Tiger’s eighth wonder of the earth
Like they say, golf is fickle, a huge tease and a triumph of love over adversity. Then golf holds victory of stubborn hope amid sustained defeats. Welcome to the new world of the phenomenon, Tiger Woods.
Nobody pre-empted his coming to open up the game of golf to every age group in the world, even those in pampers, Tiger Woods just showed up at a time most Nigerians believed golf was a game for the elderly and the idle rich. Some even claimed the game was for retirees. Beside young caddies who were allowed by clubs to play once in a week, you could hardly see a teenager swinging it through the fairways. But Tiger changed all that when he conquered the world of golf as a toddler.
Like a fairy tale, the Tiger’s sweet story soon turned sour. Like all bitter stories, it had to do with sex and women. The smashing lad indeed came out as the wealthiest sport person on earth and immediately, the long knives were drawn. When the red mist died down, Tiger could only see scandals, injuries and surgeries. In a bit, several millions of dollars acquired through solid endorsements soon vanished. From Nike to Rolex to other powerful corporate bodies around America, Tiger was cancer that should be avoided at all costs. About all endorsements were withdrawn and Tiger was laid bare.
He was completely dripped with sympathies from few who couldn’t just wipe off memories of his angelic swings from their being.
But in golf, one never leaves completely content. Tiger trudged on. Even given total self belief, Tiger knew he was doomed and coming back to world reckoning could be a bad sell. But he trudged on even to that point he had a free fall to become 1,199 in the world.
For 14 years, he travelled round the Tours without any breakthrough, not to make mention of him smelling a major in 11 years. No doubt, this was the longest drought in golf history and Tiger lived through it. Even when he was hearing careless talks from the Tours that he should pack it in and tour the world of fantasy with millions of dollars he still had in reserve, Tiger believed he could still climb his Everest.
He did eventually. During last weekend’s Masters in Augusta, Georgia, Tiger did what good golfers do… that is to make something very hard look easy. He did more than that. He worked out miracles and worders.
The world is used to seven wonders. Tiger simply added the eight when with just a shot, he dumped Dustin Justin, Xander Schaufiele and Brooks Koepka to win his fifth Masters. He achieved this with a 13 under course par after four days.
The irony here is that the last time Tiger won, his son, Charles, was just being put to bed. Last Sunday, Charles was the one who jumped on Dad in furious hug. Tiger said Charles was always in shock in those sad years when he would fall on the ground with acute pains after a mere swing. What a comeback for Tiger Woods.
One of the greatest golfers the world will ever produce, Nick Faldo, put it really straight when he said: “This is the greatest win in golf forever”.