The Secret History of Tiger Woods -

[vbb]

Well written for sure, and further confirmation that perhaps my favorite athlete in any sport of all time is a seriously flawed and strange individual. I mean sure, we're all weird to some degree... but I definitely think the fact that he was so singularly focused on golf and hanging out with his dad during his formative years did a number on him socially. As a fan, I'm sad to have witnessed his spectacular fall. I never stopped being a fan of his even through all the personal problems, and I want him to win every single time he tees it up. That said, in a way I'm also a bit happy for him to have entered in to his "2nd act" away from golf, focusing on his kids and life in general.

 

It's weird, though he's my favorite athlete/celebrity, I've always felt that, if given the chance, it'd be disappointed to play a Pro-Am with him or just spend time with him in general. He doesn't seem he'd be friendly at all.

 

I would go clubbing with Derek Jeter though, and I hate the Yankees. ;)

[BAlberstadt]

Well, I'm not sure this was any "secret" history. But it was nice to read a well-written, well-researched, journalistic article that not only told a story, but it also let the reader draw their own conclusions instead of hand-holding and spoon feeding. I went in thinking it was going to be another sensationalist hack job, but ended up enjoying reading it.

 

By presenting a well-laid out timeline, the article provided some context I felt like I might have missed previously by getting the information piecemeal over a long period of time. After I finished reading, I felt I had a better understanding of where Tiger was coming from. I had a little more sympathy for his circumstances (maybe some of his faults were forced upon him by the environment created around him by others), but also a little disdain (dude, come on - you know right from wrong. man up and be the better person.)

 

I recommend reading it.

 

Good take/agreed.

[legitimategolf]

Interesting but extremely invasive. Seems to have been written by someone who hid out in Tiger's shrubs and dug through his trash cans and stuff. A ton of speculation delivered as fact. Gotta be wary of that.

[is76550]

I am not a Tiger fan but that was a very interesting read. As others have said it does kind of explain a few things.

[Nard_S]

The guy exists in a bubble that few ever do. There is a price to be paid for being a prodigy and it can be quite high. Look at Michael Jackson or even Mike Tyson. Really hope he recaptures his killer instinct and gets at least one more run at it.

[dlygrisse]

Interesting read. I always thought something seemed a little "off" about Tiger pre-accident. Post accident I knew something seem a lot "off" about him. He lives in a world none of us could really comprehend, I hope he finds what he is looking for.

[DonMega884]

Jordan said it best. Tiger is done. Needs to accept it. I thought foley broke his body down, seems to me his obsession with military training, and people beating you up takes a toll on you.

[cmyktaylor]

Fathers and Sons: Is there really any other story? So important, and powerful, and devastating.

[Man_O_War]

Very complicated life for only 40. For a humble upbringing, it seems everything in his life became extreme obsessions: He earned a lot in life and paid a huge price for his shortcomings. I bet like Jordan said.. he wants to erase some of them... at the end of the day, life is about learning because really...we are all just passing through..and what he put himself through is only relevant in our memories. Beyond that, it's just another life lived. At some point no one will remember. He will be remembered for his golf prowess. It's written in record books

[AztecGold]

Dude, buy your father a head stone!

TW would not like his fathers grave turned into a tourist site.

When his mother dies and he is retired.

Then he will put up a stone.(I imagine).

 

Think about this...Earl is buried in an Urn..how hard would it be to dig him up and sell his ashes by some deviate.

NOT on EBay...they would not accept him.

People use to try to sell body parts on EBay.

[JaxBeachNole]

I found out about it from Twitter posts about how amazing of an article and must read it is. Pretty disappointing. Except for the Michael Jordan part, was any of this new info at all? Basically this guy wrote a summary of what was previously known to tell us Tiger wishes his family didn't suffer.

 

All released minutes after STP posted about his comeback announcement today.

[wetfairwayshardgreens]

I read this article and thought it's a joke people like this have a job to report ever detail of this man's life. Tiger Woods no matter what happens moving forward in his career changed the game of golf for the better. That's a fact. It's also a fact he's not the first person in the history of sports to cheat on there wife. What he did was completely wrong but the media had a hay day with it not only helping push back the game of golf but this man's life.

[Hou_Hater]

Couldn't buy his father a headstone? Not pick up a lunch tab for SEALs?

 

Spare me the daddy issues and psychoanalysis b.s. He's fun to watch and I like to see him in contention but this behavior is inexcusable. "Money doesn't buy class" may be a cliche but it certainly applies here.

[KYMAR]

Dude, buy your father a head stone!

TW would not like his fathers grave turned into a tourist site.

When his mother dies and he is retired.

Then he will put up a stone.(I imagine).

 

Think about this...Earl is buried in an Urn..how hard would it be to dig him up and sell his ashes by some deviate.

NOT on EBay...they would not accept him.

People use to try to sell body parts on EBay.

 

So His grandparents marked graves right next to it isn't enough of a clue for vandals or would be grave robbers? What a ridiculous notion. Even for the " 'TW' can do no wrong" Crowd. It's been a Decade, get "pops" a headstone.

[AztecGold]

Dude, buy your father a head stone!

TW would not like his fathers grave turned into a tourist site.

When his mother dies and he is retired.

Then he will put up a stone.(I imagine).

 

Think about this...Earl is buried in an Urn..how hard would it be to dig him up and sell his ashes by some deviate.

NOT on EBay...they would not accept him.

People use to try to sell body parts on EBay.

 

So His grandparents marked graves right next to it isn't enough of a clue for vandals or would be grave robbers? What a ridiculous notion. Even for the " 'TW' can do no wrong" Crowd. It's been a Decade, get "pops" a headstone.

His grandparents are buried in coffins..NOT an Urn which is easy to steal..happens all the time in cemetaries..people steal urns..tombstones.

[straightshot7]

Really? Criticizing him over the headstone issue? Seems like a very personal/familybmatter with probably many details we don't know or have the right to know.

[Endres]

Another tiger thread where people feel the need to bring up tipping...who on golfwrx has personally waited on Tiger? Or are we just living under the assumption that every waited he's ever come across is being honest and doesn't have some weird perspective on how people with money are expected to act. Is it possible that the idiots complaining Tiger not tipping well didn't do a good job? At that point he'd just being giving away money he earned to someone who didn't earn it, that's pretty close to socialism and the Big Cat isn't down with socialism

[Forged4ever]

Most telling moment.....

 

Lunch with the SEALs

 

Most telling sentence-

 

"Earl never judged"

 

To have THAT person in your life is an amazing emotionally stabilizing and comforting feeling that gives one a level of confidence that is hard to describe-

 

I have my Mother and Madison.....

 

Tiger had Earl...

 

To lose that one person would suck....

 

Big Time.....

 

However, and I knew this prior to reading this however the things that we are taught as children in how to carry ourselves, speak and as importantly, act and then the fact that he basically lived on an island through his youth and into his 20's, well, I know my exposure to many other adults, from CEO's to Union Men showed me how to act in myriad situations.

 

People skills.......

 

Let's not forget Tiger's nickname, "Erkel."

 

That says it all, regardless of the bank account-

 

His evening with Michael and Derek only confirms this-

 

I've always said that he's at peace with 14 cuz that's the number that Earl called, however I don't believe that he's at peace with how his final "act" as a Professional Athlete is Playing out, and I really hope that he can just forget, yes, block out, compartmentalize and forget, the travesty that was his personal life and just look in the mirror and make a vow to be a better Man today than he was yesterday, then the rest will fall into place.

 

Excellent piece and thanks for posting!!

 

Stay Well My Friends :)

 

Fairways & Greens 4ever,

Richard

[daveltb]

Anyone else reminded of Hogan when reading this? Loner, focused, and maybe in the future a recluse?

[BLLDWG23]

Anyone else reminded of Hogan when reading this? Loner, focused, and maybe in the future a recluse?

 

that is absolutely not a stretch. I've always figured after he left the game we'd pretty much never see him except at very few select things, that he could control. Other than that I always figured he be holed up on his yacht or a private island somewhere.

[JKurz211]

Great read.

 

Ive always loved watching Tiger, still do.

 

Every "Great" has their quirks or is just plain weird.

[hankmoody]

I'll add that a father's infidelity--especially serial infidelity--can be very conflicting for a child who has any relationship with the mother at all.

[bscinstnct]

That is a crazy story.

 

Tiger with no sleep, clearing rooms and getting beatings and jumping from planes with SEALS, *dominating golf* and having all these chicks and being married. All at the same time?!

 

I hope TW gets to a place where he can accept his past, lots of pain but there is good there as well, figure out who he is, and get some peace.

 

And some sleep!

[Sixcat]

In reading the article, I couldn't help but be reminded of a large portion of home-school kids in the community where I grew up. I don't say that to insinuate something is wrong with home-schooling or home-schoolers in general. I grew up with and around a large number of them and the numbers haven't changed in the twenty or so years since I finished high school. The 2014-2015 statistics for my community is roughly 23% of school aged children are home-schooled. And this is with a school system with a proven record of college preparedness.

 

A lot of the home-school kids I grew up with were, and still are, high achievers but loners, largely alouf, singularly focused, determined and have little in terms of lasting relationships, if any at all. I don't know if one has anything at all to do with the other. I just found it fascinating that Tiger has so much in common with the home-schoolers I grew up with.

[UCBananaboy]

Sports journalists sure are Taco Bell'ing the hell out of Tiger Woods to keep him relevant and their clicks up. Same ingredients with a different packaging, the Taco Bell way.

[ferrispgm]

Sports journalists sure are Taco Bell'ing the hell out of Tiger Woods to keep him relevant and their clicks up. Same ingredients with a different packaging, the Taco Bell way.

 

Yeah but the quesalupa is pretty delicious

[Huskypride28]

Total Introvert forced to live an Extroverts life.

[KYMAR]

Now I really want taco bell

[QuickFeet]

Dude, buy your father a head stone! FFS!

yeah i saw that, eek.

 

Well written and very interesting.

 

Depending on what Earl wanted, I'm actually surprised that TW did take his ashes and spread them in a place(s) that may have held a special meaning to him and his Dad.

[UCBananaboy]

Sports journalists sure are Taco Bell'ing the hell out of Tiger Woods to keep him relevant and their clicks up. Same ingredients with a different packaging, the Taco Bell way.

 

Yeah but the quesalupa is pretty delicious

 

Don't get me wrong - I'll take Taco Bell over 99% of "fancy" Mexican places I've eaten at.