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As Tiger Woods’s injury puts his career on hold, it reminds the tour, along with the rest of the world, of the necessity of a player like Tiger. At the level of pro competition, with a flawless golf swing; tremendous technique; the technology of golf training aids; and the advancing equipment; you might think that the best of the best is at the very least a group.
In recent years before Tiger, it had become almost impossible for any golfer to really earn the title of the single best player around. No one can win title after title, can they? Except now there is one. Beyond criticism (why would he go to the trouble of changing his swing?), beyond injury (need I remind you of the tournament he just won with more injuries than I’ve had in my entire life?), Tiger Woods is levels, worlds, ahead of the competition. He has set himself apart as the greatest.
Sure, without him, the game would be evenly matched amongst the greats. And perhaps the avid fan would appreciate that. But the truth is, most fans, and even casual watchers, want a hero. Want someone to love or hate, worship or abhor. Every sport has one. Where would basketball be with Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant? Because I assure you Bryant is fast approaching Jordan.
First, you have to have competition. Competition does, after all, make the world go ’round. You have to have something or someone to strive for. You have to have something that makes you work yourself to death just to be able to beat it. Without Tiger, what would people strive for? If there was no one better than you (a problem Tiger might have), you would become complacent. Even the pros dedicate themselves to besting the best. Because when a single individual is that much better than everyone else, he (or she) makes everyone else not only work harder and longer, but also appreciate the game more.
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Additionally, the fans of golf need a name, a face, for the sport. The casual golfer doesn’t know the name Ernie Els, or Sergio Garca, or Greg Norman. But everyone, every single (civilized) human, knows the name Tiger. Michael Jordan has become the all-time, all-things standard. ‘That guy’s like the Michael Jordan of rock-paper-scissors’ or whatever. He is the paragon of the paramount. Tiger Woods is quickly becoming something similar. I’ve heard people who have never
even touched a golf ball allude to Woods. My point is this, Tiger brought golf into the non-golfing world. Tiger brought the sport to every person who previously, and may still, wanted nothing to do with it. Without him, golf would still be considered just a hobby by every football addict or baseball junkie, who could care less about the PGA.
And without Tiger, where would the inspiration be? How many kids (myself included) have dedicated them to the hard-court for life, because of watching Michael Jordan dominate? How many kids have spent hours with a mitt on one hand and a ball in the other because of Roger Clemens’s smoke? How many kids (my best friend included in this one) have decided to spend all their free time with a golf club in their hand because of what Tiger Woods did to his competition when he was only 22? The answer is a countless number. The head-cover of my first driver was a tiger cover. Innumerable men and women, and more yet to come, have been motivated by Tiger, have been inspired to say, ‘I’m going to play professional golf some day.’ Tiger Woods has become the inspiration of thousands. Encouraging more people than ever before to take up the game.
Anyone looking for golf tips for beginners or experienced players, anyone looking for good golf fitness and diet, anyone looking for anything, is more than likely going to look for it in Tiger Woods. Golfers and non-golfers alike have acknowledged his prowess. And without him golf would not be the same. Tiger Woods (and that dark red shirt) has become a symbol of what golf really is, what it used to be, and where it’s going.
Tags: golf tips for beginners | golf tips for beginners | golf training aids | golf training aids | golf fitness | golf fitness | golf swing | golf swing