It's a classic demonstration of the power of the pen, though these days one might say the power of the keyboard. The media is responsible for quickly putting Tiger Woods on a pedestal. Now it's dismantling his image equally quickly.
All he wanted to do was be the best golfer of his time. That he has become. And no amount of his image destruction should take away all that he has achieved on the golf course in the last 19 years, from age 14.
Let's look at that golf record first.
In the first 3 of those 19 years referred to, he was the US Junior Champion consecutively. In the following 3 years he won the US Amateur Championship, also consecutively. Not even Jack Nicklaus, the man whose 18 Majors he's trying to emulate, had done that.
In the last 13 years, as a professional, he has won the 4 Majors a total of 14 times, averaging more than once per year, and that, too, Nicklaus has not achieved. He has won the Player of the Year more than 10 times, the Vardon Trophy more than 10 times, the Top Money List more than 10 times, and in total PGA wins at age 33, he is now 1 less than Nicklaus and 12 less than the record holder, the late Sam Snead, who won 84 times in a very long career.
Throughout his career, only two other golfers have held the No. 1 ranking beside him. At the moment his point average ranking is almost double that of the No. 2 player, Phil Mickelson, who is 3 years older. And to top all these, Forbes magazine reported that at the end of this season Tiger Woods has made US 1 billion from both prize money and endorsements, the most for any professional athelete in history. That's RM 3,500,000,000. That works out to RM 22.4 million per month, or RM 750,000 per day. As a comparison Nazir Razak, CIMB, is reputed to be paid RM 400,000 a month.
Golf-wise, at 33, Tiger Wood is only just approaching his prime. Nicklaus won his last Major when he was 46. After 50, most pro golfers in USA join the Championship Tour, where many like Hale Irwin have won more money than when in the regular PGA Tour. This is to say that there is every reason to believe that Tiger Woods can easily double his earnings in another 13 years, when he'll only be a relatively young 46. Who knows how much he'll make in the Championship Tour.
In the last 13 years Tiger has gone through 3 major swing changes, "to be better" he said. The record shows that he has become better. He had two eye surgeries and two knee operations. He has set the golfing fraternity on the fitness regimen. He made the golf gurus fashionable and rich. He has made golf equipment technology development big business. He raised the bar for everybody.
TV ratings and commercial endorsements and sponsorship have exploded the prize money and monetary benefits enjoyed by pro golfers worldwide today. Without too much exageration, it's all attributable to one man - Tiger Woods.
And now in gratitude everybody wants to destroy this guy ?
Let's look now at the stories' background.
For all the fame and fortune of Tiger Woods, his has not been the Hollywood lifestyle of wasteful extravagance and debauchery. Sure, there's the mansion and the yacht and the private jet, but no more than the next millionaire. There's been no tabloid sensation partner-changing and all-night partying, and until now, wild fornication and wife-swappings. Admittedly, this was a life-style too good to be true. Therein lies the problem, perhaps.
Since this is the USA, it's surely legitimate to ask just how many starlets, male and female, making less money and carrying less fame, have done what Tiger Woods is alleged to have done - visiting night clubs and flirting with beautiful hostesses and persumably getting laid in one-night-stands ? How many up-and-coming executive types do the evening rounds in night spots and hooking-up for casual sex ? There's no excuse for religious sin being offered here. This is simply describing what is on open offer in affluent USA right here and now, where entertainment is on sale and the business has never been better. So, how can you spit on one part of the equation, and leave the other unmolested ?
A famous pro golfer, who has been free with his advice, not so long ago was involved in a messy divorce before marrying, for a short period, the wife of his good friend, who was also relatedly involved in his own messy divorce. Don't you suspect that illicit relationship had started long before, all guilty of unfaithfulness ?
Let's look at these women who prostitute themselves.
Firstly, why "prostitute" ? The defination is "sex for money". So what's the difference between paying a common whore for sex and the "kiss & tell" of those who, having consented to free sex, now go public with their story for pay ?
It's always money, the destroyer. Those who dispense of it, and those grabbing it. The dispenser expects to get something for his dispensation. The grabber knows the layout. Without the money, there'll be no talk. After each transaction the game should be over and out. But ego and greed compete endlessly. Somewhere along the line, something always gives.
So, who are the guilty?
We have good company - those seeking public office, and those already in office, Presidents of old times and not so old times, Prime Ministers, from East and West, even men of the cloth, dabbling in both opposite and same sex, both officially prohibited. Where are they now ? Have they been made to pay, or have they been forgiven? Where are friends and acquaintences, or have they all turned away when they should have turned a blind eye ? Now is the time to show support, or at least understanding. One swallow doesn't make a summer. A drop of ink doesn't really spoil the claypot of milk (susu sebelanga lah ) unless it's a very large drop or a very small pot.
What's next for Tiger ?
He should stick to his 2010 schedule and produce the brilliant game expected of him. He's The Golfer, and should make his statement in the customary way, on the golf course. Forget about those sponsors who want to forget him. As he has said himself too many times, winning will take care of the rest. Nobody wants his marriage to end, I would imagine. He has been very brave to have quickly gone public with his remorse. If Elin is rejecting that, then the loss is hers, too. In as much as stupidity overcame Tiger in his times of weakness, the resilience of true love could surely stand the strain imposed by revelations of that stupidity. Wasn't that part of the matrimonial promise, to love and to cherish, in good times and bad ?
Everyone is entitled to some mistakes in his lifetime. That's part of being human. You don't necessarily "contra" good deeds with "bad". But I'm sure Tiger has been an adequate provider to his whole family. Elin should have a large enough heart to forgive, if not to forget. That's true love. Not the disposable type everyone is drumming up hatred for now.
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