BACK WITH A BANG
Braced for the Tiger fairways surge
Darkness had fallen over Augusta, but golf’s money men were already basking in a luminous glow. Within moments of a triumphant Tiger Woods’ primal screams on the 18th green, most of his branded clothing on Nike’s website had sold out. A few hours later, the sportswear giant, which has stayed tethered to Woods through his descent into the maelstrom and back, released an advert declaring: “It’s crazy to think that a 43-year-old, who has experienced every high and every low, and who has just won his 15th major, is chasing the same dream as a three-yearold.” Cut to rare, grainy footage of “Tiger the toddler”, who says: “I’m going to beat Jack Nicklaus.” Truly, this is marketing that money cannot buy. It was no coincidence, amid the family celebrations heralding Woods’ fifth green jacket, that he saved one of the most lingering embraces for Mark Steinberg, his long-time agent. Granted, they have been through the mangle together, ever since the news of Woods’ early-morning car crash outside his Florida home in 2009, a story that proved to be the first blip on the seismograph. But as astute businessmen, they knew this stunning return was just the start. Nothing sends the stock price soaring like a redemption tale. In of a sense, the spectacle Woods’ children at this year’s Masters was emblematic. Neither his 11-year-old daughter Sam, nor his son Charlie – one year younger – had witnessed him as a major winner before. If it was an overwhelming experience for them, just imagine the impact upon a generation of junior golfers seeing the Tiger phenomenon through fresh eyes. The first TV ratings released this week offered a telling sign, with the CBS broadcast of Woods’s third round, and his decisive surge up the leaderboard, attracting a 15% share of the US national audience. It was indeed a moment when golf recaptured a glamour that most thought had been lost for good. Among aficionados, the recent streak at the Masters of four first-time major winners – Jordan Spieth, Danny Willett, Sergio Garcia and Patrick Reed – might have been a refreshing way of spreading the wealth. But the 2019 instalment has brought a reminder that nothing in the sport electrifies quite like the pictures of Woods in his Sunday red. Even those who had pushed him hardest in an unforgettable final round knew as much. Joint runner-up Xander Schauffele reflected: “It’s like a dream; it’s what I watched as a kid.” Tony Finau seemed less bothered by the fact he had blown his own challenge than the fact he would be able to one day tell his grandchildren he played with Woods on the day he won his 15th major. Even the “toocool-for-school” Rickie Fowler said: “I can’t believe we’re witnessing this. I should be filming it.” Traditionally, it is part of the Masters ritual that a few former champions gather beside the clubhouse to salute the winner. But Woods arrived there like Caesar returning to Rome, poignantly saluted by those he had helped inspire. Justin Thomas, who as a child had learnt Woods’ wardrobe, his swing, even his grip, was first in line to shake his hand. Further along was Ian Poulter, whose infamous prediction that “one day it will just be me and Tiger” might yet be his unwitting epitaph. Then came Brooks Koepka, who had outplayed Woods at last year’s US PGA, but who was only too happy to acknowledge this turning of the tables. The received wisdom, during all his struggles, was that Woods had encouraged his younger disciples to achieve a brilliance beyond his own. Television executives will be salivating; the mere presence of Woods in a regular tour event can double, even triple their ratings.
Xander says it’s like a dream; it’s what I watched as a kid