The Masters has provided the perfect ending to the Tiger Woods saga.
Millions of people tuned in to see if Tiger could rise above his personal challenges. In fact, it was the highest-rated Masters since 1991, and one of the most watched Thursday’s ever. Tiger was in contention, which kept people watching into the weekend. And then the golf on Saturday and Sunday was some of the best we have seen in a long time.
To cap it off, Phil Mickelson won the tournament with some gutsy play. The signature shot was his 6-iron off the pine straw, through a gap in the Georgia pines and over Rae's Creek to 4 feet on the 13th hole. But the best part of this Masters was Mickelson’s emotional embrace behind the 18th green with his wife, Amy, on the golf course for the first time since being diagnosed with breast cancer.
That embrace was a reminder to the world that there are men who stand by their wives. There are good people who take bold steps for what is right and honorable. And they win on the golf course, and always in the course of life.
Golf is filled with hundreds of different people, many with positive stories. Some people are worried that golf’s image as a game of ethics will be tarnished by Tiger’s transgressions. But Tiger is just one man, and as good and popular as he is, there are other people with stories just as interesting.
Tiger was never the symbol of golf. Once upon a time he was a great hope. But golf lacked the infrastructure to take advantage of all the young people and minorities that could have joined the game. Instead, when those people arrived at golf courses ten years ago, they received the less-than-friendly welcome that most beginners receive.
Personally, I think there is a lot more that the PGA Tour can do, through its players, to promote the positive aspects of the game. The NFL and MLB use their players aggressively to meet with kids, promote charities and give back to the local communities. This effort builds interest and shows a human side to the game.
Golf can do more to build off positive stories like Phil Mickelson and his wife. But it will still be up to golf course operators to open their arms and truly welcome into their clubhouse juniors, women, minorities and others.
We need to make the golfing experience a wonderful and fun one for everyone – and not just the 50-year-old man who has a handicap. Only then, will our real saga be behind us.
Comments
I totally agree! Golf needs more contact and promotion with and to younger people - all over the world!
A voice from Austria!
Golf like life has its good guys and bad guys. The truth is that you can spend your life any way yo want, but you can spend it only once. I sincerely hope that one day, Tiger will come to realize this.
Mr. Crittenden:
we echo your sentiments! When golf is more inclusive and is exposed to more people then the game will grow and thrive.
I certainly don't condone what Tiger did in anyway. What Tiger did for Golf however is bring in fans that had absolutely no interest in the game of golf. Is it because of who he is or a differant demographic? The point is that golf needs more diversification. In Baseball, Basketball, Football kids can come from all walks of life and be great, but golf not so much. Tiger has help lots of young people crossed that barrier and the game got so much bigger. Tiger made a huge mistake and if he never makes it again the sport will embrase him and golf will grow expidentually!
Just pick any week and you will see examples of why the game of golf is much bigger than Tiger. Look at two recent players, Brian Davis and Ken Green and you will find golf is full of great stories about great people who play the game, and have integrity.
Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods,?...? will turn 4 years old this year...
Somebody please bring back Jim Dunlap!!! I miss his slant on the business.
Golf did much better, when golf drove golf,not the PGA or National Golf foundation.Once again Greed distroyed something good. Actually the answers are fairly simple for all those coarses that are going to seed, 9holes cost less to maintain than 18. Golf camps for kids and bring back starter sets for kids.I have seen more kids drop the club at the top because the club is to heavy.Kids need to learn what it means to smell the grass, growing up in my Dads shop I can say there is no better life than hanging around a golf coarse. Its ashamed to see whats happening to golf.Public golf will bring golf back,but people need to go back to make a living in the golf buissness not make a killing, like my grandfather said be successfull and the money will follow dont do it for the money, Scott DeCandia
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