TIGER WOODS AND THE REWARD OF RESILIENCE

Idon’t really fancy the game of golf. It looks somehow too elitist. For me, football, boxing, basketball, wrestling, athletics and rugby, among others, are more fascinating sports. But then, the personality, competitiveness and successes of American Tiger Woods endeared me to golf. For years, Woods was the face of golf. In 1997, he brought world focus to the sport when he won his first Masters by a record 12 shots. As a result of this feat, golf players became fitter, prize money increased while awareness of the game swelled considerably. Without a doubt, Woods has been to golf what the likes of Pele, Maradona, Messi and Christiano Ronaldo are to football. In contemporary time, Woods has given golf a breadth of fresh air, something refreshingly exciting.

Naturally, it wasn’t quite long before Woods began to swim in fame and wealth. Major sponsors began to queue behind themselves to have him endorse their products. Soon, the great golfer became superbly rich and famous. Meanwhile, as Woods was doing well for himself, the game of golf was equally making wave. People of all ages, across the globe, became more attracted to golf as a result of Woods’ larger than life public image.

Soon, Woods transcended the game and became an iconic sporting figure, widely celebrated by sports fans across the world. He became the number one sporting personality in the world. He was loved, admired and adored by many. By now, he has remarkably transited from the 1997 rookie that won his first major to a superstar who called the shot in global sports. For

years, he was world number one golfer, breaking records upon records. A star has not only been born, but a shining star is on the horizon soaring higher and higher.

But then, suddenly and like an overblown balloon that suddenly dissolves in the air, Woods world came crashing without giving any sign, at least to the public. It all began in 2009. Early that year, at the US PGA, the legendary golfer had failed to seal the win for the first time in his major career, losing to South Korea’s YE Yang. Unknowingly, that was just the beginning of years of many troubles for Woods.

Later in 2009, news of a great brawl between Woods and his wife, over alleged extra-marital affairs, broke out. There were reports of Woods storming out of their home in Florida, in obvious rage, and hitting his car on an object in a dramatic road crash that was to open the floodgate of more troubles for Woods. Found asleep at the wheel of his car at the side of a road in Palm Beach, Florida, pictures and dash cam video of a perplexed and bewildered Woods were flashed around the world. He pleaded guilty to reckless driving and was put on a diversion programme, but from that lowest point, Woods’ descent has just begun.

Before long, women of all shapes, heights and colours began to come into the open to expose tales of diverse sexual escapades with the golf megastar. One thing led to the other, a bitter divorce suit between him and his estranged wife followed and eventually, Woods nearly lost all his earnings from the game he loved so much. Major sponsors started revoking their sponsorship deals with Woods on moral grounds.

Woods tried hard to get his way back to becoming the great golfer he used to be, but it was never to be. In 2013, his problem became compounded as a fearful back injury that nearly truncated his golfing career resurfaced. His world ranking plunged so significantly that he dropped from formerly being World number one to being outside the top 1,000!

But then, as it is often said, it is not over until it is over. Yes, that was the astonishing account of Woods’ recent comeback that has continued to resonate across the world. A few days back, the Tiger roared back in style to global reckoning Woods clinched his fifth Masters and 15th major title to seal one of the greatest comeback stories in global sporting history. The 43-year-old braved his way through a closely filled leader board to win by one shot at Augusta for his first major title in 11 years and first Masters win since 2005.

His latest breathtaking triumph puts the former world number one just three majors behind the all-time record of Jack Nicklaus. Only fellow American Nicklaus has won more Masters, with six.

And suddenly, the world remembers Woods again. The main lesson in the Woods trajectory is that nothing is too strong to stop a determined and focus person.

Tayo Ogunbiyi, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja