Tiger Woods As The Unhappy Gilmore


From the only sports writer I read.  In part…….

Just let him play golf, his defenders said. That’s when you’ll see the real Tiger. That’s when the healing and absolution will begin. An opportunistic brigade of armchair therapists were quick to prescribe 18 holes—or perhaps, a 15th major—as a remedy for acute off-the-course trouble.

It was foolish medicine, more hair of the dog for a hangover. Who knew what Tiger Woods needed? Surely Mr. Woods didn’t, not as he watched his pristine, sponsor-burnished reputation circle a very expensive drain.

We shouldn’t have masked our selfishness. Mr. Woods’s tabloid saga was tawdry and tedious; everyone longed to see him swing a club again. It was really fun to watch Mr. Woods play golf, and his stand-ins were likable but unglamorous. Not even Retief Goosen wants to watch 18 holes of Retief Goosen.

But it’s been four months since Mr. Woods returned to playing golf, and the sport has not been his redemption—or any fun. He has yet to win a competition since his infamous early-morning car accident, and on Sunday, he finished a tournament tied for 78th place, two errant shots from dead last.

Had it not been for a ghastly round on Sunday by his rival Phil Mickelson, Mr. Woods would have statistically relinquished his throne as the world’s No. 1-ranked player.

But that’s just fine print. The headline is Tiger Woods is lost. Earth’s most famous golfer does not cut an especially sympathetic figure, but his descent is a sad sight. A former fist-pumping king now finds himself vacant and glum—Unhappy Gilmore.

One thought on “Tiger Woods As The Unhappy Gilmore

  1. I am wondering if being at the top of the pile for so long and from such a young age is really the problem. There has not been that many occasions when Tiger Woods has had to battle to get back to his top form, and maybe he still has not learned how to acheive that.
    Even a great sportsmany like Tiger Woods will find it hard to recover after his self confidence has taken such a pounding, but if he does rise from the ashes then I am sure we will see him become an even greater player than he has been so far.

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