A week later, not too many doubters about Tiger
Woods now
By Scott MacGregor
Chicago Tribune
CHICAGO - It seems silly now, a week after he took over the
golf world with a dominating victory at the Masters, but once
there were people who doubted Tiger Woods.
When Woods turned pro last August after just two years at Stanford,
the naysayers - including some fellow players - were quick to
pounce. They didn't so much doubt his talent as his timing.
And they didn't like his attitude when he said he'd take advantage
of sponsors' exemptions to play in enough tournaments to earn
enough money to bypass the PGA Tour's qualifying school. Didn't
he know everybody has to pay dues?
Woods was too young to win, they said.
"Who knows what's going to unfold?" Nick Faldo, the
1996 Masters champion said early this year. "In truth, he's
been on tour for about five minutes, hasn't he? Give him a full
year."
Well, Nick, it has been less than a year. What do you think?
Woods, others said, didn't have enough big-time experience.
Sure, three straight U.S. Amateur titles made for an impressive
resume, but how would he handle the pressure of a real-life PGA
event for big money?
"Tiger hasn't had any setbacks," said Mark O'Meara,
Woods' neighbor in Orlando and a close friend. "The sign
of a champion is how he bounces back."
No, the sign of this champion is the green jacket on his shoulders.
Woods was making too much endorsement money for a guy who hadn't
proved himself, some groused.
"There are a lot of guys who can't understand how a guy
who doesn't even have his (tour) card yet can get $40 million,"
Steve Stricker said, referring to Woods' Nike and Titleist deals.
"These companies are taking an awfully big risk."
How big is the risk now, considering Woods is the hottest advertising
property since Michael Jordan?
When Woods stumbled even slightly, the critics smelled blood.
He cited fatigue as a reason for backing out of an awards dinner
and the PGA Buick Challenge last September, but others called
it arrogance.
"You can't compare him to (Jack) Nicklaus and (Arnold)
Palmer anymore because they never did this," Peter Jacobsen
said.
No, they never won their first majors as professionals, either,
and never dominated the field the way Woods did at the Masters.
"Everybody's been telling him how great he is," Davis
Love III said after Woods skipped out. "I guess he's starting
to believe it."
Wouldn't you, if you had his talent?
Even some who confirmed his great talent did it in a backhanded
manner.
"Tiger's going to be a great player. But he has to earn
it," tour good guy Tom Lehman said after losing to Woods
in a playoff in this year's Mercedes Championship.
And how many stories were written the week before the Masters
about how Woods was too young and inexperienced to win on tricky
Augusta National? The headline in this newspaper: "Tiger
won't tame Augusta."
Yeah, and Dewey beat Truman, right?
In fairness, it must be pointed out that many thought Woods
would succeed quickly in the biggest way possible. No less an
authority than Nicklaus said Woods could win as many Masters as
he and Palmer combined - 10 of them, in fact.
And even before Woods turned pro, NBC golf analyst Johnny Miller
predicted he would "be the best golfer in the world someday."
Well, someday is here, and it has come faster than anyone expected.
Except Tiger Woods. After winning the Mercedes, Woods said
he wasn't surprised it was all coming so quickly.
"This is what I set out to do," he said.
Any doubters now?
(c) 1997, Chicago Tribune.
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