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Yes it is a sad story and it was newsworthy when Tiger's playing status was questionable at the Players due to his trip. But other players also have family issues.

This is blown way out of proportion by the media, and no matter what happens they can still keep repeating it every 10 minutes

(A) Tiger is in contention - "Well he must be highly motivated to win one more for his dad"

or

(B) Tiger is not in contention - every time he hits a bad shot "Well, the news of his father's condition must be weighing heavily on his mind and distracting him"

Yes he is a major public sports figure but out of respect for the family wouldn't it be better not to keep dragging it up?

I want to see a golf tournament, not a soap opera.


OK that will be my last word on this subject, let the games begin ...

Whether we like it or not Golfers are human & have human emotions, so that anything that happens in their social & private lives will effect how thay play. its as simple as that. The media wouldn't really be interested in a players personal life if it didn't have an effect on how they play.

I'm sure we all wish Tigers dad well & Darrens wife a speedy recovery. There will be other players out there with private issues that seem to come into the public domain, because sports press does take a serious interest in why a persons game is suffering.

Admitedly some parts of the media do take an unhealthy interest in such things.

Its a fact of life that if you are in the spotlight then there is no such thing as a private life, all your personal laundry is out to dry for all to see so to speak. Its not pretty, but it does show they are all human. I just wish some members of the press would handle things with a little bit more tact & decorum. Sometimes they do. But often they don't

And I agree that just as certain players would rather not have their private lives & the rest of their family debated over in the public domain, a lot of the public only want to know so much & no more. Once play commences then after the preliminaries at the start of a Torney I think commentators should stick to commenting on what is happening on the course, rather than debating other items. I'm sure the Players don't want to come down to breakfats on Day two to see something disturbing or hurtful dug up on the back page of the early edition.

I agree, I wish they'd stop bringing it up as if it's the reason for Tiger's play, good or bad. I'm sure his father's condition has some bearing (and I'm really hoping and praying he pulls through) but Tiger's one of the strongest people you'll meet, in a mental sense. I'm sure in the 4 or 5 hours a day he's on the course at Augusta, he'll be focussing on one thing: the ball, and how he's gonna get it from the tee to the hole.

I'm a longtime member at another forum, and it amazes me that so many people enjoy arguing about Tiger. You either love the guy or hate him, it seems, especially on these message board thingies. Is that also the case on this site? I'm new here, still trying to get a feel for the place...

I'll await the answer before replying to any topics here pertaining to him.

Pretty much, but even more so with Michelle Wie. Topics involving her bring out the worst in some people.

People's feelings on Tiger here run the gamut. We have everything from "fan"atics to people who don't much care for him, usually citing certain on-course actions of his as the reason. You'll find many more who admire him than at the other end of the spectrum. You won't find the Tiger-bashing you'll find on other boards, or bashing of any other player FTM, here. It's a violation of the board rules. You may find discussions about Crane's slow play, Sabb's unsportsmanlike reaction to it, Tiger's language & club slamming, even general feelings about various players. We try to make sure it stays on point and quickly shut off the discussion when it hits the "he's great/he's a bum" back & forth dead-end.

Thanks for the heads-up. :)

Pretty much the same everywhere, I guess. When I read a thread that involves anything about Tiger that has more than two pages, I know that the swords have been drawn. LOL...

As far as the current issue of his father's ailing health, it's not something that will go away anytime soon, even after his father is no longer with us. Afterall, we are talking about the biggest name in golf, and arguably in all of sports, encountering what most would possibly consider his first big crisis in his career. Although the current situation is not nearly as comparable to Ben Hogan and the horrific accident that almost took his life approximately 50 years or so ago, this situation could likewise be a significant event that has a lasting impact on the rest of his career, his legacy.

I'm just speaking on my own personal observations, but I have never heard any other professional athlete so eager to refer to his father in regards to giving credit for his accomplishments in life. You can sense that their relationship isn't just bound by the traditional love of father and son, but also a deep respect that is commonly shared by the likes of two best friends. It can't help but have some type of impact. Whether it inspires him or takes away his emotional drive in the end, we can only speculate.

Most of the other Tiger news is trivial imo... This happens to be something news worthy. I would hope that they (the media) would give him enough space and privacy to deal with this in his own way, of which would be akin to asking my driver to hit a ball 350 yards... I don't expect it. But it could be argued that once one makes the decision to enter into the life of fame and celebrityism, he accepts the fact that a good deal of his private life is looking to be exploited. I don't agree with the merits of that, obviously, but I think most people who are realists in nature would agree. And given the fact that the smallest, insignificant blog concerning Tiger makes the headlines, I don't expect this story to remain quiet.

he had a dream, didnt force it on his kid and created Tiger Woods. Millions have tried to do the same, make their kid a star , and have watched it disappear or even worse , watch their kid turn into a 'thing'.
Earl made it happen and some. Whether you like Tiger or not , he is amazing. And Earl Woods deserves alot of the credit.
Btw, hearing about Earl Woods is better then listening to the play by play of Amy Mickelson's pregancy ... or all the dangers that come with it LOL

I'm certainly no fan of Tigers, but over the last 18 months or more I've begun to see what all the fuss is about from people who are fanatical. I would still maintain there are other golfers out there. But Tiger certainly is consistently the worlds best. He has come a long way in such a very short time & maintained that quality of play.

I mean everyone has their off days, & Tiger is no exception. I must say I really have a lot of respect for the guy.

The thing is everyone loves to knock the guy at the top. They did it with Michael Schumacher in F1 they do it with UK footballers. Though often with our footballers(soccer players) there is usually cause for knocking them. But the point is there. A lot of it stems from jelousy often as not.

btw, I wish I'd taken up Golf all those years ago when my Grandfather first showed me how to hold a club & putter. Ok there were not the opertunities for youngsters to play back then 35 years ago like there are now. But the wish is still there.

Yep. It's kina interesting, but I think that the careers of Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods have interesting parallels. Albeit one is a team sport... However, there were some great basketball players in the NBA who never won a world championship because of his dominating presence in the league for a good number of years. And given the fact that Jordan lost his father during the middle of his career, and the liklihood that Tiger will also experience this in the near future, makes them unique in that perspective as well, however unfortunate it is.

Woods has had a similar affect on the PGA tour, especially when you consider that most maintain that a player blossoms once he enters into his 30's. A lot of players that were playing reasonably good golf in their 30's when Tiger came on the scene were in a sense cheated by fate. LOL...

A good rivalry makes good entertainment. The only guy who has basically stepped up to the challenge (imo) is Vijay, but I think he peaked back when he went on his own tear back in 2003 (I think) when he won like 10 tournaments that season. We keep waiting for that one guy who will make Tiger blink first, but he just hasn't showed up.