We haven’t talked about Tiger Woods as a golfer in some time. For years, he was more of a punchline and cautionary tale about a guy who was able to successfully hide his messy personal life until it all came spilling out in spectacular fashion. Tiger cheated on his first wife Elin Nordegren constantly, and we learned that in 2009 when dozens of women came out to sell their stories. Tiger and Elin eventually divorced and Tiger has had a few girlfriends since then, including Lindsey Vonn. Gossip-wise, Tiger has been pretty quiet for years. He was dealing with some big injuries – mainly to his back – and several years ago, he was seriously considering retirement. He had multiple surgeries and last year, his comeback really began. He started to play well again and he came close to picking up some trophies. And then on Sunday, Tiger won the Masters in Augusta.
The ground shook, and the pine trees swayed and the playground that is Augusta National was his again. Tiger Woods, walking up the 18th fairway, an improbable victory in his sights, barely betraying a hint of emotion, was about to be a major champion. For the 15th time.
Fourteen years after his last Masters victory, 11 years after capturing what many believed to be his final major championship triumph, Woods is on top of the golf world, capping an unforeseen comeback at one of the most revered places in the game. A nervy, gutsy 2-under-par 70 that included three birdies over his final six holes was enough to haul down 54-hole leader Francesco Molinari and hold off Dustin Johnson, Xander Schauffele and Brooks Koepka by 1 stroke.
For the first time in his career, Woods overcame a third-round deficit to win a major, and he set the record for longest time between Masters wins, previously held by Gary Player. The 43-year-old Woods, who shot 13 under for the tournament, last captured a major title in 2008 at the U.S. Open. He hadn’t won a Masters since 2005.
Woods now has won 15 major championships, second only to Jack Nicklaus’ 18. When Woods reached 14, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that he would cruise past the Golden Bear. But personal problems and four back surgeries derailed his momentum. Now, Woods has his fifth green jacket, again second to Nicklaus’ six. Woods became the second-oldest to win the Masters, again behind Nicklaus who was 46 when he won in 1986.
There was a lot of talk on social media about Tiger’s win and what it means and whether people have “forgiven him.” On one side, people love a comeback story and this was one of the most spectacular comeback stories in sports this year, without a doubt. For Tiger to come back from significant injury and the brink of retirement to be able to win a Masters, it IS a great story. But of course there are people who are like “well, he still pretty trashy in his personal life.” And he is. But you can hold those two beliefs together. I was genuinely moved by seeing Tiger hugging his kids and his mom and it was great to see all of the other golfers so happy to see him win again.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
Don’t like him anymore. Can’t root for him.
I’m not really a fan of his either but it’s great to see Tiger win at a golf course that up until the early 80s said caddies could ONLY be black. I’m sure the founder is rolling at his grave at Tiger winning, knowing he said that “golfers are white and caddies are black”.
Woah I didn’t know that.
Yep. And they still won’t admit women to the club.
@Lindy. That is no longer true and hasn’t been true for the last 7 years. In fact, Condi Rice was one of the two women named as first female members in 2012.
PS —I’ve played Augusta as a guest and while I had several chances to do so, I refused the invite until they did admit women as members.
http://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/8284599/augusta-national-admits-condoleezza-rice-darla-moore-first-two-female-members
and he’s a “friend” of 45…as in, they often golf together.
STILL.
so, f*ck him. nice comeback, but I ain’t cheering him on.
@whatWHAT?, Tiger Woods is not a friend of Donald Trump’s. For a lot of people, the President invites you to play golf with him, you go (like Jack Nicklaus and Samuel L. Jackson, who also is not a fan of Trump’s and tells a funny ass story about Trump cheating). Trump considers himself to be the greatest golfer of all time. That’s the only reason why he’s now fawning all over Tiger. He wants to claim the fame. Now he can tell people what he did (that medal of freedom crap) and how he did this greatest thing ever for Tiger Woods. Oh and also because he’s black and Trump can use that, too. It would be beyond awesome if Tiger refused to accept the medal.
Why should we have to forgive Tiger Woods? Were any of us married to the man? It seems to me that the only person from whom he needed forgiveness was his wife Elin, and she gave it. They are now amiable co-parents and both seem happy to see the other happy in life.
Interestingly, I don’t find many ‘ew’ comments on Ben Affleck articles here nor the need for all of us to forgive him either.
I cannot separate the two – still ew.
And he’s a Trump supporter.
^^the true sin in my book. sorry. it is how it is.
Well they both like the same type of women, so …..
The crowds watching these golf tournaments look just like trump rally crowds, don’t they?
Do we know that he is just because they played golf?
Oh wow didn’t know he was a Trump supporter..
Maybe they’re golfing buddies?
Trump congratulated him on his victory. As did Barack Obama, Serena Willliams and Kobe Bryant.
Woods has always been notoriously private to the point of irritating journalists so I’ve never seen nor heard a political statement from him. I googled and can’t find any Trump references for or against.
Dude is messy enough without being labeled a Trumper.
I read years ago that he never discusses politics…so no one really knows. He did, however, give a speech at a Pres. Obama inauguration celebration.
he plays golf with 45. STILL.
even if he didn’t vote for him, he likes him enough to CONTINUE to spend time with him. and the act of golfing itself doesn’t take that much time, it’s the travel time from hole to hole to ball to ball…so, they have LOTS of time to socialize.
whether or not he voted for him doesn’t matter to me. he’s FRIENDLY with 45, he enjoys his company, so F*CK HIM.
I play golf with Trump supporting clients and it doesn’t mean I support their political or religious views. You don’t have to be friends to golf with someone.
no, you don’t have to be friends with someone to play golf with them, IF they are a client, potential client, etc. I get it.
“trump-supporting” is not the same as “trump” and golfing with clients who may support trump is NOT the same as voluntarily golfing with 45 himself.
and Woods continues to do so. so, on some level, he must enjoy 45’s company.
canceled.
Me neither. the crowd would erupt for him, nothing like for the other golfers, and I had to ask my husband why people were so obsessed with him and he used the comeback kid reference. I dont get it. But it did make me emotional seeing him love on his kids at the end.
+1
I think after ten years of a career in the toilet (relatively speaking) and the subsequent public humiliation that entails, a lot of people probably feel he’s been punished “enough.” I tend to fall in that camp.
Though if he is a Trump supporter… ick. No.
Given that his “punishment” (injuries notwithstanding) was spending a decade living it up as a multi, multi-millionaire playing every middle-aged man’s favourite hobby, in an arena in which he was pretty much instantly forgiven by the dedicated fans, whilst dating attractive, accomplished women and being pampered at five-star resorts, I’m pretty sure there’s not an outed philandering husband in the land who wouldn’t have swapped with him!
Which is not to say that winning a major after so many years isn’t a creditable achievement, obviously…
He lived it up because he earned those millions. Because of his cheating he lost his wife, millions of dollars and his status as the golden child of his sport. So he didn’t get off scot free. No need to knock his career as simply a sport that rich guys play as a hobby. He’s been swinging that club since he was three years old and endured incalculable racial bullying because of it. His personal life might be quite sleazy but I see no need to tear down his other achievements.
There’s also been no indication of any major conflict between him and Elin since their divorce. They seem to co-parent well and have described each other as friends. He’s made amends with his ex wife, so I don’t see what he owes to the rest of us.
Exactly. To me, the only persons who needed to forgive him, were members of his family. I loved him as an outstanding athlete, and I grieved when his injuries almost forced him out out of the sport. So obviously I’m thrilled to see him healthy and contending, and winning again.
I’ll admit it, this one got me. I know he’s no hero, but it was nice to see someone that had mostly been written-off by the public (myself included) rally for a surprise victory. Kind of makes you remember that it IS possible for anyone to succeed one more time.
+1
And to celebrate he went and cheated on his girlfriend…
Many athletes are pretty trashy in their personal lives. Whether it’s public or becomes public in their autobiography decades later. I mean the only people he needs to apologize to are his ex and their kids. As for sponsorships, he might pick up a few if he keeps winning but the bloom is off the rose. His decade of being an average player is more against him than his affairs.
Many PEOPLE who have access to unlimited indulgence of their senses tend to be pretty trashy because they can – athletes, politicians, actors, ROYALS. People with the capacity to suddenly indulge their various urges without censorship or repercussion usually do it.
Extremely moving when he hugged his kids and his mom. I think people are capable of redemption but that’s my opinion
+1
Yep. He’s a phenomenal athlete. He’s also a messy person. Short of murder (cough OJ cough) one doesn’t cancel the other.
+2
I agree. And I think that ALOT of professional athletes have messed up personal lives for a lot of different reasons. The constant adulation thrown at them from the time they are kids, along with the extreme amounts of pressure on them (usually from their parents, who are supposed to be the ones supporting and nurturing them) leads to stunted development. I think the same thing happens to child stars and many many other people who don’t live in the real world.
Tiger didn’t blame anyone for his hideous behavior as far as I can recall. He went to rehab, quietly divorced his wife, and now co-parents their kids in what appears to be a very healthy way. That’s better than many who find themselves in his position.
I don’t know how to feel but he did play really impressively. Molinari absolutely fell apart and there were a lot of shots hit into the water but Tiger certainly played well.
All that aside.. I really don’t know how to feel about Tiger. He’s not (wasn’t?) a good person and i love a good redemption arc but has he had one??
I don’t know if Tiger was ever a Trump supporter. He played golf with him but he also played golf with Obama. Samual Jackson also played golf with Trump. As for his ex wife, they have long made up and both have stated that the other is one of their best friends. She got adprable two kids, $100 million dollars and the chance to never have to attend a golf tournament. I think he has been humiliated enough and I think he has been humbled. I was overjoyed to see him win. He is still the most popular figure in golf and the only one who can have a tangible effect on the ratings
I 100% agree with what you said, he’s made with peace with his ex wife, the kids obviously love their dad. He has worked REALLY hard for this and deserves it along with all the glory.
It’s nice to see him win and really, he apologized to his ex-wife and he’s good with his kids so I’m not gonna hate on him for this. Good for him.
I used to really like Tiger. Even when he cheated on his wife, I still couldn’t help but root for him. But then I found out he golfed with Trump, which is a whole lot harder to forgive.
but Samuel Jackson played with Trump too but that doesn’t count i guess.
SLJ played golf with Trump BEFORE the Muslim ban, trans-troops ban, the admission of sexual assaults, the endorsement of racial-motivated police brutality, concentration camps and family seperatations (as punishment for a crime less serious than Tiger’s DUI), and has since condemned his repulsive politics. Woods was promoting a Trump golf course a couple of months ago, and therein lies the difference.
from all accounts, Jackson golfed with 45 ONCE. and what does Jackson say about him now?…
and woods STILL golfs with 45. STILL. they are buds.
you can’t compare the two.
That was before he was president, so no, that doesn’t count.
Trump and Woods are not friends. @Whatwhat, I respect your right to dislike Tiger Woods for whatever reasons you may have. But unless you can produce something where one or the other has said that they are best pals, could you please qualify that as just your opinion? Thanks.
I will follow my own advise and post an article from the February 3, 2019 USA Today online Edition (which leads me to state that they are not personal friends) titled “President Donald Trump Plays Golf with Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus in Florida.” If you read the article you’ll find Tiger’s answer to why he played golf with Trump (and by all accounts, it was just that one time).
In the article, Tiger says that regardless of his personal political beliefs (which he won’t voice one way or the other) he believes that the Office of the President should be respected, regardless of who holds the Office. So when the President calls you to come play golf, you go. Here is the article link:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/golf/2019/02/02/president-donald-trump-playing-golf-with-tiger-woods-jack-nicklaus/38994279/
Good for him
Not sure why anyone other than his ex-wife, kids, mom and other close family members would need to forgive him (which they seem to have done). He was a crap husband…that has nothing to do with golf. I don’t like the sport, but I teared up seeing him hug his kids. It’s a great comeback story regardless of how you feel about the man.
exactly i wonder who made people judge on who to forgive or not to forgive he didnt hurt anybody asides his wife and children
Just like you can cape for him, we can decide we don’t want to support a serial cheater and Trump supporter. Thank you, next!
Like others have said here, he had no one to apologize to but his family. And he did. He and his ex are close friends. From all accounts, he’s a good father. Yes, he’s played golf with Trump, but he’s also played with Obama—in fact, just this January they teed off together. So I’m not going to hold it against him that he got a congrats from Trump. I’m happy for Tiger. I’m happy for the sport of golf. I hope he goes on to win again and again.
Not sure if I’m buying this new warm and fuzzy Tiger, but golf fans know that this was an epic win for him considering where he was physically just a couple of years ago. His game was gone and he was pretty much a laughing stock in the golf world. Now he is back on top and he did it by out-performing all of the best players in the world. An epic win for sure
I was happy for him……who doesn’t love a great comeback story? While he was a $hitty husband, that was 10 years ago. None of us are who we were 10 years ago, and he’s paid his penance (which by the way……was owed his wife and family, not us). By all accounts he is a good dad. He fought back hard against a difficult time personally and health wise. Good for him!
Meh. Good for him still doesn’t change the fact he sucks as a human being.
Yeah no. The amount of shit Tom Brady gets around here for not throwing the MAGA cap that Trump gave him immediately into the toilet should also be applied to this guy. Keep in mind that Brady isn’t golfing with Trump on the regular and isn’t a serial cheater like TW.
So yeah, no love for Tiger Woods from me.
it wasn’t just that he didn’t throw the MAGA hat out.
he called 45 “a good friend” (several times) BARF and he said it would be “great” if 45 won. DOUBLE BARF. Brady also said that he “always enjoys his” (45’s) “company”. we know what 45 is like in public, can you imagine how much WORSE and MORE gross he is when he’s not on mic? and Brady “always enjoys” his company? ew.
I know you’re a NE fan so I imagine it must be hard for you more liberal folks in Mass to reconcile this doofus with your love of the team, but…yeah, it was more than just the hat.
I want to know how the green jacket works. Do they have everyone’s size on hand just in case? The jackets always fit well when they’re put on the winner, never looks like it needs to be altered. Is there a seamstress in the club house furiously doing alterations as it becomes clearer who the winner is?
These are the type of questions that keep me awake at night.
My guess is that when you enter the tournament, you give them your jacket size so they can ensure one is available. Or maybe they have a general one in each size that the winner puts on for the traditional photo op, and they get the real one made later?
Years ago…when Tiger was at the cusp of his super stardom…he was asked if he would protest and not play at golf clubs that were STILL segregated…Tiger basically said that don’t have nothing to do with him…
So…there you go…
It’s not up to non-whites to curb their access to appear “woke”.
But, at the time he was the biggest and most prolific athlete in the world. He had a lot of power on that front and made the decision not to wield it.
But it really would be up to them to actually be woke. Tiger was a billion dollar athlete; his word carried a lot of weight and he didn’t do a single thing to help others who looked like him also gain access. Eff him.
He’s always been aggressively apolitical and he certainly used to be an ass. But he made an amazing achievement this weekend, and obviously his kids adore him. And it looks like he’s living the one day at a time life.
Absolute highlight of the year for me so far was his tee shot on the sixteenth hole on Sunday, with the also formerly disgraced MICHAEL PHELPS right behind Tiger in the crowd, trying to shout that ball in for a hole in one. Didn’t happen, but he got a birdie and that’s where he won the tournament.
I was thinking about his comeback today, and it’s almost a sense of nostalgia for the days when serial cheating was the worst in our public opinion. Like…. at least the women were all consenting, hmm? Doesn’t make it right for his family, but he’s no Bill Cosby, Harvey Weinstein, et al.
I am happy for his comeback. I might not like him as a human being but he apologized to the people he hurt and hopefully there’s been some healing.
I agree with this. Simpler time, simpler scandals.
I wouldn’t want to be married to him but he’s a great golfer.
His *wife* didn’t consent.
I love a good comeback story. He’s not my favorite, but congratulations anyway.
I’m glad he’s making his comeback. I wish he’d leave his hat on though or at least get some hair plugs.
this is superficial but – he is the oldest looking 43 year old i’ve ever seen. damn.
My first thought as well. He’s gotten the face he deserved.
He really hasn’t aged well.
I just realized who he reminds me of in that top pic…. Yoda!
I don’t like him outside golf I still root for him to win. Same with Manny Pacquiao. It is hard for me to hate them.
Sigh. Manny is a horrifically homophobic.
I may be in the minority but I’m fine with a messy personal life as long as it doesn’t physically harm others or bleed into their professional life.
Cheating on someone in your personal life is messed up but in Tiger’s case, he emotionally hurt his ex-wife but I don’t see it as enough reason to not root for him on a professional level. Besides, I hate it when we hate on someone for stuff they did 5+ years ago, especially when there are no new reports in him engaging in the same behavior. It’s not my place to say if he is changed person but I know I’d be upset if people were hating on me for stuff I said and did years ago. He’s been in a drought for 11 years so karma has clearly spoken, hate him if you want but let him have this win.