Tiger Woods's Unexpected Opportunity

Americans give celebrities a wide berth.

No celebrity got a wider berth in recent years than Tiger Woods. His preternatural golfing ability trumped everything: his disdain, bordering on contempt, for spectators, his lack of humility, his arrogance, his obsession with privacy.

His infidelities, and the blatant and reckless way he went about them, were his way of telling the world that he was above norms of civilized behavior. He was untouchable. We should simply exult in the fact that he deigns to share this earth with us, the unwashed masses in swooning awe every time he picks up a club. Whenever he lost, he rarely congratulated the winner, going on about how he made unexpected mistakes that cost him the game. If only he played a little better, it would have been a no-contest.

I am sure many golfers were ticked off by Tiger’s boorish behavior on and off the course but were afraid of making waves. After all, Woods was the most prized athlete in the world. Who dares to take on an icon?

One who has spoken candidly (finally!) is Tom Watson, a golf great himself. “Tiger’s actions have been bad for our game,” he said. "His golf is really secondary at this point. From his standpoint and his family's standpoint, it's something he needs to get control of ... and make some amends and show some humility to the public when he comes back."

Watson also criticized Woods’ swearing, foul language and club-throwing. “That's not part of what we want to project as far as the professional golf tour is concerned."

"I'll let the cat out of the bag," Watson continued. "Tiger has to take ownership of what he has done. He must get his personal life in order. I think that's what he's trying to do. And when he comes back, he has to show some humility to the public.

"I would come out and I would do an interview with somebody and say, 'You know what? I screwed up. And I admit it. I am going to try to change. I am trying to change. I want my wife and family back.'"

"I feel that he has not carried the same stature that other great players that have come along like Jack (Nicklaus), Arnold (Palmer), Byron Nelson, the Hogans, in the sense that there was language and club throwing on the golf course," Watson said. "You can grant that of a young person that has not been out here for a while. But I think he needs to clean up his act and show the respect for the game that other people before him have shown."

These are bracing words, words that Woods urgently needs to heed. There are reports that Woods has left the sex rehab in Mississippi and is now with his wife and two children to work on his marriage.

Here’s hoping that Woods succeeds. The golfer must recognize that fate has presented him with a monumental teachable moment. If he can redeem himself through fidelity and humility, chances are that his game will return too. A Tiger Woods who is devoted and loyal to his family, who appreciates the adulation of his fans, and who is humble and grateful for the gift he has been blessed with, can positively influence millions of impressionable minds and change the world for the better.

The Future of Tiger Woods

"The world breaks everyone, and afterward, many are strong at the broken places." Hemingway’s observation is insightful but not always true , especially when considered in a literal sense. This is the thought that came to me after it was disclosed that Tiger Woods would have a season-ending knee surgery following his epic U.S. Open victory. He had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee last April and after the five-day, 91 holes of grueling and painful golf at the U.S. Open this month, he couldn’t continue playing without causing permanent injury to his leg. Given his fierce competitiveness and single-minded pursuit of excellence, the end of the 2008 season must have caused him as much mental anguish as his left knee caused him physical pain.

The compelling question is: Can Woods break Jack Nicklaus’s record of 18 major championships? With 14 championships under his belt already, the answer may have seemed obvious (yes!) but that was before the the fragile state of his left knee became known. Now it has become a more pertinent question and the shadow of doubt has crept in.

This is what I think will happen. Woods will adjust his game to accommodate whatever toll surgery takes on his knee and that will still be good enough to beat the rest of the world’s golfers. He will win 6 more championships to bring his total to the nice round number of 20 and then he will be forced to retire because his leg will just not be able to hold up any longer. This will only underscore his status as the best golfer to have played the game. There will always be that ‘what if’ scenario to excite the imagination whenever the name Tiger Woods comes up, but that will only serve to keep his legend alive for decades to come.