Why we need Tiger Woods

WHY WE NEED TIGER WOODS – While it may have been expected, you could hear a collective sigh of relief from most golf fans when Tiger Woods announced he was officially playing in this year’s Masters Tournament.  

It may seem crazy to the younger generation that fans get so worked up for a player that has +14000 odds (DraftKings) to win his sixth green jacket.  No matter what the odds, a generation of fans are hoping for one last miracle victory just like we had in 2019. Woods name is synonymous with the greatest golf tournament that’s ever existed, and we will cherish every moment we can get. 

How it Started

Woods earned his first invitation to the Masters Tournament in 1995 by winning the U.S. Amateur at TPC Sawgrass the previous year. In what feels like a lifetime ago, Woods made his first PGA cut after seven failed attempts and set the stage for the most remarkable career in golf history. His performance while only 19-years-old set the table for what the sport has become today. 

Tiger took the world by storm with his dominating 12-stroke victory in the 1997 Masters Tournament, still the largest in its history. His utter domination of runner-up Tom Kite and the rest of the field was nothing short of remarkable. This ushered in legions of new young fans and led to an explosion in golf viewing and participation. 

This was the victory that propelled Woods to the top echelon of sports stardom with a record setting 44 million viewers in the United States. In the era of Michael Jordan, Woods displayed that same killer extinct and competitive fire.

He transcended the game of golf into the mainstream of American sports. Once the football season ended, he gave us college kids an excuse to “hangout” another few days to watch golf of all things…  GOLF!!  

How it’s Going

After becoming the youngest Masters Tournament champion in history, Woods became the face of golf and never looked back. His accomplishments in this tournament are legendary from completing the ‘Tiger Slam’ in 2001 to the ‘logo’ chip shot at hole 16 in 2005.

He was “must-watch-TV” and you rooted for him like he was the hometown football team. Woods’ reign on top of the PGA Tour earned him five green jackets, where he saved the best for last. His most recent victory in 2019 was as improbable as you could imagine. This comeback win five years ago gives a faint hope that he can do it again, despite the insane number of injuries and personal drama. But that’s not the point.

We as fans don’t expect Tiger to win the tournament. It would be nice if he could extend his consecutive Masters cut streak to 24, and honestly that may be the most realistic expectation.

What we want is the chance to experience a tiny slice of greatness. To sit around with friends after a morning round of golf and see him in the Sun Day Red attire one more time. Or, just to watch him interact with his friends on tour and the fans. It’s also nice to have a storyline that doesn’t involve the feud between the PGA and LIV tours.

And for fun… put $5 on Tiger, Tiger Woods y’all!