Masters marks beginning of the Tiger Woods'
Era
By Ed Sherman
Chicago Tribune
(KRT)
AUGUSTA, Ga.-The moment had long been anticipated, ever since
Tiger Woods first picked up a club as a toddler and became a prodigy,
golf's equivalent of a Mozart.
Yet when it happened, the symbolism was so striking, so dramatic.
Nick Faldo, last year's Masters winner, put the green jacket around
Woods' shoulders on the 18th green Sunday at Augusta National.
The colors abounded-Woods' sharp red shirt, the country-club
green of the jacket and, most notably, the color of Woods' skin.
In the 61-year history of the Masters, no golfer of color had
won the sport's most revered tournament. But Woods, the son of
an African-American father and a Thai mother, changed all that
Sunday in stunning fashion.
At 21, Woods became the youngest Masters champion, and perhaps
now its greatest. He obliterated the field by a record 12 strokes
and set a four-round scoring record of 270, eclipsing the mark
set by Jack Nicklaus 32 years ago and matched by Raymond Floyd
in 1976.
It was a day that could go down as one of the most significant
in sports history. Athletically, this was like Babe Ruth bursting
onto the scene, or Nicklaus winning his first major championship,
the 1962 U.S. Open, or Michael Jordan's phenomenal rookie season
with the Bulls.
The Masters victory marks the beginning of the Tiger Woods
Era, one that could rewrite golf history. Nicklaus himself, winner
of six Masters titles, predicts Woods, with his immense talent,
could win 10 green jackets, the reward for victory at Augusta
National.
Yet Woods transcends sports. This was like Jesse Owens' incredible
performance at the 1936 Olympics, Joe Louis beating Max Schmeling
just before World War II, Jackie Robinson becoming the first black
player in the major leagues, Arthur Ashe winning at Wimbledon.
Robinson's breakthrough came 50 years ago this week, a telling
timeline that shows golf, and especially the Masters, might represent
the last color barrier to come down in sports.
Black golfers have won pro tournaments, but never at Augusta
National, perhaps the most famous course in the world.
For much of its existence, Augusta National has been a symbol
of segregation that regrettably defined the sport. The Masters
didn't have a black participant until Lee Elder in 1975, 28 years
after Robinson's rookie season and the year of Woods' birth.
Augusta National didn't have a black member until 1991; the
ultra-exclusive club now has only two. This is the place where
late club founder Clifford Roberts reportedly once said, "As
long as I live we'll have nothing but black caddies and white
players."
Now comes Woods, the biggest star in the entire sport, to blow
open the doors and invite the entire world into a game that had
primarily been reserved for the white and the privileged.
"Tiger Woods has an opportunity to do something for the
human race that no other golfer ever has done," said three-time
Masters winner Gary Player, a South African who knows firsthand
about segregation. "Think about the black people in Africa,
400 million of them, watching Tiger Woods win the Masters. It's
remarkable."
Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks, walked with Woods on his march through
Augusta. He couldn't help but think of Robinson and the impact
Woods will have on society.
"I saw Jackie and Jesse and Joe Louis, and the impact
Tiger has on the public is the same," Banks said. "He
generates self-esteem, a self-confidence, an attitude that penetrates
all around him. I talked with a lot of kids at this event, and
Tiger makes them feel good about themselves. He makes them think
they can do the same thing someday."
Indeed, Woods' appeal is universal. The galleries following
him at this tournament have been massive, and they included a
tapestry of colors. The third-round telecast had one of the biggest
audience's ever for CBS, and the fourth-round TV numbers should
be staggering.
The fans are drawn to him the same way they flock to Michael
Jordan. Like Jordan on the basketball court, Woods does things
on the golf course that defy description. His power almost borders
on myth-he outdrives the longest hitter by 30 or 40 yards. Woods
also has that intangible, a charisma that radiates from an often
demonstrative demeanor and a warm, inviting smile.
He also has an eminently marketable smile, worth millions to
his prime sponsor, Nike, the company that has also done a few
commercials with Jordan.
So who's bigger, Woods or Jordan? Nike CEO Phillip Knight was
ever the diplomat.
"They're not in competition," Knight said. "The
world is big enough for both of them. Tiger is very similar to
him, but also unique and different.
"But you're right-the closest comparison is Michael."
An uncommonly worldly 21-year-old, Woods is aware of his role
in society, and its potential.
"I think I understand why the big guy up in the sky has
given me some of these talents, and I think the main reason is
to help people," he said. "I'm in a very unique position
where a lot of kids look up to me just because I'm around their
age group. And I think if I can influence their lives in a positive
way, then I believe that's what the big guy in the sky had intended
for me."
For now, Woods' legacy will be attracting new players to the
game. His goal is to see minority children from the inner city
give golf a try.
The Chicago Public Schools have a new golf and tennis program
in place, attracting more than 700 students. Woods' victory could
prompt a run on clubs.
"We've been working on expanding our programs for many
months," said Paul Vallas, chief executive officer of the
Chicago Public Schools. "What the Tiger Woods phenomenon
does is reinforce the things we want to do in the system. We want
to break through the stereotype that inner-city children are only
interested in a certain number of sports."
Breaking stereotypes-and records-is what Tiger Woods is all
about.
(c) 1997, Chicago Tribune.
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