Honor for Woods is a breakthrough for golf
By RON SIRAK AP Golf Writer
The most important facet of Tiger Woods being voted Male Athlete
of the Year in 1997 was not that he was recognized for his achievements
but that he was acknowledged as an athlete.
That has never been easy for a golfer.
And the fact that a golfer won the award for the first time
in 26 years was a giant exclamation point at the end of a year
that showed a remarkable upsurge for interest in the game.
"I'd like to dominate the game," Woods said. "I'd
like to be able to make golf one of the core sports of America
along with basketball and football."
This award was a big step toward doing that.
The member news organizations of The Associated Press have
voted for the best male athlete in the world 67 times and only
on six occasions has the honor been won by a golfer.
While Gene Sarazen, Byron Nelson (twice), Ben Hogan and Lee
Trevino preceded Woods as winners, Jack Nicklaus never won the
award, nor did Arnold Palmer or Sam Snead.
Many times the achievements of a golfer deserved the honor
but were pushed aside in favor of baseball, football or basketball
players, track and field performers or boxers.
Five times Nicklaus won two major championships in the same
year. In 1972, he won seven times, including the Masters and the
U.S. Open, and finished second in the British Open.
But that was an Olympic year and swimmer Mark Spitz won seven
gold medals.
Palmer's dash and daring brought more attention to the game
than anyone until Woods came along. He won eight times in 1960,
including the Masters and the U.S. Open, and finished second in
the British Open.
But that was an Olympic year and Rafer Johnson won the decathlon.
Snead won 11 tournaments in 1950 - the last time anyone had
a double-digit victory year on the PGA Tour - and lost out to
Jim Konstanty, a relief pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies.
Woods' year in 1997 was not as good as any of those also-ran
years by golfers. But he managed to capture the public's imagination.
He pulled more first-place votes in athlete of the year balloting
than Barry Sanders, Evander Holyfield and Michael Jordan combined.
It may very well be that the most immediate contribution Woods
brought to the game of golf was to convince American sports fans
that golfers are athletes.
He did that with his power, aggressive style, ability to be
at his best when the spotlight shone on him the brightest and
his youthful charm and good looks.
His incredible shoulder turn, quick hip turn to the ball and
powerful hand action that generates unprecedented clubhead speed
are remarkable physical skills.
In short, Woods seemed like an athlete.
It may very well be that the most lasting contribution Woods
brings to the game is to convince young people that golf is not
a game just for out-of-shape, badly dressed old men.
The potential talent explosion Woods represents is simply this:
Somewhere out there are some pre-teens watching Woods win, watching
Woods bank big checks and watching Woods hobnob with Michael Jordan,
Kevin Costner and Tyra Banks and thinking: "That's for me."
For many years and in many cases, golfers were people who toyed
with other sports before deciding to focus on golf. That could
very well change. Part of why Woods is so good is because he has
focused on the game since he was very young.
The biggest impact Woods could have on the game is to convince
talented young athletes to turn their skills toward golf and to
do it at an earlier age. What that could mean for the talent pool
in the game is immeasurable.
One obstacle, of course, lies in the dual buzzwords in the
industry right now: Access and affordability.
You can lead a kid to golf but can you make the game think?
Caddies are disappearing. And remember, that was the way into
the game for Sarazen, Nelson, Hogan and Snead.
Greens fees in the $50 and up range abound. Six-hour rounds
are becoming commonplace.
Getting Woods recognized as athlete of the year was a major
step forward for golf. To continue that progress, more athletes,
more kids from a variety of economic backgrounds need to be not
only attracted to the game but also given the opportunity to play.
Perhaps things like The First Tee program designed by the World
Golf Foundation to get young people involved in the game will
open that door.
If not, then the enormous opportunity for golf created by Tiger
Woods will have been squandered.
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