Tiger Woods: The G.O.A.T (Greatest Of All Times) Reprise

This is a message to the haters. Yes haters because the word critic is not harsh enough for you. The definition of a "hater" is : A person that simply cannot be happy for another person's success. So rather than be happy they make a point of exposing a flaw in that person.

Eldrick "Tiger" Woods is the greatest golfer of all time and some of you just can't stand it! Obviously it is not a requirement to like him. There have been times in the past where he has not been the most likeable and approachable golfer on tour. Like most greats Tiger can be polarizing in the eyes of fans. However, you cannot deny his greatness and more importantly his immense impact on the game of golf. I have great admiration and respect for Jack Nicklaus, but the truth is Tiger is the G.O.A.T.

Folks, your hate/dislike is blinding you and causing you to really miss something special, something historical. Golfing's Haley's Comet is streaking by, never to be witnessed again in your lifetime. A living, active legend, an icon is within our midst. However, you can't see the forest for the trees. You're consumed with bitterness, pettiness and may I say at times a jealousy and envy that clouds your vision like cataracts. Tiger Woods is the Michael Jordan of golf. Every golfer in the game has prospered because of him. The game of golf itself has prospered because of him. He has transcended the sport while leaving the players around him with better opportunities, endorsements, and livelihoods. He has raised the talent level and ushered in a never before seen level of athleticism and power to the game by demanding and expecting excellence to beat and compete with him.

Is he without fault? Absolutely not. No man is. He has had transgressions for which he has been punished publicly, privately, and in the media for. Admittedly much of the pain has been self-inflicted. He has paid dearly, both emotionally and monetarily with millions in lost endorsement. He has had injuries and battled back, self-exiles, swing changes, coaching changes etc. The former maladies self-inflicted, the latter are results of Tiger's personal choices in pursuit of goals he has set for himself within the game he loves. This, in his quest to be the best in arguably the most individually demanding and unforgiving sport known to man. Yet you still don't appreciate his greatness?

Tiger changed the game! The great ones always do. They made the basketball lane wider because of Wilt Chamberlain, they outlawed dunking because of Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's) dominance. Because of Tiger they tore up golf courses and made them longer to "Tiger Proof' them. Woods so decimated the venerable Augusta National in 1997 and 2001 that by the next year they added yardage to half the holes and in subsequent years they grew roughs higher, added trees, moved back tees and narrowed fairways. Sure, advances in equipment played a part but at the time nobody was utilizing the tools of the trade any better than Woods.

Tiger Woods also competes against the best golfers in the world. Not taking anything away from Jack, Arnie and Sam etc. but almost none of Woods competition is selling cars, insurance, or holding down jobs in the off-season during the majority of their careers. That practice was prevalent during golf in the 60's, 70s, and 80's. Now there is not even much of an offseason. Tiger's competition practices year round, they're endorsed, paid handsomely, and their only pursuit in life is winning and the hopes of one day becoming golf's #1 if not for only a few weeks or months at a time. Understand, Mr. Woods was ranked #1 in the world a cumulative 683 weeks, 281 weeks in a row. that's almost fourteen and a half cumulative years at #1. The next closest player, Greg Norman, has recorded no more then 331 weeks and he's now playing on the Senior Tour somewhere. Prior to rankings Jack was considered #1 in world for a cumulative of about eleven years. Modern day players can't seem to hold #1 ranking throughout year let alone multiple years at a time.

What else is it that Tiger must do? My guess is he will reach and surpass 18 Major Championships in the 1/3 of his career he has left. I know you don't want him to surpass Jack Nicklaus but I believe he will. He has already surpassed everyone, Jack included, in PGA tour wins (81) with the exception of Sam Snead (82), and Snead's record will fall also. By the way, Tiger has only played in 352 PGA starts to Snead's 553 and Nicklaus's 594. Tiger also has the record for most consecutive starts without missing a cut (142) which none of the legends come close to. Ah yes, but you hold out hope. You continue to look for the next great thing in golf to knock Woods off his throne. Westwood, Kaymer, Mickelson, Donald, McIIroy, Spieth etc. have all been championed as the next great thing. Keopka (I like this guy) is next golfer up. You're searching for Neverland.

But you continue to sit there brooding and hating. The only thing left for you to do is break down driving, fairway, greens hit percentages and various other laughable statistics to attack Tiger with. You will say he hasn't won a Major since 2008 (You must have missed that little 2019 Masters?) It's gotten to the point now that even PGA tour wins are not good enough for him (supposedly because a younger, less mature Woods himself said once that all that mattered were Majors, right?) So of course now only Major's count in order for you to legitimize his place in history because you said so, right?

Analysts and former player's such as Nick Faldo and Brandel Chamblee have made embarrassing spectacles of themselves in the past criticizing Tiger for "rule infractions" that to most were obviously unintentional. That the Master's rules committee enforced a two-stroke penalty on Woods as provided by their interpretation of the rules was just not enough. Faldo and Chamblee could barely hold their contempt and called for Woods to be disqualified or for him to DQ himself. What ensued were hours of unjustified character assassination against Woods. Through it all Tiger took the high road and never struck back. To me Woods showed more character during this fiasco then both analysts together. In fairness I will say that Faldo in particular seems to be coming around and has changed his tune on Woods. We have seen a more humble and introspective Woods over the past few years. He's more than ever relishing family, relationships with fellow competitors, and the beauty of the game itself. People can and do change for the better. Life has a way of humbling even the greatest among us.

Tiger was down with a back injury that stoked the doubter's fires once again. "He'll never be the same player", "He's finished", "He's too old." Do you want to bet against him? I don't think so.

Tiger Woods is Tiger Woods. He is not Jack Nicklaus nor does he want to be. At this point in his career he's just trying to be the best Tiger he can be. Yes, he has made human mistakes. He's publicly apologized, asked for forgiveness, and sought help. If you believe in redemption and the ability for one to redeem themselves than why shouldn't Tiger deserve a chance? Yes, that fire inside of him burns, that desire is grinding, taxing, exhausting but I don't think Woods would want it any other way.

You need to smell the roses while the garden is in bloom. Revel in this once in a lifetime experience. Many did not appreciate Michael Jordan at the height of his talents either because they were bitter rivals or opposing team's fans. However despite the greats before him he is universally recognized as basketball's G.O.A.T. When I reach my golden years I am going to have fond memories and stories of Tiger Woods, the greatest golfer that ever lived. What will you have? I don't know. You're still looking for the next great thing. That thing is already here and his name is Eldrick "Tiger" Woods (The G.O.A.T.) The Greatest Of All Times!