotel developer admit to his past sins and corruption to win the Presidency, swearing to the public that his knowledge of the evil in the swamp would allow him to right many wrongs in this country.
Just like Tiger...winning never gets old.
1
@Erica Smythe
Admit to his past sins—-? Huh? Donny never ever admits to making a mistake.Never. Stormy? Never heard of her and never paid her off. And if I did, it’s fake news!
Mr. Friedman's article isn't about Tiger. It's about life. What a masterpiece. All the Tiger haters ought to pump the brakes and learn a lesson or two about the human condition.
6
Nice use of the passive voice there, Tom. Tiger didn't get a bad bounce. He shanked his life, as well as the life of his then-wife and children. But because he can make tens of millions of dollars playing golf, we're supposed to admire him for his perseverance?
30
you couldn't be more wrong. Tiger Woods, a human, failed at his marriage, like many of us do, in front of the whole world. He was physically abused by his spouse ( imagine this story if he hit his wife with a golf club because she was unfaithful to him! jail time i would expect) He publically apologized and swore to improve himself. His body gave out, and there was fear he might never be able to walk again without pain. He drove himself to get better, at both golf, and it seems as a person. You can see the change in him just watching his demeanor and interaction with other players and fans. All you have to do is watch him to appreciate that his greatness surpasses just sport.
15
@allthethings
Elin Nordegren got over 100 million dollars to put her life back together. McKenzie Bezos will get 40 billion for hers. Lots of cheating spouses wealthy out there. I wonder if as many people hate on Jeff Bezos for his affair and flouting his girl friend in public? Then there is Bill O'Reilly, Roger Ailes, et al.
1
@alan My objection is really to the writer's calling Tiger's failings "a bad bounce," as if he didn't have anything to do with what happened to him. I think his wife physically abused him from anger...because he cheated on her, and publicly, thereby humiliating her? That's another bad bounce he *caused.*
1
From an athletic standpoint, I agree that Tiger's comeback is heroic. But it seems that a single victory (albeit in a prestigious tournament) has atoned for dozens of mistresses, an untold number of prostitutes, recent infidelity, sex addiction, ongoing deceit, drug addiction, a DUI and a truly insufferable personality from about 1997 to 2015. Is Tiger's GAME redeemed? Definitely. Everything else? I'm not sure.
29
@Andrew B - Yours is the first post I could agree with. He has been redeemed by his athleticism. His comeback in spite of the many surgeries is to be admired. Him as a man--not so much. It takes a lot of guts to overcome his physical problems, but this doesn't redeem him as a person for all the pain and hurt he has caused others. I can admire his athleticism, but admire him as a man?? Let's see how he does as a parent and as some poor woman's partner.
2
@Andrew B how do you know this stuff about tiger?
2
@Andrew B
To me, Life is a process of recreating ourselves anew. Over and over again.
If I obsessed about my past failures, I'd never find the clear-eyed courage to ask myself: Who am I now?"
2
I have watched every Major since the late 1950's. Tiger's win was one for the ages. Jack Nicklaus said it best when he tweeted yesterday how happy he was for Tiger and for the game of golf. I am Scottish and my Dad chased the perfect putt for most of his 85 years. It takes a Master like the Golden Bear to know another like Tiger.
2
Thomas Friedman's romantic account of golf, a game that attracts both Woods and Trump. Perhaps the romanticism applies to the former. But to the latter?
1
Kind of hard to get up much enthusiasm for Tiger's redemption for cheating on his wife while watching the scenes of Notre Dame burning. Tiger and golf are not that important.
8
@Steve Hurt Yes, very sad and tragic. Still, the Catholic church has a few problems of its own and has waded through oceans of blood. Ever seen the movie The Mission?
Since we are in Friedman's realm of ridiculous analogies how about this much more accurate one based entirely in reality: It would be as if a reality show star with no political experience defeated Hillary Clinton in 2016. In fact I think most sane people are a lot less surprised that Tiger Woods won another major Golf title than Donald Trump winning as POTUS.
1
Great article3 Tom- but to the four mentioned, I would add "meteorology"... taking in the quality and severity of the elements is a critical component of the game... while you referred to these in the article, I think it deserves a category of its own...
2
Gee, I don't know: much ado about not much?
Golfing, to me, is slightly less boring than watching bowling. Tennis can be interesting. But all sports, are they not, superfluous to "real life"?
If sports were to be our focus in life, wouldn't our iconic moral mentors (Socrates, Jesus, Buddha) have at least mentioned it?
These are, by and large, kid games, something to do to get some exercise and pass time with friends. Therefore, great sportsmen are not heroes of the highest caliber, like Sergeant York, Audie Murphy, or any of the Medal of Honor recipients.
Yes, golf is a calming activity, with its beautiful natural surroundings, for a nonplayer like me to watch. I liked watching Tiger win in the past; but I also noticed his hot temper, his surliness, his arrogance, and his sense of entitlement.
You say that he got over most of that and paid a high price for so doing. Well, that is impressive, and it might make an interesting psychological study of one man's effort to overcome his personal hurdles in life -- maybe in "Psychology Today"?
But this editorial is a perfect example, for me, of a writer calling it in: People are suffering and dying, living in rank despair, and he devotes a thousand words to a near-billionaire playing a sissy sport seems largely a waste time, energy, and spirit.
(I know we sometimes need a break from the world, but should we find it in a NYTimes editorial? Friedman just loves golf, and he let his love override his good judgment.)
7
@Jim Muncy
I do believe that people who are not suffering and dying also deserve a thousand words of recognition. They also have their own battles to be fought which might not be so hard as they appear to us.
1
@Edith Flores Wolff
I could agree with you only if there were no suffering and needless dying.
The World Health Organization used to say that, on average, 40,000 children/day starved. I don't know what the number is anymore; but if there's even one, shouldn't we focus on that tragedy, at least in serious media?
I overcame a personal struggle today in the dentist's office, but it's not worthy of anyone's time or notice, is it? We all have problems, but we should deal with the serious ones first, then, maybe, we can talk golf or bowling, or how I endured a root canal.
1
@Edith Flores Wolff. Sorry, Edith, but the battles fought over a bad bounce of a golf ball do not deserve recognition. Why doesn't Friedman go to where the real battles are and find his heroes?
2
Tom -
Thank you for taking our mind off the regular stuff.
Great writing...
1
His story is one of the only ones, where his horrific womanizing, and the emotional toll that his his wife paid, ended up that one night, in taking a very big toll on his physical body, which in essence, was his life, as his father had taught him golf as a child, and he actually paid a price for his bad behavior, if you believe in karma. Luckily, his kids were young when it happened. In life, most people don't pay a price for their horrific, or evil behavior, they become even more arrogant. We have the examples of O. J. Simpson, and DT who is President.
2
Nailed it with this column. It wasn't just the physical that Tiger had to overcome it was the psychological. Just coming back from the public humiliation that occurred would have prevented most people from rising again let alone coming back from numerous surgeries.
I agree that Tiger is a changed man in that he now appears to be more comfortable interacting with people and to enjoy his accomplishments more.
I know his father was his mentor, his idol etc. but his father's demands of perfection and training him to shut out others while focusing on his game also crippled him emotionally to the point that he destroyed his marriage with his gross sexual exploits. It appears now that he's a more complete human being and better man in general.
3
How is "industrial-scale marital cheating" anything but self-inflicted? A bad bounce? Gimme a break.
14
@Gypsy Boy. Totally agree. Another rich brat completely disconnected from reality (Woods). I am surprised to see Mr. Friedman so caught up in being star-struck. One of his editors should have put the brakes on this column.
2
No,no - not Bill Clinton; it's more like Jimmy Carter came back and defeated Donald Trump for president in 2020.
Yes, Tiger Woods IS a great golfer and it's wonderful to see this comeback from multiple physical problems.
On a personal note, however, the philandering twit is being given the Presidential Medal of Freedom by the ultimate Philandering-Twit-in-Chief. How fitting. Now he can go down in national disgrace with Trump's Vegas buddy's wife who did absolutely nothing. That's what this is worth coming from him (no wonder everyone else avoids the WH like a Roman Bath House).
13
Great piece Mr Friedman.
Signed,
Mr 30 Handicap.
6
Amen, Tom. Well said.
3
Superb column. Thanks.
5
I love how Mr. Friedman always give us insight into how he could bring himself to related to the subject at hand.
("Although my day job is writing the foreign affairs column for The New York Times — more Persian Gulf than fairway golf — thinking about golf and playing as often as I can is my all-consuming hobby." Further googling will provide more examples.)
Only then to go on to use the subject matter to present his very personal short-list of priorities or nostalgia trips.
in this case, succinctly put, "It is about practice — hours and hours and hours."
For those of us raising children and living lives in far more constrained circumstances than he can conceptualize, most of what he writes is not applicable.
I guess I could go back to skipping the right-leaning commentary in this publication.
3
In the end, it's a man hitting a ball with a stick. hey now.
4
@james Whalen
You are correct, of course, about what golf comes down to, but by the same standard, so are baseball and hockey - and look how romanticized those sports are. A lot of our sentimentality about sports is really what we ascribe to them.
I don't understand why everyone is happy about Tiger winning. Sure, it's a great athletic achievement. But its a great achievement by a jerk. I'd have preferred if he kept failing.
I don't root for athletes after I find out they are frauds and jerks.
10
I’m with you. Why cheer for a spoiled, wife-cheating, DWI surly brat? There are better people to root for.
Great column, Tom.
Follow your own advice, look us in the eye, and tell us what a "first class jerk" you were when you said this:
https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/04/opinion/because-we-could.html
about the Iraq War.
Just say it Tom, full throatedly, and thy soul will be healed.
Tiger might even invite you to a round of golf.
3
Friedman should write more columns like this and give up on his political drivel.
2
How you react when you get a bad bounce? Okay. But when Tiger's tee shot on the twelfth hole left him about 50 feet from the pin they got out the leaf blowers for him. Sure helps to have friends in high places.
When Tiger dominated golf, he came across as self-absorbed and full of himself. I mean, it's only a game--grown men whacking balls down a lawn is not the same as working on a cure for cancer. The adoration from the fans was bad enough, but the sportscasters fawning all over him and the relentless focus on him during telecasts was a little over the top. I often felt the need for an eye-roll.
Sunday, I watched a real person who was just thrilled and delighted; his joy seemed utterly pure. For once, he seemed devoid of 'packaging.' I have to admit, I felt the need for a Kleenex.
I'm happy for him and wish him well, but let's not get carried away with idolizing these sports phenoms, please. They're human, just like the rest of us.
3
Golf is utterly boring. I don't claim to have the most exciting of lives, but mine sure beats golf. Golf is most like life? Really Friedman, you must not know anything about life. Explains the columns you write.
2
His internal demons will never leave him. However, hopefully after reflecting on his win yesterday and the breaks he got from the miscues by others, he appreciates that it was never all about him, even at the peak of his career, and that now he has found peace with himself. It must have been hell in the early years.
1
Only NYT commenters can relate this golf column and every other non-relevant column to Trump. Get a life! Play golf or any other sport. Just go outside and stop obsessing about Trump.
Celebrate this great comeback by Tiger Woods! And while you're at it. Stop whining and find someone who can actually beat Trump. On or off the golf course. Yeesh.
4
My issue with Tiger Woods isn't Tiger's fault, but when Tiger is playing anywhere within distant sight of the lead it sucks the oxygen out of the coverage and the commentary. I've seen tournaments where Tiger came anywhere between 5th and say 12th when the leaders hardly got mentioned. It would be greatly appreciated by many of us golf fans if the television coverage would keep some sort of perspective. Please.
3
Trump just cheats
2
I read this out loud to my non-golfing wife -- who to this day doesn't understand the appeal. She smiled, and it kindled hope for a little more understanding when I next make her a widow in this still-too-snowy Quebec we live in. Me? I shed a few tears for Tiger.
2
What a great American story!
Tiger won, against all odds, but fully possessed of his humble humanity.
That’s why this was special. His game was on, and impressive at any age. But this was the crowning achievement of his Second Chance.
And who among us doesn’t want to see a second chance work out the best for all?
11
I agree with your sentiments, and am truly happy for him as a golfer, and as a person.
Sadly, I see a recurring thread in the comments regarding his comeback. There are those who refuse to accept he's grown and changed; choosing only to see 'betrayal' and 'cheating' as things that can't ever be overlooked.
I find it interesting that the people who were directly affected by his actions, his direct family, have worked through this painful episode in his life and moved forward.
His detractors seem to only want another pound of flesh; even if it is not theirs to ask for.
12
When observing golf and golfers, I always remember this saying:
"The most important twelve inches in golf is between your ears."
1
That’s half of my problem then. I only six, maybe seven inches between my ears....lol
Signed Mr 30 Handicap
The best part for me was watching Tiger with his children. As I say often, I don't remember what I thought was the meaning of life before I had kids. (My experience - yours may differ.) It seemed to me he wanted them to be proud of him and to share in his comeback. Some will say the win at the Masters was Tiger's redemption. But if his rapport with his kids is as sincere as it looked, he had already redeemed himself from his collossal screwups. This win was just icing on the cake.
11
I've never been a huge golf fan, but I have always liked the style and under-stated aplomb of Tiger Woods. I was sorry that he betrayed his wife and kids way back when, but it really seemed like a private and personal situation and not really anyone's business. That he was publicly vilified and virtually destroyed never seemed fair to me. Lots of people cheat on their spouses, and few are destroyed. It seemed entirely wrong to me that he was subjected to such condemning scrutiny, especially since I know he was involved in many significant charitable works. It appeared to reflect the unfortunate American impulse to bring down anyone famous, just for the fun of watching them fall.
I'm glad to see that Tiger has redeemed himself and not let his detractors have the last laugh.
12
American's love a winner. More than just a winners, they love underdogs that win. But the most powerful story arch of all is that of redemption. It took over a decade, but Tiger put in the work to turn around a career, family life and health that was in tatters. He has now completed a redemption story arch for the ages.
11
A great achievement no doubt, but before we get too excited about applying this recovery to the everyday person, lets consider a few facets that make this a unique situation.
1. Woods has the money to seek out the absolute best in health care, wherever it happens to be
2. Woods has the TIME to undergo surgery and then to rehab through months of disciplined therapy
3. Woods has the money to pay other people to attend to his kids when he cannot
4. All three of the above are roadblocks for the average person who would also like to climb back from a physical problem. Woods had the drive and the discipline, no doubt, but without the exceptional circumstances listed above, he would have found it much more difficult.
Still, it is amazing.
17
@johhnyb
He did not inherit that money, he earned it himself by his own talent and hard work. So if he is fortunate to have the opportunities that money gave him, he did earn it!
6
@johhnyb Your points 1,2, and 3 were no accident. Tiger was not born into those riches and privilege. He earned them.
1
@johhnyb
5. He had enough money to quit and still live happily ever after for the rest of his life! He never gave up!
2
all those things,
and luck.
your good luck,
the bad luck of others.
sympathies
to Molinari
5
Thank you so much for this column which explains why I love golf so much. Trying to tell people who don't play why it is addictive, compelling and never boring, is challenging. Now I will hand them a copy of this column. This is the best description of why golfers become obsessed. Competing against yourself is the greatest motivation to do better, to make that putt or to, oh, brother, chip in. Nothing feels better.
6
Tiger lost his father in 2006. His father was an integral part of golf for Tiger; that loss must have been profound both personally and professionally. It is not a surprise that the training wheels started to fall off in 2009 with his highly publicized errant behavior and then his back surgeries. Prince Harry spoke of his own wild behavior as a result of trying to avoid dealing with the loss of his mother. I think Tiger had not grieved his father's death and that all this behavior helped to avoid the pain and it isn't unusual to experience psychological pain physically. It must have been a long road of coming to terms that he was alone with his golf, unable to share it with the most significant person in his life. Seeing him after his win, hugging his children seemed to put things right in his life. And gave the rest of us the thrill of seeing him play his great game and a heart squeezing story of a nice guy coming through a dark tunnel victorious in the light.
7
I was totally thrilled to watch Tiger's return to the pinnacle of golf yesterday, totally thrilled. I sincerely hope he can maintain his once-again-stellar performance.
However, Mr. Friedman somehow forgot to mention that Tiger's downfall from the heights of golf was due not only to his bad back and other medical problems, but to the nasty separation and divorce from his wife, on whom he admittedly cheated with multiple partners, and who smashed a golf club through the window of his SUV as he was fleeing her wrath.
His place in the top tier of golf players was amply demonstrated yesterday. Whether he has redeemed himself as a person only he knows for sure; I certainly hope he has.
12
Mr. Friedman did indeed mention Tiger Woods’s marital infidelities, as well as the role the ensuing scandal and his divorce played in the deterioration of his golf game. See paragraphs 2, 13 and 14.
3
Tiger’s victory in the Masters is an inspiring sports moment, but Tiger’s work to become a better father and a better person is what stands out above all, and it’s what we ought to be applauding.
54
Golf could be the hardest sport in the world and even casual fans of golf know the difference of fractions of effort often separating a champion and not even making the cut halfway through the tournament.
Tiger Woods achieved what he did yesterday at age 43, a spinal fusion, a disrupted family life for which he takes full responsibility and a type of courage that few athletes have had to endure.
No wonder that both golf and non-golf fans are celebrating not just a golf accomplishment but the incredible grit and determination of an athlete to come back after last year when he is reported to have said, “ I’m done”.
Is it the greatest sports comeback of all time? That will be argued over time but it was such a treat to watch him yesterday at the Masters.
10
Probably the best article on golf I've ever read (unfortunately I haven't read many). Mr. Friedman put it in terms that I can relate to. For this boxing and football fan, two sports that rely much more on power and speed, golf as described here is more of a refined military campaign, logistics and generalship combined. Thanks for the excellent read and thanks to the Tiger for an unforgettable day.
11
It is no wonder Trump wants to identify with Tiger. Beginning with Woods' sinking of the final putt on the 18th and very much continuing for ten seconds with his son, daughter and mother, this father redeemed himself on national tv.
2
Tiger’s remarkable comeback and masters victory is the truly one of the greatest sports stories in the history of golf, let alone American sports. It also separates those who are able to admire amazing talent in an imperfect soul from those who would rather persevere in destructive cynicism.
8
To those who say golf is not a sport; you’re right it is so much more than that.
12
@FNL Yup! Getting a ball in a cup.
1
Just heard Trump wants to give Tiger the Medal of Freedom.
A mystifying choice.
Doubtless, there are thousands of people more deserving that a golfing millionaire.
For example, first responders, medical researchers, inventors, educators, and selfless people who have saved lives or made life better for all of us.
If Tiger has a sense of honor, he should decline it on the basis of merit.
80
@Bongo
It's not mystifying: Trump sees it as an opportunity for him to cash in on Woods' victory and positive press., and to promote golf. We can hope Woods will decline, but if you look at the list of recipients, which includes Margaret Thatcher, Joe Biden, Roger Staubach and Elvis Presley, along with Mother Theresa and more -- it's hard to identify a common thread.
13
@Bongo
Lesser sports figures have received the Medal of Freedom.
3
@cheryl Common thread? "Nom du jour"
It’s remarkable that Tiger was able to recover from his back problems and return to playing competitive golf. But then again he is almost a billionaire and has access to the best medical care in the world. The average working person who gets injured on the job doesn’t fare as well. That person is lucky to see a doctor and luckier still to get one operation. It’s more likely that person winds up on disability and hooked on opioids.
21
Redemption, in my view, is what he achieved and earned. In the theme of Sports is Life minimized, I conclude that Federer’s victory at the Masters level tournament in Miami to begin the month; Virginia’s aplomb execution of basketball fundamentals (defense, free throws and team- work) in the NCAA final ; and now Tiger at Augusta may remind us of what truly works and steer us back to basic principles and away from quick fixes and hollow leadership. Indeed, per Mr Player, ya get what ya practice.
6
Tiger..arrived like breakout stars often do..and burned with that white hot flame displaying not only prowess but incredible staying power and consistency and burst onto that stage of sports stardom..that few ever achieve
So many comparisons, all inevitable of course..of this man who 'dared to rival', sad terminology to be used here, all the white greats..and his downfall sadly celebrated by far to many.
Could he reassert his mastery, would he even try..and if, or when he tried ..would he, could he sustain the effort required.
There are many stories here..but for many of us we're glad to say he has faced his demons...
Welcome back Tiger.
14
His dominant initial run brought athleticism to golf as well as helping reduce racial barriers in a sport where Lee Elder was threatened as recently as the mid-70s. Tiger was accepted by people of all colors and his talent united golf fans - both for and against him - while drawing new ones to the sport.
Ratings and attendance were up at any tournament he played and higher still on Sundays when he was in contention for a win. And people's attraction to him overlooked his surly treatment of many of them when he was in concentration whilst playing, the unsavory actions of his personal life, and his physical inability to even stand up for very long prior to his series of surgeries.
So as it seemed like the entire planet was watching the Masters at 9 in the morning and rejoiced when he took his 5th jacket by a single stroke, he has united us as golf fans once again.
7
What I enjoy most about golf? I love the feeling of being outdoors among beautiful surroundings. Admittedly, some more pristine and perhaps well manicured than others. But I enjoy both the well manicured, pristine courses and the sometimes more challenging not so well maintained courses or "goat tracks" I have played as well. Each holds its own special feel and, yes, beauty too. I love the fact that golf, at least outside of tournaments, is only a competition between you and the course. The use of USGA handicaps in play amongst friends is meant to "even out" the capabilities of each golfer compensating for differences is ability and skill level. When I play a round of golf, I am competing only against my own capability and the course, not against others who may be accompanying me on my round. The challenge not of besting your fellow players but only the course and your own capabilities, besting your own handicap, makes it a much more social sport. It is possible for everyone participating in the round to be a winner without having to best anyone else.
Do I love golf. Yes, even now at the age of 71 when I no longer hit those prodigious drives or iron shots of my younger days, it is still among the most enjoyable of pastimes. And I remember well all the wonderful courses I have enjoyed and look forward to those I may still be fortunate enough to yet play.
5
@BruceC
Well said, Bruce. I am now 78 years old, and no longer the multi-sports athlete of my youth. Yet, I still play.
Why? Applewood Hills in Stillwater, Minnesota is a beautifully designed and meticulously maintained public par-3 course. It's a joy to play.
Do I want to win? Of course! But even if I'm playing poorly, I can focus on the sun, big sky, companionship, and fresh air. Winning is a bonus.
What Tiger did was amazing. I can’t believe how interested I was and how nervous I was for him. But let’s get a few things straight.
1. We, non-golfers can understand the physical and psychological challenges that Tiger over came.
2. The start of Tiger’s problems were caused entirely by Tiger. He did not have to overcome the ball that took a bad bounce.
I was stunned at how badly I wanted him to win. Clearly, at least for me (and it seems for so many others) Tiger seemed genuinely to have become a different person that the guy who had his private life become so public ten years ago. And it seemed even more so watching him embrace those closest to him after he rolled in the last 2-foot putt.
So good for Tiger. If we are lucky, we will see him thrill us again and again. But let’s not forget Tiger could have had a much smaller mountain to climb.
17
Golf is a game. Woods excels. Life is not a game. Woods has not excelled at it. He certainly does not deserve any medals.
76
@ANNE IN MAINE. Babe Ruth was no saint either (nor am I) but I wish I had the opportunity to see Ruth play and dominate the game as he did. TIger in his prime was the Babe Ruth of golf and one could only marvel at his skills.
20
Who made you the judge?
9
@ANNE IN MAINE
Easy to take cheap shots from the comfort of your couch, Anne.
Perhaps you could enlighten us on how it is to have never, ever made a mistake (or had it broadcast to the Entire World).
12
Granted, but a self-induced "bad bounce". Like he lined up his tee shot for the darkest part of the forest. Lot of personal work and reflection, and the Grace of God, he seems back on course.
5
In golf as in life you will mess up more than you will get right. Just like in life it is how we deal with those bad hits that will get you to be a good or bad golfer. This victory was a chance to see how a great golfer got it right on the field on one lucky Palm Sunday. One can only hope that his life tracks equally well.
4
I’m a regular subscriber and reader, and can’t recall you writing about golf before. Thanks for your most interesting take on the game and Tiger.
Since you love the game and write about it so beautifully, I invite you to listen to “Chasin’ A Dream (The Golf Song” at the link below. The theme of the song is much the same as your article. It’s free to listen:
https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/gregtamblyn4
(This song has had interest from every American TV network that broadcasts golf, including a proposed ABC network retrospective on Nicklaus’ career at his 50th and final British Open. It ended up being cut due to lack of time.)
Though I'm not a golf fan or really a Tiger fan - this story is amazing! I wish I could harness that quality - that sheer will, mental toughness, that never give up-ness - that makes a person who could have easily retired ten years ago and gotten fat and lazy on the couch - to come back again and again and again in the face of physical pain, personal embarrassment and the good old American kick em when their down culture. Whatever that quality is - I sure hope my kids have it!
8
Many respected, seasoned golf analysts and writers said Woods would never win another major. Tiger's accomplishment yesterday was truly unbelievable.
And it was vintage Tiger. He set himself up for birdies, while the younger competitors, all bunched atop the leader board, crumbled. Yes Tom, golf has a large psychological component.
And those young golfers, they are good. Very good. As much as people like the nostalgia for the old tour built around Jack and Arnold, the players on the whole are better than ever. The touch those guys have on that little white ball is mind-blowing.
Side note: my Tiger Woods' autographed golf ball has rebounded in value.
5
Excellent column. Tiger has always had a unique charisma and charm that made the crowds love him even when he was the overwhelming favorite. The electricity of him reclimbing the mountain and reaching the peak was palpable. It was a great day for golf.
7
I am so disappointed in this column, and in the coverage of Tiger's "redemption story". He wasn't dealt a bad bounce-- he had agency in all of the incredibly poor decisions he made-- the womanizing, treating his wife and children terribly, the DUI. It's a long list.
Then there's this part of the column: "Good and bad bounces are built into the game, and so much of success in golf is about how you react to those good and bad bounces. Do you quit? Do you throw your club? Do you cheat? Do you whine? Do you blame your caddie?"
Is this for real? Tiger has thrown public tantrums on any number of courses, thrown his clubs, whined, had a very public falling out with his long-time caddie. He isn't a role model and he certainly isn't the paragon of virtues that this column makes him out to be.
86
@Erin I completely agree. And he is sucking up to trump big time - our racist, misogynistic president who believes that we are not putting enough children in cages. Besides golf, what indeed does Tiger truly value????
8
@Erin Yes, yes, yes! Your comment makes me less pessimistic. Someone else sees the folly of making this athlete (who gets the ball in the cup) into a deity. I mean really!
6
Way too much theory; hit the ball; go find it, hit it again.
11
@James Griffin
Or since it is the last ball in your bag and it is lost...go back to the clubhouse and quaff a few.
2
@Wolfe; thanks, there is a wonderful golf joke based on that, unfortunately unpublishable in todays PC world, see you on the 19th.
Re: Golf as sport most like life. Hockey, too. We all have boundaries, and, at some level, those are transparent, and most are rigid and unforgiving when you hit those. But, there's a lot of life to be lived fruitfully inside the boundaries.
And: Congratulations to Tiger Woods.
1
Here's the thing though... Tiger didn't get a bad bounce. He cheated on his wife relentlessly, was abusive and treated woman as disposable, worthless trash. His behavior was reprehensible.
I grew up in a golfing household. I understand the athletic achievement of what he accomplished. It doesn't make him a hero or decent person. If he works as hard at redeeming his character flaws and learning from his mistakes, THAT would make him a hero regardless of what happens on the green.
35
@stephanie
Cheating on your spouse is not a crime and there was no report that Tiger did anything with any woman that she did not want or consent to. His marital status was public knowledge. Women can also behave reprehensibly. If chauvinism is ever wrong then it is never right. It was over a decade ago. There has been no report of him philandering since.
1
@stephanie
There was no report of him doing anything with women that was not willing and consensual on their part and they knew he was married too. Also, it was over a decade ago.
1
I think it was George Plimpton who said, "the smaller the ball, the better the writing."
Yes, indeed, Mr. Friedman.
3
"Golf is the game most like life..." rich people have much nicer courses.
8
@Dan sSola You got that right!
1
Mmm, ok, or in Tiger's case to some considerable extent IMHO, self-generate some bad bounces...what he did yesterday was one for the ages, but, being a 61 yr old Jack-worshiper from all the way back, I want to see the 18-majors record...stand!
1
I should think that if Tiger matches or surpasses Jacks record, he will have richly earned it. Go Tiger!
1
Just read about 4 comments, and here we go with the self-righteousness. Just imagine if the worst decisions you had ever made in your life were plastered on the front of every newspaper in the world for a few years. Tiger made mistakes. He's acknowledged that. Tiger has also worked to correct his own issues. He's gone to rehab for sex addiction and drug addiction. How many people criticizing him have problems of their own that they haven't dealt with? Yes, Tiger has problems - we all do. He has faced them head-on. And in the public sphere.
So let's all ignore those that are so perfect that they can throw stones at others. I have been an enormous fan of Tiger since his breakout in 1997. It's interesting how we've all seen the highs and lows, and how some people have taken lessons from it and some haven't. I think what made yesterday so gratifying as a fan is having a bit of knowledge of what he's gone through to get back here.
And people say, "Yeah, well his struggles were all his fault." Four knee surgeries were all his fault? Four back surgeries were all his fault? It's easy to sit here taking pot shots at the guy. He was in the gym at 5 AM on Sunday getting his back loosened up to play. And he does that every day of his life. It's that dedication to excellence that I marvel at. And at the end of the day, I can also say I'm proud that he has faced his demons.
Thanks for the memories, Tiger. You are inspiring.
387
@Mike Thank you. Indeed, "let´s ignore those who are so perfect that they can throw stones at others." Let´s celebrate this column and Tiger´s accomplishment and forget about the sour grapes.
21
@Mike
Thanks for writing what I was thinking while reading the comments of those people who never make mistakes or bad decisions.
17
Very few people ever need 4 back surgeries. There must have been some flaws in his technique or conditioning, possibly psychological. 4 rehabs show tremendous fortitude and desire. He is a great athlete and psychologist.
5
ALL PRO SPORTS...are about how the rich enrich themselves by exploiting child-minded adults, who play children's games, to entertain the child-minded masses.
1
It’s just a game. My god, don’t over dramatize it. It’s not D-Day. It’s not Pearl Harbor. It’s not the writing of the Constitution. It’s not the discovery of the cure for Polio. It’s just golf. It’s a game.
13
@jwgibbs
Have you noticed how awful life seems right now? Many of us haven’t experienced any unadultered joy for, let’s see, almost 27 months. It is just a game, but sometimes it is nice to forget the world for a couple of hours and experience joy. Even if it is a game.
7
@jwgibbs Nobody is comparing it to those things....except you.
5
Five green jackets, but unfortunately, because of his personal life, he'll never join Jack Nicklaus, or the late Arnold Palmer as a member of Augusta National.
2
@SundayNiagara
Anyone who has won a green jacket is welcomed to come and play at Augusta National any time they please!
1
Life is yes how the bounce goes hither and thither and for TW it's both families: the Golf culture and first and foremost his family. So we have the new improved Tiger and that the game for sure - we must and should all admire. ( Whatever the bounce learn from it and adjust the path toward maturity - just like it going to happen for our 2020 election.)
jja Manhattan, N.Y.
1
A bad bounce?
Arthritis of the hands and age have reduced my game to 7 wood off the tee, a hybrid and the short irons. But, it is still fun to play. The only downside of gold right now is that Trump plays and owns Turnberry-one of the great courses of the world.
I have never actually been a big fan of Tiger Woods. However, what he did yesterday was remarkable. And you could see from his face that it was going to happen.
4
Thank you, Thomas. The last message I was able to have delivered to my mother was, "Tell her Tiger won the Masters!" She passed peacefully hours later.
JV
Negril, JA
6
It is a common misconception that Woods's game deteriorated after the exposure of his marriage infidelities in 2009. In fact, Tiger won 8 PGA Tour tournaments in 2012 and 2013, including the Arnold Palmer Invitational (twice), Jack Nicklaus's Memorial Tournament and the Players Championship, in addition to six top-six finishes at the Masters, the U.S. Open and the British Open between 2010 and 2013. It was the health issues with his back that truly upended his career beginning in 2014.
6
I appreciate Tiger's athletic achievement, but I simply don't understand how a mixed-race athlete can golf with a President who takes such perverse joy out of humiliating people of color.
To me, it says that Tiger lives in a bubble of supreme privilege and therefore is protected from the indignities that so many others who simply don't have his athletic gifts are forced to endure. He knows that socializing with the President gives Trump cover for being even more hostile to minorities, but seems not to care a whit.
If Golf is indeed like life, shouldn't character be of paramount importance? Does Tiger really care about anyone but Tiger?
18
@Sparky
I agree...but be sure to throw the "great" Jack Nicklaus in there too. He golfs with Trump, praises him, endorses him. I was a huge Nicklaus fan until he inexplicably fell in line with all the other Trump enablers out there.
4
@Sparky Good for you, Sparky. I don't play golf, but if I did I would not play with a known racist. Not ever.
1
Spare us all this nonsense about Tiger Woods getting some "bad bounces." Everything bad that happened to him happened because he brought it on himself. He was a flagrant adulterer who might have been the worst husband in the world, and he over-indulged himself by doing physically damaging training with the Navy Seals just because he thought it would almost make him a military hero, or some dumb reason. One of his closest associates said that because of that he brought on all his back miseries and ruined his game for years. How many average people can sit there and say, "You know, I think I'll go play -- I mean train -- with the Seals for a few weeks, just because I can can?" Tiger has also always been an ace jerk to the fans; as they helped enrich him beyond his wildest dreams he routinely ignored them, refused to sign autographs, and often acted like a spoiled brat on the course. God help us if any of us use the game of golf as some kind of metaphor for life. It just happens to be an activity that makes some people rich and others grasping for riches while they have a good time strolling around an elite country club, playing a game that most people neither have the time nor the money to afford.
16
What Tiger got was not a bad bounce. The airlines losing your clubs is a bad bounce. Your kid getting thrown out of school for fighting is a bad bounce. What Tiger got was a self inflicted gunshot wound.
5
The four back surgeries were not a “self-inflicted gunshot wound,” unless one is inclined to blame Tiger for training and swing choices that can be traced all the way back to his childhood.
I agree completely the the responsibility for Tiger’s marital infidelities rests solely upon Tiger and no one else. However, put that aside for just a moment, and remember that, as recently as several years ago, this man could barely walk or play with his children, much less play golf. Indeed, at the Champion’s dinner at Augusta in 2017, he expressed doubt that he would ever play the game again. One spinal fusion surgery and an incredible amount of hard work and grit later, he has underscored his right to be at that champion’s table.
I know it’s not the entire story. However, as a chronic pain sufferer myself—although at nowhere near the intensity that Tiger apparently endured—I watched first with disbelief and then with joy as Tiger achieved something yesterday that many of us never thought we’d see. Congratulations, Tiger. In your successful pursuit of overcoming obstacles caused by intractable pain and disability, you are an inspiration.
Now let’s institute a single payer system, so that others with Tiger’s determination may have the means to achieve their goals, too.
I for one was surprised to see him win. I never thought he would. I don't think that women thought he would or could or should. It seemed that he was cursed ( by them). Oh how badly he had treated them, not just his wife but countless others. You can give a hundred reasons, his pushy father, his fame and fortune etc. He was not a good person. Your Karma does catch up with you.
Well, I guess people deserve a second chance. Hope he doesn't mess up again.
Tiger's victory was no miracle. It was the result of a lifetime of dedicated study and practice. Unlike some of today's affirmative-action awards and ersatz notoriety, this celebration is 100% deserved.
7
Ah, yes, this is a great time in America to be a spouse-betraying sleazebag who happens to be good at sports.
I suspect that it's this as much as anything that made Woods' Masters win so satisfying to all the overprivileged rich guys who watched while lounging in elite clubhouses across the nation... guys who never saw what the big deal was about Woods' original “setback,” because they consider whatever nookie they can wangle to be just one of the perks of power and celebrity.
No doubt they'll borrow a page from our amazing President's playbook to declare Woods “exonerated!” (Come to think of it, surely this feat of reputations rehab merits an invitation from the nation's First Golfer to come down to Mar a Largo and play a round... although, we can hope, NOT “play around”...)
... Butif you'd rather simply celebrate an incredibly gifted man of color performing an impressive athletic feat, feel free: Lewis Hamilton did win the Forumula 1 Grand Prix of China this same weekend. I'd rather save my cheers for him.
5
A fitting golf sermon for Holy Week !
1
Life is much harder than golf, Tom. In golf, unlike in life, you know what and where your target is and the target does not move.
3
Golf is about hitting a ball with a stick, nothing more. Like all sports, it's just a game. The glorification of sports in American culture is infantile and ridiculous. It is particularly alarming when it comes from such an astute commentator. Or maybe I have overrated Mr. Friedman all these years?
8
@AH
Posting a comment is just touching little plastic squares with your fingertips, nothing more.
Anything can be deconstructed down to its most meaningless action. Of course we all know that things are much more complex and meaningful than that.
3
As only Tiger Woods in his prime was head and shoulders above the rest of the world's best golfers, only Tiger Woods could have accomplished this unprecedented comeback. Sorry Jack, sorry Arnie, sorry Ben..Tiger is the undisputable GOAT.
2
I've said this numerous times to many people today....
I'm in awe and have incredible respect for what Mr. Woods has done on the course and in building himself back up from where he was nearly 10 years ago. I'm incredibly happy for him that he made one of the greatest individual comebacks in history of any sport.
But, I highly doubt that Mr. Woods, the person, is any better than what he was for his entire career, and that has also been evident to see on and off the course. Back before the whole "cheating" issues in 2009/10, there was a slew of stories about his behavior around "the normal man." I've heard several myself from a chef that catered the Buick Open to servers at various restaurants and bars in the same vicinity. If you are not a celebrity, you are nothing to Tiger. You are merely there to serve him. This attitude is no better than our "esteemed" president.
On the course, before and since his return he has always behaved like a spoiled brat. He has thrown clubs, he has dropped the infamous "F-bomb" more than once around children. Even Sunday, after he had won, he couldn't take one second to give high fives to the "little people" that surrounded the "tunnel" to the clubhouse. I know he wanted to celebrate with his kids, but how much effort does it take to high five some fans like so many other golfers do?
Yes, Tiger is back. All of it. The good, the bad, and the plain ugly.
7
@Bret
You must have watched a different post tournament TV coverage than I did. If he had slapped more hands as he hurried to greet his mother and his children he'd have had to get an ice pack! And they certainly weren't "little people" surrounding the tunnel. Unless you are a member or related to a member of Augusta National or one of the players, or one of the few who won tickets in the Augusta National run lottery (which are still very expensive) those people paid thousands per person to be there on Sunday getting their tickets through StubHub. Even to watch an early week practice day costs over $100 per ticket!
3
@Julie Carter
Maybe he did slap high fives after he greeted his family, but he did no such thing from the 18th green until he got there.
And you are correct about the people there. They paid a lot of money for those spots, the least he could have done was share in his celebration.
@Bret
Admit it, you just don't like him and obviously never did. Other golfers throw clubs and swear on the course. Mickelson is a serious gambler and inside trader as well as purposely fowling on the green to keep his ball from running off into the weeds. But I'm sure you think he's fine!
1
Tiger, phooey hooey. This gentleman was born with the genetics of Superman, the will of Moses and the stamina of a plow mule. His surgery was a spinal fusion not a heart transplant. His golf game was never in question and his physical rehabilitation was 'what he does and needed to do' and not learning to hit a fastball. Yesterday was more psychological as he taught a passel of golf athletes what ball striking was all about and now, yesterday, he hit the tenpin of crowd mind roars and focus. The younger bucks lost focus and the old mule kept on plowing. 18 majors might take a few more years but Tiger is destined to pass that mark handily. He is Superman and Einstein, draped in the psychology of Rasputin.
1
Yes, it seems like a real story of redemption and triumph over adversity. I am inspired and I congratulate him. I wonder however if our society is truly able to forgive such figures, those who fail, struggle, don't give up, and eventually achieve some level dignity in their lives through perseverance, honesty and responsibility. We seem to never forget and never forgive.
2
I don't know if a person can be redeemed by winning a game. But perhaps it may show us that there are lost corners of our lives we may reclaim by doing what we love.
2
These days it's hard for me to think about golf without thinking about the president. I think of it as a rich person's sport. Let's all "watch this" as he gets held responsible for the unlawful decisions he keeps making.
2
He's a truly amazing golfer and athlete, but there are substantial questions about what kind of person he is. The fact that he (and Jack Nicklaus) regularly plays golf with Donald Trump raises all kinds of red flags in my mind.
8
It seems unbelievable that this could happen, but there were several factors which contributed to his success yesterday, not the least of which was four other players hitting some inexplicably bad shots which resulted in penalty strokes. But you have to give the guy credit for his performance, whether he won or not. To shoot 13 under on that course is a phenomenal achievement.
America likes a redemption story more than any other country in the world, and this is another in a long line through the years, in all sports. But the hyperbole surrounding that is peripheral to the accomplishment of reinventing his game to compete at the international level.
@for the union I disagree that America likes a redemption story. America seems to prefer having little compassion and forgiveness for fallen figures. We are highly judgemental and and sometimes unforgivably harsh.
2
Golf is an appropriate sport for these times. It's an extremely selfish sport. It is played without teammates or even a direct opponent and takes up a huge amount of real estate. And if those weren't good enough reasons to stay away from it, I would add that Donald Trump likes to play (and cheat at) golf. If you need a sport as a metaphor for life, there are plenty of others. Like baseball, as explained by Robert de Niro as Al Capone in the Untouchables.
19
@Jay Orchard
One thing about golf is that unlike football or boxing where you have to inflict pain on your opponents, or tennis where you have to make someone else lose it is up to the individual with his caddy to win or lose. As to all that real estate, it helps the planet breathe and despite what many like to claim there is far less pesticide and fertilizer use than on an ordinary suburban lawn. I have lived on golf courses in Seattle and Hilton Head and those courses get used a lot in non golfing hours for walking, biking and bird watching! Our course in Seattle had nesting eagles, pileated woodpeckers, hummingbirds and many other species. In South Carolina it was herons, egrets, ibis, wood storks as well as the small birds.
1
@Jay Orchard
It seems you hate golf. I support that and I support anyone who hates golf. The more people who hate golf the better and the fewer people that play golf the better.
It makes it so much easier for me to get a tee time.
2
@W. Freen
I don't hate golf. I just think it is an extremely self-indulgent activity which caters to obsessives (its about as much of a real "sport" as darts, archery or bowling).
3
I've been rooting for Tiger Woods to win every tournament since his last major victory 11 years ago, and I was sure rooting for him yesterday. No doubt the people who run the PGA were cheering him on, as well, because he's great for the game of golf.
But after he sank the final putt on 18, I wish he'd slapped many more of the outstretched hands as he waded through the gallery to sign his scorecard, or that he'd shown them his appreciation in post-tournament comments. One can tell that he really doesn't like to interact with his fans in that kind of way. But they deserved it, after having stuck with him with such devotion for so long. Mr. Friedman doesn't mention the personal scandal that precipitated his decline, but it's worth remembering that, absent fan support, Tiger could very well have faded into obscurity. The people who cheer him on from the galleries week after week and year after year wouldn't let that happen.
But there's always the PGA, US Open, and British Open. Maybe he'll slap a few more hands after he wins some (or all?) of those.
12
I thought exactly the opposite -- given the craziness of fans and crowds these days, I was suprised he slapped anyone's hand. I know I wouldn't have -- as I will be sure to remind you the next time I win a tournament.
1
@NA
Respectfully:
Tom does refer to "industrial scale marital infidelity", which I assume is the personal scandal you mention.
I agree that Tiger could be a bit more interactive with the fans, but he seems to have come quite a way in that regard. The work of his foundation, to me, is more important than the high-five factor in any case.
1
@NA but if he would have touched a hand the wrong way, #metoo.
Thank you, Mr. Friedman, for so eloquently, thoroughly and deeply expressing what so many of us felt and talked about yesterday. On this Sunday morning all of us lived a metaphor of life.
5
Great story and marvelous resilience, grit and determination demonstrated by Tiger. I only wish he could impart the sportsmanship piece about not “cheating, whining and throwing clubs” to his playing partner Donny Trump. Like numerous individuals and business ventures touched by Trump over decades and now the Oval Office itself, denigration is sure to follow. Tiger might want to make some new friends.
5
If you are a millionaire (a hundred times over) then you literally have the luxury to do whatever you wish in life.
If you so desire to spend whatever amount of time to dedicate yourself to your craft, then you can do so. If you require large amounts of health care, to help you in that endeavor, then you have nary a worry. If you have lived in a bubble under the bright lights for decades, upon decades, then it becomes second nature as to what you have to do to win.
Having said all that, I am for 2nd chances. I am even for 3rd and 4th (under the right circumstances) Perhaps, a column or two (or more certainly) could be devoted to people that have faltered, paid their debt to society (much more than the person of this essay), yet are now treated as second citizens? (whereas they can no longer vote and have had their rights stripped away)
What about them ?
27
@FunkyIrishmanThe dude plays GOLF. He doesn't help cure hunger or end wars or eradicate poverty. GOLF.
4
Outstanding! Wish you had mentioned the current resident of 1600 Penn ave in regards to his demeanor and reputation on the golf course.
Maybe ask the folks in Scotland their take on his course. Or perhaps those who have actually played with him. I wonder if he helps a playing partner find a lost ball? Buys a round at the 19th? Compliment a difficult shot.
Has he walked a round, ever?
It is indeed a privilege to be able to spend 2-4 hours doing those things you have mentioned and walk away with such a feeling that your "everlasting journey in search of self-improvement" will never be attained. And yet....
3
@GBH not every story has a Trump angle. please find the world outside of your head. Lots of good stuff happening....
@mike
has he played more golf than any other President? Right. Is he the only President with his own golf courses? Yep.
Lots of good stuff happening where? Certainly not at the WH.
Maybe remove your skull from the ground and cast your Windy city, gimlet eye on the oligarchy that continues to evolve unchecked.
1
@GBH
Story is that Trump asked a top art appraiser to come to Mar-a-Lago and evaluate his art collection for insurance purposes and then invited her to have lunch with him and Melania. Not only did he not pay her for her appraisals, he billed her for her lunch salad and she had to come up with cash to pay because the club does not take credit cards!
It was Ben Hogan, not Gary Player, who said, in responding to a journalist who asked him if golf was a game of luck. Hogan: "The more I practice the luckier I get." An otherwise terrific article. I agree with one of the other comenters. I'm a 2 handicap. Yes, from an objective perspective, golf is a game of physics and psychology and geometry, and meterology, etc., but professional golfers aren't thinking that. They have a number in their head – yds. to the green, e.g. – and they pull a club and then try to hit it with zero swing thoughts. I would agree that practice and more practice, and repetition, make golf more like learning the piano than other sports. And to do it under pressure, that's where I totally agree with Mr. Friedman, that's where Tiger shines. With 20,000 people clustered around every single shot he takes, most people I know wouldn't even be able to take the club back, let alone stripe a drive 300 yds. dead center, hit a mid-iron over a creek onto a green that looks like the head of a bald man and just as slippery, and two-putt for birdie. Tiger made it look easy b/c he put in the hard hours TO make it look easy. And, I'm sorry, Thomas, nobody cares about Tiger's infidelities. He made a mistake and he paid a very high price for it. Or, as a professional basketball player said to me: "He was just in the wrong sport." Not yesterday.
6
@Robert W.That's not true, Robert. I don't necessarily 'care' about his infidelities, but his boorish behavior in general is a bit off-putting. Why is he more popular than Phil Mickelson?
His other behavior on and off the course was enough for me. Good for him, but let's move on to someone else.
1
@S M
Mickelson has a serious gambling habit having lost millions, was charged with insider trading and recently committed an infraction on purpose to give himself a better lie on a green. Having over hit his put, he blocked it while it was moving, incurring a one stroke penalty but if he hadn't it would have rolled off of the green into long grass where he would have had a lot harder time getting it in the hole. I call that cheating! And Phil is not exactly buddy buddy with the other players!
S M: As Julie Carter pointed out, you might have done better than comparing Tiger to Mickelson. There are ample reports on Phil not being the most liked guy in the locker room. Compare that to the reception Tiger got at the scorer's hut from his fellow pros.
I play a bit of golf, haven't broken 100 yet, but do appreciate the physics, geometry, geography, and psychology of it combined with the precision of the rules. But I also race sailboats (a lot more than I golf!) and think that sport, which is every bit as as exacting, resembles life much better than golf. In a sailboat, with a crew, you are a team and have to work together – like in life. And how you treat your crew can be mapped onto every other relationship.In a dinghy, you are alone, and it's a bit like golf or other solitary sport, but there is a continuous negotiation and direct interface with competitors that is missing on the fairways and greens – again, life-like. In sailboat racing at any level, the rules are fairly clear but situations evolve quickly and are complex. When a mistake is made (or thought to have been made) and you are "protested" by a competitor, you have a chance to either atone for it on the course, or disagree. Then judgement is made after the race is most often at the hands of your peers. Exceptions are in professional races when judgement is made by professionals, often right on the water. Loved your thoughts none-the-less, let the debate begin!
1
It was amazing to watch Tiger Woods come back and win the Masters and return to such good form in his 40's. An important win for sports and golf. As Woods has made it through huge life challenges, his comeback is extraordinary, but most of all the way he has matured, reflects more humility and care for others shows his true measure, what he has learned, and how he grown through true physical hardships and other trials. He refused to quit and his dedication has paid off. He is inspiring to see.
3
I really didn't sense the heavy drama during the final round. It was almost anticlimactic. And to be honest, I'm more of a Dean Kamen person. As Kamen correctly points out - we put put way too much importance in athletes. Scientists and inventors create the most jobs and give us the high standard of living we enjoy.
But...I see another, equally important, comeback here not mentioned. Tiger Woods became addicted to painkillers, and with expensive rehab, overcame it. He is now back at the top of his game. So opiates are not always the end of the road. People can overcome them, and lead successful lives. Treatment, not jail, is the answer. In today's world, for me, that is the more important message here.
9
@Paul ShindlerKEY word there is EXPENSIVE.
2
The only good news in the paper. I know less than nothing about golf itself and little more about Tiger Woods but I am overjoyed that someone out there rather making us cringe gave us something to marvel at.
14
Making a sports comeback from under the shadow of a personal downfall is not the same as having addressed the personal problem that brought about that downfall in the first place.
People can wish him well, or even celebrate his Masters' jacket. But none of us are in a position to declare that looking fans in the eye or taking home a trophy are sufficient evidence that healing and atonement are fully complete.
Let's leave it to his children, their mother and whomever else he's hurt to gauge whether he's back on track in his personal life.
11
@KTFoley
Then google his wife and read what she thinks about Tiger now. They talk frequently and focus on making sure their children have two loving parents. She says he's a great father.
And at least a dozen of his peers, some of which were right there in the hunt until the last few holes, hung around to congratulate him with a warm embrace.
So, if you'd like to know what he's like lately, just do a little reading and you'll have a lot more respect for Tiger the individual.
1
@allseriousnessaside My post says that we are not the ones to make that judgment. Was there something else that you thought you read there?
@KTFoley
Your entire post implies that he has not "addressed the personal problem that brought about that downfall in the first place." I was simply pointing out that available information indicates that he has done exactly that, repairing his relationship with his wife, being a good father, and earning the friendship and admiration of his fellow competitors. Not sure what else you want the guy to do, or whose forgiveness other than those closest to him he needs to earn.
3
Thank you for not calling it the greatest comeback in sports, like so many click-bait headlines I'm seeing. It is a great story of perseverance but hardly the greatest. Congratulations to Tiger!
2
@ModerateNerd
I'd love to hear what comebacks you think are better. And I mean this sincerely.
Perhaps you have strayed a little too far here Mr. Friedman. I guess it has been lost on you that most of golf's great shots relate to inborn fluidity, serenity and NOT thinking. As to the practice and the will, it was all that twisting that got his spine in trouble as it had for Nicklaus. The key here is moderation and the courage to get it done, as well as, the deep desire that his children would appreciate how much they are loved and how priceless their inherited and nurtured grit may well be . Well done, Mr.Woods. You are a remarkable human being and a credit to humanity.
1
What a great article!
Thanks for this!
11
I was certainly captivated watching Woods slowly rising up the tote board. Nerves of calculating steel at each stroke. Not to forget the leaders ahead of him who faulted just when they needed to step into that steely focus themselves.
Golf, an interesting game, but to equate a game, that billions around the world no little or nothing about, who struggle to be good, decent and protective, productive people only because they believe in life. Many who gave their lives so Woods and the rest of us can live our lives more securely.
1
Bad bounce? Uh, his issues are much more than a bad break. I love sports, but there a lot of athletes more worthy of this type of adulation.
22
@LaserTron
Um..STOP....
The word Redemption exists for a reason..Woods accomplished that. Get off your righteous throne.
1
What a beautiful column, Mr. Friedman. Thank you. Tiger has atoned for his transgressions. What an incredible story of redemption! Tiger's victory personifies all that is good about sports.
12
@Wheel
How do you think he has atoned for his transgressions? What has he said or done that give you the impression that he is sorry for anything other than getting exposed?
3
@Wheel He's atoned by winning? Interesting take on life.
2
@altecocker
A couple of years ago I was working out at the local recreation facility in Hailey, Idaho and ended up sitting and chatting with a couple about my age who had recently retired there. Turns out he was Tiger's and Notah Begay's golf coach at Stanford and has kept in touch with them over the years. I learned a lot about Tiger from that conversation and would definitely say based on that conversation that Tiger has more than atoned for his transgressions in developing a healthy relationship with his ex, spending a lot of time with his kids and helping in the recovery of one friend who had been struggling in his personal life as well. He also donates large sums to charity, sponsors programs for inner city kids to play golf and puts on fund raising tournaments for charity. When he made a temporary comeback and played at Augusta five years ago I was there for the Monday practice day and saw how the many of the other players greeted him with hugs and conversation. He is close friends with many other top sports stars as well. Yesterday, thousands of golf fans cheered his success as did so many of his peers when he came off of the course.
10
Take the 1997 Masters and then the one yesterday and you have two of the most mesmerizing days of televised sports ever.
10
Was never a Tiger fan. I love athletes that play with joy and humility.
He won me over Sunday.
103
Well said. And well done Tom, for capturing all four of golf’s challenges.
The TV commentary was excellent in explaining these too, the great strokes but also the physical or mental lapses. How many started the last round in genuine contention, 10, 12? And so many of them stood tall all the way and didn’t mess up; Tiger had to grab it from them.
Golf’s boring...except when it isn’t. Add in the “Tiger comeback angle” and it’s one for the ages.
3
fantastic piece and so true. people who have never played golf sometimes view it as the pastime of the privileged, but this view is far from reality. go to any course and you will meet and spend 5 hours with an incredible variety of people who, for those hours, treat each other as complete equals and temporary friends, sharing a kind of universal experience of being humbled, sometimes being rewarded with a thrilling success, and rooting for your partners to have the same thrill.
14
With all due respect to Mr. Friedman and sympathetic readers, the "bad bounces" in Tiger's world, whether on the course or in his personal life, are no one's doing but his own. He's holding the club; golf is not a team sport, and no one forced him to betray his wife and children through repeated episodes of infidelity.
54
@luckygal One can say that the bad bounces of golf are by one's own doing too. Where the bounce in life or on the course is detrimental, it is the recovery that matters. Tiger recovered.
8
@luckygal I used to feel the same way. But like most things, it isn't that straightforward. Tiger did not have a normal upbringing. Though raised by devoted parents, he was nurtured to be ruthless and self-centered, which eventually caused backlash in his relational life. Example: his parents forced him to callously break up with his first love in high school, because they felt she would be a distraction. Instead of simply breaking up, Tiger accused her of trying to use him for money and fame. This was not his idea, but that of his parents. As I read such things in the biography "Tiger Woods" (recommended), I became more sympathetic towards him. Yes, Tiger should be and was held accountable for his misdeeds. But he also deserves sympathy as someone who had to learn the hard way way real relationships are like. It seems he has been trying to do that, and deserves credit for it. All the bad bounces were not his fault.
10
@luckygal
Um..STOP.
The word Redemption exists for a reason...get off your throne and stop judging
13
No doubt Tiger worked very hard, but I think it's worth pointing out that Tiger had a few gazillion dollars that provided him every resource he needed so that he could spend as much time on golf as he wanted. Money might not buy happiness, but having it can certainly make it easier to overcome what life throws at us all.
And, "golf is so much like life"? I've played golf and enjoy it, but give me a break. Time spent on a manicured golf course is an escape from life.
85
How about on an unmanicured golf course, John? [links courses in the UK?]. Curmudgeon-ness is found in spades in these 'comments'. For those who love the game, golf is simply a small part of this tapestry we call life.
Tiger Woods is indeed a great golfer, arguably the greatest ever, and his comeback from his physical adversity is remarkable. He did get a “bad bounce” in that he was raised by a mother and father who did a “bad job” but, unlike many who can rise above the “bad job” and become good people, unfortunately he has struggled to do so. Hopefully, as time goes by, he will become a better role model as a person for those who young people who idolize him.
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I don't play golf but I do enjoy watching the game, perhaps, because as you so wonderfully articulate here, the game is a metaphor for life. I took a greater interest in Tiger Woods when he hit his bottom than I ever did in his early years when dominated the game of golf. When news of his car accident and subsequent events came out, I felt an immediate sadness for him, for the destruction of his marriage, alienation from his children and the horrific field day the media had with his troubles. I've know people who have experienced the same, be it addiction, mental illness, childhood trauma that destroys their adult years or marital infidelity. I have seen hundreds of people rebuild their lives after hitting bottom. I can attest that it takes a monumental amount of courage and willingness to do so. It also takes years and a determination to change. Tiger Woods is my new hero. We really don't know what he has experienced in the last 10 years of his life, but you can bet he worked every day, one day at a time to get back in the game of golf and life itself. Tiger Woods, you are an inspiration.
Sara Idleman, a friend of Bill's
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@Sara I.: Yes indeed, my friend, right on all counts. Celebrating 27 years today...and what better way than to meet a fellow traveler than in a Tom Friedman column about golf, of all things!
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I watched Tiger Woods' performance yesterday and his hugs with his family and friends afterwards and I was impressed and touched. However, Tigers' story is about more than random bad bounces. His poor personal choices over the years have caused many of those bad bounces.
I believe that acknowledging this reality makes his comeback even more meaningful. Woods had to overcome very public problems of his own making as well as random bad luck. I find this full and much more human story inspirational.
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I’ve never played Golf. I don’t watch it on TV, consider it to be as boring as all the cliches, watching paint dry, watching grass grow, etc.. But, I do appreciate a great comeback tale. I think you’ve got it exactly right, a story of humility, and maturity.
Congratulations, Mr. Woods. You’ve now earned it.
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@Phyliss Dalmatian:
Yes, Phyllis Dalmatian, the illusory trifecta--the confluence of individual determination, the emergence of collective forgiveness, and the triumph of redemption. What a day!
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@Phyliss Dalmatian
If you had ever played it, then it would not be boring for you to watch on TV.
Golf is a very difficult game. The athletes on tour make it look easy. Hence, the professional golfers ball striking and deft short game getting the ball in the cup is awe inspiring.
And often they do all this after hitting the ball in the drink, or way off in Marlboro Country. They take a penalty, and they come back with a magnificent golf shot. They just do it, and we mortals usually cannot. That's why it's not boring.
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@Wordsworth from Wadsworth
Point taken. I’m sure I enjoy some things that are intensely boring and/or bizarre to others.
Cheers.
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At the same time Mr. Woods does what seemed impossible, Mayor Pete gave a speech worth remembering and possibly one to free us from White House destruction. As Tiger returns, Pete enters and saves the day...please!
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@Nancie
Always amazed at how the Buttigieg claque shoehorns a mention of him into every comment section, no matter how unrelated.
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@Ralphie . Probably because Mayor Pete is on everyone's mind...even yours. Woods is a golfer, Pete is everyone. Happy for both!
You, on the other hand, will find something negative to say when you can find an audience. Good luck with that.
@Ralphie Well, it was going on at the same time. That was the relationship...simultaneous excitement in our nation. Try not to slam the wonderful day of two highs! Give it up! Use your own shoehorn...to escape your mess.
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I am so tired of the game of golf being glorified as a metaphor for the struggles of life and an example of teaching virtues and values. I don't deny that it takes skill and practice, but so does badminton and hair cutting. It's been elevated by the prestige implied by being able to spend half a day on 120 acres of manicured ersatz Arcadian dreamscape accompanied by your personal bearer. But good on Mr Woods. I'm sure he could use the boost to his sagging fortunes.
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@JimmyMac Don't neglect the most important aspect of golf. The moral one. It is the only sport where you are expected to call rules infractions and penalties on yourself. Yes, in the professional game, there are cameras everywhere and there are rules officials that can be asked for interpretations. But there are instances every year where a player is the only one who knows they made an error they have to pay for with added strokes. And I might add, the few pro golfers who have committed misdeeds are known by true fans of the game who end up never, ever forgiving them for it. I'll tell you what golf is a metaphor for: Donald Trump's character. Reader Rick Reilly's "Commander in Cheat." And if you're not laughing hilariously, you'll probably be throwing up.
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@Doug Garr Ultimate Frisbee is also self-regulating, and so are most sports that are played on the recreational level. Only golf would crow that it's against the rules to cheat.
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@JimmyMac
I think you misunderstand. Consider this: my ball is deep in the woods and I find it sitting against a rock. No one can see me and if I just nudge the rock to the side I'll have a shot. But I don't because the rules say I can't. It's not just about not cheating. It's about not cheating when no one can see you. I don't think there an equivalent in ultimate frisbee or any other sport.
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The competition is much stronger now than it ever was when Tiger turned pro, which makes this comeback all the more improbable. Tiger inspired an entire generation of young kids to excel at golf, and from top to bottom the field is bigger, hits farther, and has better touch around the greens.
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@RP Smith
The competition is not much stronger now.
If anything it is weaker, with interchangeable young pros schooled in the technical aspects of the game, but not understanding how to win.
Fred Couples, Curtis Strange, Nick Faldo in their prime could lap this field.
I don’t play the game; and years ago, before Tiger, I would sneer at the pseudo athletes that did. What a waste of time!
I don’t know why, like so many others, I was drawn into an appreciation of all golf is and requires by watching him. I can’t really explain how saddened I was by his fall. And I can’t explain why I cried yesterday when I heard he had won.
I will never work at anything as hard as he has, but even so - maybe I felt some hope that redemption is possible for us too.
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While I understand the enormous prowess of achieving the four “p’s” through perseverance, I wonder if it is too much to consider character when bestowing our adoration on athletes. Is it too much to ask that they not only be great on the playing field but also not be jerks. I can only hope that Tiger’s rehabilitation included some self reflection on how he treated others.
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No. Tiger Woods did not get a "bad bounce". He brought his hardships on himself. He behaved horribly to his wife and children, and in short, did not conduct himself as a father and husband should have.
Now, I do appreciate the incredible effort it must have taken any 43 year old man to return to a pro sport and compete as Tiger Woods has.
But claiming that he got a "bad bounce" is really no different from saying that he'd been the victim of some natural disaster or other event that he had no control over. The fact is, he had control over every action he took as an adult, and chose not to act responsibly.
Yes, his physical accomplishments are incredible. But the only "bad bounce" this man had was the one he caused himself.
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@Nicholas Rush read the book about his life . . . he was a gifted child raised by parents who created a "monster." Fortunately, he is working at redeeming himself - and not just on the golf course. Walk a mile in the shoes of someone who never had anything like a normal childhood, then talk.
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@Nicholas Rush Not sure why he antagonizes you so much. He's not a shining beacon of moral purity, sure. Are we looking at the Democratic primary candidates for president?
It's about seeing a man who fell from the peak of his career and profession return to it a decade later after going through serious personal (even though they were public) problems. I'm not even a golf follower and Tiger's win yesterday inspired me. If he can do what he's done, why can't I work a bit harder towards my own goals?
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@Nicholas Rush Best not to be so self-righteous until you have walked in the other man's shoes.
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“He will, in short, absorb the spirit of the game. When he hits a poor shot and leaves himself with a difficult recovery, he'll respond to the challenge of having to play a difficult shot extra well in order to make up for his error.”
Ben Hogan (1912–1997)
9-time major championship winner
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I play golf too, and you really captured how difficult, crazy, wonderful, and beautiful the game is. When you think about how Trump plays golf (his nickname is Pele because he kicks the bad-bounce ball out of trouble so often), golf also reveals so much about one's character, doesn't it?
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@Loosely
I'll bet Trump admires Tiger because they are both fellow adulterers who treat women with contempt.
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@Loosely Trump is giving tiger the medal of freedom. For WHAT? Tiger is Trump's golf buddy; enough said. A person deserving an award would tell Trump to stop cheating; at golf and life. Ray Sipe
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@Loosely
Say what you want about Trump, a man I despise. A recent article wrote how important golf is to him, and how the way he plays it mirrors his life. The same article also had professional golfers stating that while he lies about his prowess with the clubs, he's actually about a plus-six to eight handicap. Not many men his age can claim that, even former pros.
In contrast to Tiger Woods and his comeback we have a president who reportedly cheats at the game especially where he owns the course. Any doubt that TRump heads our oligarchy is slowly being dismissed.
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@REBCO
Never saw that coming.
This is an echo chambers for tired platitudes, like the formerly interesting Thomas Friedman, and a peanut gallery for angry and impotent Trump-haters.
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@REBCO the fat orange man reminds of the scene in Goldfinger when Bond plays him at Goldfinger's own course, where he cheats (of course).
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Well done Mr. Friedman. And you said it right - it takes golfers to appreciate what Tiger did yesterday. He broke through the color barrier some 22 years ago. And yesterday, he helped break a large piece of the age barrier.
Both times, and in between, he did exactly all the things that you mention that a great golfer has to do - battle the course, the elements, the opposition and the aerodynamics of a little ball.
Golf, as they say, is a game of managing the misses. And Tiger manages to do that just about better than anybody else. And life is about managing the disappointments. A person that lives life with any degree of success (however they choose to define it) does that by controlling the angst and channeling the energy to provide positive thrust.
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@Plato
He didn't break the color barrier. Charlie Sifford, Calvin Peete and, yes, Althea Gibson played years before Tiger was even born. Tex Mex Lee Trevino as well.
Age barrier? Others have won majors who were a lot older. "Positive thrust?" Interesting choice of words!
But I'm sure Nike is happy with people peddling his myth. For free.
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