After the announcement on Wednesday of Tiger Woods season-ending surgery, I read and heard many opinions of what Tiger should or should not have done. I thought about what I would say to Tiger if I could get a letter to him, so here it is:
Dear Tiger,
First of all, I must say congratulations on winning the U.S. Open once again. It was probably your most impressive performance yet, even though you didn’t play the best golf you are capable of playing. As the world watched, we could tell you were in pain, but for the most part you did a pretty good job of hiding it. With your tee shots missing many fairways, and putting yourself in places that most of us could relate to (except for that part about distance from the tee!), your biggest asset, your mental toughness, really showed up. Oh, and you had a little help in scoring from a short game that was working just as well as ever.
You maybe even had a little luck. When you chipped in from the rough next to the green on number 17 on Saturday night, your face was an open book. It said, “Uh-oh, I’ve hit it too hard” to be followed closely by “That went in? That was lucky, because I would have been 10 feet past the hole.”
That was only part of an amazing Saturday performance. My husbands’ family had gathered together that night to celebrate a birthday and father’s day combined, and for the first time ever, we all sat around the television and watched golf, even a brother-in-law who usually only watches car races. Everyone was glued to the tube, enthralled waiting for what might happen next. Even though people enjoy watching powerful drives, the biggest cheers were for the amazing putts. If it weren’t for your virtuoso performance with the flat stick, your U.S. Open would have just been another round of golf. The 66-footer from the very back of the 13th green for eagle elicited a roar that may have registered on a Richter scale!
Hanging in there, gimpy leg and all on Sunday and again on Monday, took a lot of grit and determination, none of which you are lacking. Our understanding of how much determination you had didn’t really come to light until the announcement on the Wednesday.
That was when the world found out that you had a torn ligament in your left knee plus a double stress fracture. Now the message boards and sports magazines are filled with people giving their opinions as to whether or not you’re doing the right thing, or whether you did a wrong thing by playing in the U.S. Open. You know what? You don’t have to listen to or read any of it. You did what you wanted to do, maybe against doctor’s orders, but you gave the world the most exciting U.S. Open it has had in a long time, if not ever, and we should thank you for that.
In 2008, you’ve already had a season that for most men would read as a resume’ for a career, winning five of seven tournaments. You’ve earned over 5 million dollars in that time too. You should have enough to get by for the rest of the year. If things get a little tight, you could always star in a commercial or two, to get you by until you can play again!
You will be greatly missed at The British Open, The PGA, They Ryder Cup and any other event you were slated to play this year. I’m pretty sure the sponsors of those events have been crying in their beers since the announcement was made. However, those events will go on, and they can still be very exciting even if they are Tiger-less. Don’t be upset about it though.
Think about it this way: You have been given a great gift. You will be allowed to spend lots of time with your daughter. She just turned one year old, and the next year will be the most amazing time for you with her. The only hard part is that you will have some pain in your knee, so you can’t be a jungle gym for her, or crawl around on the floor with her. You’ll be there for reading bedtime stories, kisses goodnight, and hugs throughout the day. Watch out though; that little bundle of cuteness will have you so wrapped around her little finger you won’t believe it. She will be a bigger motivation for your recovery than your love of golf!
So I send to you best wishes for a safe surgery, and a speedy recovery. And if what the doctors say is true, and you will come back from surgery and rehabilitation better than ever, you will be well worth the wait!
Quote of the Day — “When I talk about golf, he doesn’t count. He’s not normal.”
— Rocco Mediate on Tiger Woods, following the playoff.
Jennifer Myers can be reached by e-mail at jfmyers@xsthe.net.
On & Off the Course
On and off the course: An open letter to Tiger Woods
- On & Off the Course
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Death Notice: Feb. 7, 2013
• Gary R. Wright
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Donna Lynn Strahla Bown
Donna Lynn Strahla Bown passed away early Friday morning, Jan. 25, 2013, with her children by her side.
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‘The Match’ pitting amateurs vs. pros recalled 62 years later
Quote of the Day: “I play golf with friends sometimes, but there are never friendly games.” — Ben Hogan.
Bubba Watson has had a busy fall. Not only did he play all the way to the final round of the FedEx Championships, and in the Ryder Cup, he also played in an event commemorating a very famous match played at Cypress Point in 1956, pitting two of the greatest golf pros at the time against two of the best amateurs.
Come to think of it, all four were some of the best golfers of all time. This year’s event was celebrating The First Tee’s exceeding $100 million in pledges to reach 10 million new young people. It wasn’t televised and kept very quiet; only 225 people were in the gallery.
One of the people in the gallery was Mark Frost, the author of a book titled “The Match,” which is about that match played 62 years ago that was re-enacted in modern terms last week. The pros in 1956 were Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson and the amateurs were Ken Venturi and Harvie Ward. It was supposed to have been a private affair, built around a wager by two millionaires, George Coleman and Eddie Lowery. -
ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Golf from the wrong side of the brain
Imagine this scenario: a woman, small in stature (possibly freckled), walks into a hospital emergency room and says, “I have an emergency, I need a doctor quickly!” The admitting nurse, ever trying to be helpful, asks what the emergency is.
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Farmers looking at widely varying yields
Combines will roll through fields this weekend, bringing in the harvest from a summer with nearly no rain.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Golf debut in London would have been nice
As the Olympics get underway in London this weekend, I was thinking it’s too bad that the Olympic committee decided too late to add golf as one of the sports for this event; instead it will be added to the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Getting to Hoosier country’s best golfing venue part of the fun
If you are looking for Indiana’s premier golfing destination, then you should look no further than French Lick.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Indiana's Pete Dye courses worth the drive
You’ve probably heard of the Robert Trent Jones Golf trail throughout Alabama, but you might not be aware that Indiana has its own “Pete Dye Golf Trail” comprised of seven courses.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Fathers typically a big influence on golfing sons
Some events fall naturally into place around holidays. The Fourth of July always falls somewhere during Wimbledon, giving all of the Yanks in attendance something to be boisterous about, to the chagrin of their hosts; The Masters often, but not always, ends on Easter Sunday, which is fitting since golfers find it such a reverent occasion.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Memorial just one of many visions of Jack Nicklaus
When Jack Nicklaus was a young man, the golfer he most admired was Bob Jones.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: With some tricky rules, golf is not a walk in the park
Golf is not a casual sport, even though it has a term called “casual water.”
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On and off the course: Sycamores seeded sixth heading into MVC golf tourney
It wasn’t too long ago that Indiana State University didn’t even have a women’s golf team.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: A hard ticket to come by
This is the weekend of the Masters Tournament, the first of the four major tournaments.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Some things on golf course are worse than steep putts
It’s not often that anything gets more scary on a golf course than a steep downhill putt, but on some courses around the world, things a little more on the supernatural side might give you a bigger fright!
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: The shot heard round the world
I don’t know if the Golf Channel will show a “Best Shots of 2011” highlight reel, much like ESPN does for baseball or football.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: The Red, White and Blue visits the Isle of Green
In 2006, the Ryder Cup was held in Ireland at The K Club in County Kildare.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Fall may be coming but golf season is far from over
Once the major tournaments are over with, what’s there to look forward to in the world of golf?
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Golf… simplified!
Golf is not a simple game. A golf course is made up of 18 holes, all different. There are par-3s, par-4s and par-5s; they all vary in length and elevation, and each has its own challenges. There can be water hazards, trees, sand bunkers, tall grass, hills, valleys — and then, if that’s not enough, there’s probably wind too.
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On and Off the Course: Northern Ireland builds on golf history
Northern Ireland is only about 5,452 square miles in area and has a population about the same as West Virginia, which is about 1,880,344.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Women’s Open at the Broadmoor
This is the weekend of the U.S. Women’s Open, and this year it’s being played at The Broadmoor, East Course, in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: The Fort Golf Course: A Walk in the Park…
Indiana has some pretty spectacular state parks, but one of them gives you the ability to “spoil a good walk” by chasing a little white ball.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Father’s Day is a good day for golfers
Most people consider the time around Christmas to be the gift-buying season.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Playing with lead a difficult task
As exciting as last week’s Masters was, with six players being tied for the lead at one point on Sunday, it was very difficult watching Rory McIlroy fall apart to shoot an 80.
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ON AND OFF THE COURSE: Masters a rite of spring
This is Masters weekend, the grand kickoff to the golf season for a lot of golfers. Sure, there have been tournaments on TV, because the professionals have been playing in Hawaii, California, Texas, Dubai, and other areas not so affected by winter as we are here in the Midwest, but to me, watching The Masters is a rite of spring.
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ON THE OFF THE COURSE: Some history on the Ryder Cup
I fell asleep in way too many history classes to ever qualify as a history buff. However, since I have grown up a bit (not much), I enjoy learning about all kinds of history. I often have questions about how something began, or how something came to be.
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On and Off the Course: Purdue's Kampen Course a gem in Indiana's rough
About a month ago, Indiana was still heavily mired in heat and humidity, making outdoor activities such as golf less appealing than usual. At that time it felt like the repressive heat would never go away, it would never rain again, and all of the grass was just going to continue to wither and die. And the month prior to that we kept getting rained out of golf events!
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On and Off the Course: Successful golfers know ... focus is the key
I have a good friend who coached his daughter’s basketball team for a number of years, and told me that his theme with the girls was always “focus”, until it was ingrained in their brains. Now when they play high school ball, if they hear “focus” yelled from the stands, they know the source.
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On and Off the Course: Technology adds even more fun to the course
You’ve hit a drive into some brush in an area marked as a hazard, but you can’t find the ball to prove it is there. And no one actually witnessed it go in the hazard. You just think that’s where it probably is. What is the rule for this situation?
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On and Off the Course: Anthony Gonzalez First Tee Classic a worthwhile charity event
On Monday, I worked as a volunteer for the Anthony Gonzalez First Tee Classic, Golf Tournament and Auction at Eagle Creek Golf Course in Indianapolis. It was an absolutely beautiful day, with clear blue skies, just a few wispy clouds here and there and a high temperature of about 76 degrees.
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On and Off the Course: Trends show golf in decline
You don’t have to watch the news or read the paper to understand that America is struggling on the economic front. The evidence can be witnessed at the local golf course.
- More On & Off the Course Headlines
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Death Notice: Feb. 7, 2013
Raw: Trucker Bumps I-5 Bridge Before Collapse
Suspect in Killing of Officer Found Dead in Cell
Raw: Texas Deputy Shot by Colo. Suspect Honored
Major Detours Following Wash. Bridge Collapse
Officials: Tsarnaev Friend Linked to Slaying
Raw: Jersey Shore Reopens for Summer
American Held in Grisly Czech Murders
Obama:Sexual Assault Threatens Trust in Military
Raw Video: Washington State Bridge Collapse
UK-bound Pakistan Plane Diverted, 2 Men Arrested
Raw: Memorial Day Flags Placed at Arlington
Raw: Tornado on the Ground in Oklahoma
High Wire Spectacle Thrills Crowd in Austria
Bridge Collapse Survivor: 'Rough Day'
Today in History May 24
Britain Braces for Possible Copycat Attacks
First Person: Mom Discusses Famous Tornado Photo
ShowBiz Minute: Shelton, King, Lopez
Boy Scouts Approve Plan to Accept Gay Boys
Raw: Scuffles in London After Hacking Death
Young protestor goes viral on Youtube
Toronto Mayor says he's not a crack head
Maine island offers lighthouse getaway
Should We Prepare for Quakes?
Lynn Kindergarten Class Rescues Ducklings
Congressional gold medal awarded to civil rights heroes
Charles Ramsey visits Kentucky
Unique Display Greets Guests At Revel Casino
Cape Cod Train Service Worries Residents
BASE jumper rides snowmobile off cliff to honor dead friend
SHOCKING: School Guard Throws Girl Down Stairs
Star Wars X-Wing Star Fighter Made of Legos
Actress Amanda Bynes Arrested in New York
Singer Psy Has An Imposter
President Obama Heckled at National Security Speech
Morgan Freeman falls asleep on air
More lewd photos may soon come out: Weiner
