Tiger Woods is my single interest in golf
There is short article on yahoo news about Tiger Woods on-going, 10 month injury during this season's play. I don't play golf, but ever since Tiger came on the scene a few years ago I have been casually watching golf on TV. His courage, focus, and realistic easy-going attitude is a great thing to behold. Of course, his life story is equally interesting, much of it documented in great detail by the media events following him.
Here is a guy who just had surgery to repair a torn ligament on his left knee for an injury which has been bugging him for a good 10 months, yet he outright won the last nine of his 12 tournaments. As if that wasn't enough, he then suffers a double stress fracture of his left tibia while preparing to return to the PGA Tour last month. As videos show, the guy is obviously in pain while he's playing -- but he still wins the U.S. Open!
My feeling has always been I needed to watch Woods play when I could; since, from what my untrained, uninformed mind can tell, he might just be the greatest golf player in history. (The last athlete which transfixed me was Michael Jordan during his Chicago Bull super-season years.)
When athletes rise to the very top of their field, they seem to become representative of that which is more than their sport, for they reveal something virtuous about the perfect mix of great talent, extraordinary self-discipline, and just barely fathomable performances.
There are a couple of links to good videos and a slide show on the Yahoo news story as well.
REFERENCES
[image] Lewine Mair "US Open: Tiger Woods holds nerve to claim 14th major in epic duel with Rocco Mediate" Telegraph June 17, 2008 (Accessed June 17, 2008)
Labels: Athletes, Athletics, Golf, Tiger Woods
posted by Brint Montgomery @ 11:47 AM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Too bad he's out for the rest of the season :(
I have watched him from his days at Stanford and than on to the PGA. What he accomplished this week was nothing short of amazing. He wills himself to win. The article on yahoo quotes him during a visit with his Dr. shortly before the open....its a classic line, very Terminator like "I will be back".
Sadly though, I have no real reason to watch golf as my wife will not condone it with Tiger not competing, she too would watch with much interest.
He will undoubtly go down as the best ever in golf, and in my opinion, the best athlete ever...
Google is father, and read how he spoke to the greatness that Tiger would achieve. This man new early on that his son was past special...
JCM
Eich:
He's the perfect storm of competitiveness, work ethic, focus, ability and determination. I'm not sure if a golfer could be considered the greatest athlete ever, but he surely is the greatest competitor. Remember this about Jordan, he either got bored enough with basketball, or got an under the table suspension for gambling (conspiricy theory), and QUIT PLAYING for 18 months while he pursued baseball. The difference between Tiger and Jordan is that Tiger won't think about anything else until he breaks nicholas' record for Majors Wins (Nicholas has 18 in 25 years of competition , Tiger is at 14 after 12 years). The question I find most interesting is how much his fathers conditioning him as a young child has impacted his unflinching desire to destroy anything that comes close to a rival (see: Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia). How much killer instinct does he have without his dad being a green beret? My guess is not as much, but still a lot more than you or me.
Eich: Now hurry up and get me the titles to those books you promised. I'm not getting any less bored with you on vacation.
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