I’m a golfer. I’ve played golf competitively since I was 12. I am currently a four handicap, up from a scratch when I was fresh out of high school. Those were the days when I could play 36 holes without wincing, without flinching, and be ready to go again the next day.
These were also the days where I watched my favourite golfer in the world change the game forever. I am of course talking about Eldrick Tiger Woods.
I imitated his every move, and did my best to emulate his every swing when given the chance – this was much harder than ever thought. I’ve worn a hat with the Tiger insignia on it as long as I can remember. I marvel at what he can do, as I’m sure many others do.
I bicker with my buddies who are die hard Phil Mickelson fans.
Phil vs. Tiger – it’s a battle that has been waging for more than a decade now – both on the course, in bars, and at home watching tournaments with friends and family. I have always thought of Phil as kind of “fake”; always with that little wry smile where it seems like he is secretly laughing at all of us behind his back. It’s no secret about the nickname that has adorned him: FIGJAM (Fuck I’m Good Just Ask Me).
Now this is probably true for a lot of professional golfers, and professional athletes at that. He, for some reason, has just has always bugged me.
The problem now is that Tiger is starting to get under my skin with some of crap he pulls, and Phil looks more real than ever before.
I always used to brush off the pompous press conferences and slight jabs at the media. He basically laughs at most of the questions asked of him during the majority of the question period. He’s a dick, and I know that. I guess I just weighted his skill over his “prickness” in cheering for him.
I assumed with the recent troubles he had been through he would maybe, possibly, be a little more cordial to the media and patrons – because they can make his life a living hell (See: last 18 months). He was a caught not only in one lie, but in many lies, and he has subsequently fallen farther than any celebrity athlete not named OJ Simpson or Mike Tyson. Tyson has been able to rebuild himself somewhat, while the Juice is squeezing some dudes lemons for the rest of his life.
However, despite all of this, watching Tiger tear up the back nine of Augusta National on Friday afternoon, I was reminded why I do like him so much – because he is a spectacle to watch and keeps you on the edge of your seat.
When he is feeling it, you can tell. He was much calmer, and he was making putts – something he hasn’t done in a long time.
If this is to be the weekend where Tiger returns to the winning circle, it would fit perfectly. Augusta is where he was born into the golf world back in 1997 and now he is trying to come back from the edge of oblivion and re-enter the world of golf on the same stage.
If he wins, you could say he has come full circle – but let’s not get ahead of ourselves like the entire CBS crew tend to do when he makes a single birdie.
Is Tiger back? Well, at least he is relevant again, and that’s a good place to start.
Newman
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7 comments:
Haha! Love hearing you admit Tiger's a dick. I guess that's why he doesn't have any friends on Tour.
I've got a fiver that says he doesn't win this weekend. Any takers?
No one gives a shit about ur personal struggles with Mr. Woods, get over urself!
I think personally everyone struggles with Tiger Woods' "indescretions" - so who's the dick. Maybe Mr. Anonymous, I think so, jerkface.
Bry, it's taken a while, but I guess i've always known the truth...duff.
And anonymous, Who's blog is this? Right, that's why I thought. Suck it anonymous!
Rev,
Great piece. I am in the FIGJAM club myself (I even use that moniker in my fantasy leagues sometime). I like Phil, always have. It was a very touching moment when he won the masters last year, with both his wife and mother having been sick.
And I can say this next piece truthfully without any point of contention, I have never liked Tiger Woods. I guarantee you that no one I know will disagree ...it is the same with Neon Dion, but I digress ... Tiger has always seemed to me as a cocky, arrogant, I know I'm special, prick (maybe Phil has too, but I just never read it that way). And the "indescretions" just made it more clear to me that he thought he had a gift, and that he could do no wrong. I was cheering against him this weekend, everytime that CBS had a camera crew on him ... so all 243.5 hours of coverage.
Anyway, good article.
Clowes: I heard there's a new Tiger App. Everytime they show him, your TV changes channels. Should sell pretty well!
I always look at Tiger and Phil this way. Who am I more likely to be friends with? Phil, who like to gamble, golf with his buddies, tell jokes, eat at In n' Out? Or Tiger, who has no friends, no personality, is rude and arrogant?
Yeah Tiger is a huge dork who got rich, maerried too early, and fucked his life up. He is a douche, but he is still fun to watch.
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