The text came Friday afternoon, not long after news of Tiger Woods’ latest tribulation had crackled across social media.
“It just never ends,” a friend wrote, regarding the latest chapter of Tiger drama.
It doesn’t seem to.
On any number of levels, the news that Woods had been involved in a two-car accident Friday afternoon not far from his south Florida home was jarring. The idea that Woods was in jail, being held on suspicion of DUI, landed with a crushing thud.
And it felt familiar.
That’s the sad part.
Again.
Tiger’s story is written in three chapters.
The golf. The injuries. The drama.
Painted in Sunday red.
Until around 2 p.m. Friday afternoon, there was a sense of excitement surrounding Woods, the golfer. He had played in his Jupiter Links TGL match Tuesday night and while he wasn’t great, he was playing pseudo-competitive golf again.
It looked like he was having fun.
The Masters is a week away now and Woods has teased the possibility he might tee it up at Augusta, barely six months since having a new disk inserted in his battered back.
Now, who knows?
And does it matter?
Considering what his body has been through, the act of getting through each day is probably more difficult for him than most of us can imagine. Pain medication, it’s reasonable to assume, has become a part of his existence and, for all the good it can do, it comes with dangers, too.
For all of the otherworldly things Woods has done as a golfer, he has proven to be woefully human and many of his mistakes have played out in front of the world. They have changed our perception of Woods, putting a different frame around his achievements.
Maybe that is Woods’ burden, the pain (literally and figuratively) that he must carry.
There is much we don’t know, particularly when it comes to whatever has led to Woods’ various missteps. Considering what his body has been through, the act of getting through each day is probably more difficult for him than most of us can imagine.
Pain medication, it’s reasonable to assume, has become a part of his existence and, for all the good it can do, it comes with dangers, too. There is less moral judgment of those who struggle with medication.
Thankfully, no one was injured in Tiger’s latest mishap but if all that has happened before hasn’t gotten the message through, maybe this will.
Use better judgment. Use a driver.
Get help.
It’s not about chasing former glory for Tiger Woods; it’s become bigger than that now.
KOHJIRO KINNO, SPORTS ILLUSTRATED VIA GETTY IMAGES
Woods is one of the truly transcendent figures in our society, bigger than a star and his athletic excellence has given him an impact that reaches far beyond the golf world. His success has impacted society and, even as a 50-year-old, Woods can still change every room into which he walks.
But the accumulation of drama has diluted his image. Nothing can change the fact that Woods has played the greatest golf ever played – that’s what Jack Nicklaus has said – and nothing can dull the sparkle of his achievements.
The 1997 Masters. Winning the 2000 U.S. Open by 15 strokes. The Tiger Slam.
Eighty-two PGA Tour victories. Fifteen major championships. The 2019 Masters triumph at age 43.
Woods didn’t just win golf tournaments. He challenged our imaginations. He made us dream, not just hope.
Along the way, Woods cultivated more than an image. He intimidated his competition. He defined swagger.
That didn’t matter Friday afternoon on the edge of a two-lane Florida road with his SUV turned on its side, forcing him to crawl out of the passenger door.
It would be disturbing if it was a one-time thing but it’s not. There is much we don’t know and probably never will but we know this hurts him.
Most of us are forgiving by nature and Woods has tapped that well more than once. Now, tour CEO Brian Rolapp and the money men within the Strategic Sports Group find themselves facing the added challenge of moving forward with Woods while doing damage control.
What happens to his role as chairman of the PGA Tour’s future competition committee? His place on the tour’s policy board?
Woods cares deeply about the tour and its future, understanding it’s responsible for his legacy. He transformed the business model with his popularity, drawing in fans, sponsors and hundreds of millions of dollars.
He has an element of sweat equity in the business and has surprised many by his willingness to be part of the process rather than an interested observer. It would have been easy for Woods to sit back and let others do the hard work but he’s never been afraid of digging it out of the dirt.
Now, Woods has to work again – on his personal challenges. He has to talk to his sponsors. His foundation leaders. His children.
Golf can wait. Getting better shouldn’t.
During his media conference Friday afternoon, Martin County sheriff John Budensiek said, “This could have been a lot worse.”
Tiger Woods is whisked away from jail late Friday night.
Joe Raedle, Getty images
That’s the good news, if you want to call it that.
Woods had planned to be in Augusta next week to be part of the reopening of The Patch, the local muni he’s helped Augusta National revitalize, and to attend the annual Masters Champions Dinner. He has also kept open the idea of teeing it up again in the Masters, a hopeful wish for many.
Seeing him whisked away from jail in the Friday night darkness, a distant look in his eyes as a photographer snapped a picture through the windshield, Woods looked haunted.
It’s not about chasing former glory anymore. It’s about something more important than that now.
Somehow, that sounds familiar, too.
Top: Tiger Woods
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