Sunday, September 6, 2009

Tiger's Jaded World

Image Source: ingolfwetrust.com

A lot of people give Tiger crap for not winning every tournament he enters- but there's a good reason for it. While 5 victories in a single season usually means success for most Tour players, Tiger demands excellence and perfection and his latest tantrums give credence to it.

Sure... he says all the right things by stating he's content with those wins and multiple Top 10s (especially after coming back from a serious reconstructive knee surgery), but if you really know Tiger, the man wants to win by a landslide and pummel his competition (does the 2000 US Open at Pebble Beach ring a bell?).

Living in a time where a legend walks among mortals, Tiger has no one to blame for this outside pressure than himself. Golf's a game where no one can be perfect. Even the best players in the world will find themselves chunking wedges and shanking shots into the abyss (Sorry Weir, but that double on the easiest Par-5 18th at TPC Boston was pretty amateur status).

Image Source: thesportsunion.com

So why must Tiger slam his club and constantly drop F-bombs? Isn't this game hard enough? Well...because he's Tiger! A man that expects nothing but the best in every tournament, every shot.

If Tiger ever slowed down, we'd see a much more happy-go-lucky Eldrick and probably a lot less victories. But the man's a machine and when his systems getting overridden by unexpected outcomes, it's like the anti-virus software notifying you that your computer's under attack.

Tiger's not used to losing...ever. So every time something surprising happens, everyone freaks out and doesn't know how to handle it- including Woods.

While many fans and media members (such as ESPN's Rick Reilly) want Tiger to "grow up" and stop his outbursts, it's just not possible with a man this driven and determined. A lot of guys on Tour are happy to make the cut and get their check- Woods isn't one of these.

So before fans and the media give him a hard time, let us realize Tiger's mission. He's out for perfection- even when most know that this isn't possible.

Image Source: scoresreport.com