Tiger in Trouble: a New Experience
Posted: Thursday, December 03, 2009
by Carolyn Tytler
To observers, he's always seemed like the golden boy. Tiger Woods, up to age 33, has had to deal with few unhappy experiences in his life. The most outstanding, perhaps, was the death of his devoted father and mentor, Earl, in May 2006. Other than that, his life has been a series of shining moments, outstanding victories, and rapidly-accumulating wealth.
After turning pro in August of 1996, Tiger immediately signed endorsement deals totalling $60 million dollars. He earned a million on the golf course in just eight events, and was named "Sportsman of the Year" by Sports Illustrated magazine.
In 1997, at age 21, he became the youngest, and the first African-American, to win The Masters tournament. He bested the second-place contender by the largest margin ever: 12 strokes. By the end of that season he had earned over $2 million dollars on the course.
As Tiger's professional successes escalated, his personal life blossomed. In 1994, he married beautiful Swedish model Elin Nordegren. They have two children, a girl Sam ( born June, 2007) and a boy Charlie (born February 2009).
Currently Tiger Woods is the most successful golfers of all time. In 2008, he was the highest paid professional athlete in the world ($117.3 million). His charismatic charm and upstanding image have gained him loyal and adoring fans around the globe.
Is it any wonder he began to feel that he was a superior being, that he shouldn't be shackled by the same wearisome rules and regulations as ordinary mortals? He may have believed that his almost invincible ability on the golf course applied to every area of his life. He was in for a shock.
Recently, the carefully-cultivated, squeaky-clean image crumbled. It seems that Tiger isn't as skillful at concealing indiscretions as he is on the green. For perhaps the first time, he has learned that he is vulnerable, that the rules apply to everyone after all, and that his pretty, petite wife is not so bad wielding a golf club herself. Could his profound silence the first days after the car accident have been due to shocked disbelief?
The relevant question now is "What next?"
The most minuscule consequence of Tiger's illuminating experience is the $164 traffic fine and four demerit points. He can probably pay the ticket out of his spare change.
The most serious issue he will face is the future of his marriage. The fact that there appears to have been a number of liaisons may indicate that he is not yet ready to settle down. He could decide to seize the opportunity to become footloose and fancy-free once more. If not, he has a momentous fence-mending job to do with his wife.
Elin will have to make the decision. If she decides to throw him to the bimbos and go it alone, she's still young and attractive enough to find a husband worthy of her affection and trust.
The children? They could benefit from growing up in a more stable and secure environment with their mother, instead of traveling hither and yon around the golf circuit. Money for their maintenance and education should not be a problem.
This week, it has been revealed to the world, and to Tiger Woods himself, that the most successful and wealthiest athlete on earth has feet of clay. He is not invincible. As a human being, he's less than ordinary, in fact he's quite common. Perhaps the best that can be hoped for from recent events is that the golden boy will become a man after all. It's certainly well past time.
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)You have crafted a great piece here, Carolyn. I appreciate the time line of Tiger's rise to golf stardom. Great job-:) ~mogama~
Thank you, Mogama.
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