Tiger Woods story
Posted in Golf News on May 31st, 2006Listening to Tiger Woods seamlessly blur the line between golf and life for kids-in-awe, some words of his late father were more in perspective.
Almost 10 years ago, Earl Woods told Sports Illustrated that his son “will do more than any other man in history to change the course of humanity.” Tiger was barely in his 20s at the time and that sounded ludicrous.
Even before that, Woods had been quoted as saying that his son could have more impact on the world than Gandhi. In a 2001 interview with Golf Digest, he explained that he was trying to say that Tiger was “as charismatic and would have an impact upon the world, in a humanitarian aspect, very similar to that of Gandhi.”
Tiger, he said, “will be interested in kids like that.”
The fact that Woods is the best at an international game provides a natural platform for him and he relishes his role as an influence on kids. That was evident Tuesday as about 50 youngsters sat on a grassy bank at The Alotian Club as Woods put on a clinic in conjunction with the Jackson T. Stephens Charitable Golf Tournament.
Many of the youngsters and the others behind them in bleachers never saw Woods until he came around a corner without fanfare. Suddenly, it was very quiet, a reverence almost.
Without a big to-do, he dumped two faulty clip-on mikes before making the point that he wanted the clinic to be interactive and inviting kids in the stands to join those on the grass. When some did, he said, “Now, we’re talking.”
Any and all questions are welcome, “just not on my backswing,” he said with his great grin. A bit under the weather, you would never know it except for an occasional excuse-me cough.
He reviewed his warmup routine - sand wedge, 8 iron, 5 wood, driver, 8 iron, sand wedge and whatever he planned to hit on the first tee - and admitted he swiped it from Jack Nicklaus.
Woods launched shots high and low, right to left, left to right, then encouraged the kids to be honest with themselves and said he had hit two bad shots during the session. “If you hit a crappy shot, you hit a crappy shot,” he said. “If I lie to myself, I can’t improve.”
As he goes through the routine, he notes the tendencies of the day and plans his round with those tendencies in mind. That, he said, “is not negative thinking, but being prepared.”
Ready for anything, he answered questions about playing with former President Clinton, and perfecting his flop shot in his parents’ living room.
Clinton was in Anaheim, Calif., in February for the dedication of Woods’ $25 million learning center and said at the time, “I’m impressed Tiger Woods decided to do this when he was 30 instead of when he was 60.”
Woods on Tuesday called Clinton a “cool person to play with,” and “very intelligent,” with a knack for “interesting math.” The last description was based on a par-4 hole where Clinton hit his tee shot in the bushes, re-teed, knocked an approach shot 6-7 feet from the hole and picked up the putt. In the cart, Woods peeked at the scorecard which said “Woods 4, Clinton 3.”
The flop shot - the one he negotiated from behind the seventh green on the final day of The Masters was phenomenal - is a full swing with a cut-across that sends the ball almost straight up for a very short distance. The slightest mistake and the shot comes off low and fast.
Woods said he worked on the shot, flopping the ball over a coffee table and short of the fireplace. When his mother was gone, he would add to the challenge by placing some of her crystal on the table. She caught him one day, and, “She never SAW it there again,” he said.
More than once, Woods mentioned his father, who died May 3 of cancer. He said his dad was adamant about care and share, about touching someone’s life every day. Some days, he said, he does better in that area than on other days. Tuesday was a good day.
On the return bus, kids from The First Tee chapter in Little Rock were knocked out that a superstar would take the time for individual introductions and handshakes.
Episcopal Collegiate School graduate Jayson Joyner was among those who shook Woods’ hand. He didn’t ask a question. “That was enough,” he said.