Tiger Woods: more than just a winning golfer

I was thinking about Tiger Woods win Sunday at the Bridgestone Open. It’s not the fact that he now has 70 career wins and 14 majors that impressed me. It isn’t the fact that he has been rated the number 1 player in the world longer and more consistently than any golfer ever before. It has nothing to do with the fact that he is the best paid player in the world. He is humble.

More than any other athlete I can recall since Michael Jordan and Muhammad Ali, Tiger Woods is a pinnicale of respect. When talking about his win on Sunday he stated

“I think I hit a good shot that put a little heat him [at the 16th hole]. But also, I think the worst he would have made would have been bogey."

He didn’t need to say anything about Padraig Harrington. He could have boasted about his record of 14 wins every time he leads a tournament after 54 holes. He could have even insulted Harrington about the triple boogey he shot once the stopwatch came out. But he didn’t.

Not that this is a new thing. Back when he first became a pro and won the Masters, Fuzzy Zoeller made the infamous comment

“That little boy [Tiger Woods] is driving it well and he's putting well. He's doing everything it takes to win. So you know what you guys do when he gets back in here? You pat him on the back and say, 'Congratulations' and 'Enjoy it' and tell him not to serve fried chicken next year. Got it?", and walking away, he returned to add the infamous postscript: "or collard greens, or what every the hell they serve.”

Woods was diplomatic in his response. Which I could have never done.

When the controversy over lynching Woods was started by Kelly Tilghman

“Which brings me to the comments against Tiger Woods. As some are aware during the recent Mercedes-Benz Championship tournament Kelly Tilghman, an announcer for the Golf Channel, suggested that Tiger Woods be lynched. The conversation surrounding that comment was in terms of what could be done by up-coming players to take on Tiger. One announcer suggested they gang up on Tiger, to which Ms. Tilghman stated

“Lynch him in a back alley”

“

Woods again took the high road. Again I could not in the same situation. Nor can I recall another athlete in most any sport that has done so in equally infuriating circumstances in the past 2 decades.

It is this that separates Tiger Woods from other athletes. This is what drives fans to his competitions and cheer him to victory. This is what is missing in most every other major sport in America (at least).

Today there are several great athletes. Some are intelligent, some are talented, many are wealthy. Few though have even a touch of the international appeal of Woods. None have his grace under fire and public humility.

When was the last time you heard a baseball, or basketball, or hockey player stand up and defend the ability of their competition. I mean sincerely doing so? You never hear it in boxing, or the MMA, nor dare I say wrestling.

Tiger Woods is the greatest golfer in my lifetime, and in my opinion ever. That’s just the raw talent and dedication he maintains. But it is his humility and thoughtfulness (that I sometimes disagree with) that really impresses me.

He isn’t about ‘bling’ or other ghettofabulous insanity that the media proclaims to be the only definition of Black in America. He is educated. He is a phenomenal businessman. He is a good father. He does make great effort to donate time, money, and his fame to help children. He is a role model.

As much as everyone will laud his many sporting accomplishments, I think that is the real impact and importance of Tiger Woods. I just wish that the major news media might highlight that from time to time as well as his winning streak.

Who will win the Masters in 2009 - the odds

With the Masters just a day away, I am sure that every golfer is out trying to figure out who is going to win. There are pools in offices and golf clubhouses across the nation, and millions will pass hands in a few short days. So I thought I might help by showing some of the odds that are out there right now.

Tiger Woods is of course a favorite. With his recent win he is now at 11-5. And I think this is the ultimate winner by 3 strokes or more.

Relatively close behind Tiger are Phil Mickelson and Jeff Ogilvy at 8-1. Not bad choices either, though I think far from such sure bets. Padraig Harrington is the next up at 15-1.

Then we get a random anybody from the field at 20-1, a bet that I would always take, just in case. The numbers get worse as we look at the rest of the challengers.

Paul Casey 25-1
Sergio Garcia 25-1
Retif Goosen 25-1
Rory McIlroy 25-1
Nick Watney 25-1
Ernie Els 30-1
Jim Furyk 30-1
Anthony Kim 30-1
Zach Johnson 35-1

What about a few other big names? Way back in the bleachers:

Lee Westwood 50-1
Vijay Singh 60-1
K J Choi 80-1
Greg Norman 80-1
Rocco Mediate 100-1
Chad Campbell 125-1

For my money I think the smart bets are Woods, Garcia, and the field. But who do you think will win?

Padraig Harrington sets records at PGA Championship

So what happens when the best golfer in the world isn’t playing in the majors? When that golfer is Tiger Woods the rest of the player get a second wind and amazing things happen. That may be the only answer as to why Padraig Harrington not only won the British Open, but now has also won the PGA Championship.

This is a huge accomplishment of Harrington as this makes him only the 4th player to accomplish a win at both majors in the same year. Of course Tiger Woods has done it twice. Still it’s a record that is impressive for any golfer. Add to that the fact that he is the first European player to win the PGA Championship in 78 years and the first to win back to back majors and it just makes the win that much sweeter.

But I wonder would this have happened if Tiger was around? Probably not.

That is not to say that Harrington is anything less than a great golfer. That’s obvious by his win. But when Tiger is on the course you have to notice how every player is completely different. They play with more pressure and virtually always fold when it comes to Sunday.

Given the pace of wins that Tiger has made in the past, and the sudden rush to victory for Padraig Harrington, the big question is what happens when the best player in the world gets healthy and pissed off that his thunder is being taken by someone else?

I’m looking forward to the next Masters. A showdown between these 2 men. A real challenge of wills and the imposing presence of Tiger. If Harrington can keep his composure, and fend off the rest of the world’s golfers as he has, that’s the Sunday we will see. And that will be a match for the record books I bet.