The rise and fall of Tiger Woods is something the world is very familiar with, but that doesn’t make it any easier to comprehend.
Woods still to this day is one of the biggest sports celebrities, no matter how he does on the golf course. Everything he does is a national story, and unfortunately for him, the negative storylines seem to outnumber the positive ones ever since that infamous 2009 Thanksgiving.
Just this week the sports world was drawn back into the Woods comeback narrative, as the 14-time major champion proudly wrote on his website that he felt the best he had in years despite another surgery on his back. He admitted he still had a way to go in his recovery process, but it seemingly was a positive update for Woods and his fans.
But those good vibes now are a distant memory after what happened early Monday morning.
Woods was arrested for driving under the influence in Jupiter, Fla., and the charges were for DUI-unlawful blood alcohol/DUI alcohol or drugs. Yes, a man whose net worth was $740 million in December, according to Forbes, allegedly drove under the influence instead of paying for a cab. That truly is a sad state of affairs for a man who once was on track for overtaking Jack Nicklaus as the greatest major champion golf had ever seen.
Woods since has released a statement in which he claims alcohol wasn’t involved in the incident. Instead, he blames “an unexpected reaction to prescription medicine.”
But regardless of what led to the arrest, it still was a reminder that the Tiger Woods of old is nowhere to be found. Those holding out hope Woods one day will be healthy enough to return to the PGA Tour and give Nicklaus a run for the all-time lead in golf majors probably will wait forever.
It’s a tough reality for any sports fan who lived through the Woods Era to accept. He was one of the most dominant athletes of his era, all while wearing that iconic red shirt on championship Sunday. He was appointment TV. He brought family and friends together to watch a sport that lasts five hours and involves far more downtime than baseball. Yet, he still always kept us captivated.
There was the first major at the 1997 Masters. There was the 15-shot U.S. Open win at Pebble Beach. There was the “Tiger Slam,” when he held all four majors at once after the 2001 Masters. And, of course, there was the time he fought through pain on his way to an unforgettable 2008 U.S. Open win.
But then came the fall of Woods, and it came hard. There was November 2009, when he was involved in an accident in his driveway, as well as the beginning of the extramarital affairs allegations. Those events led to him going to a sex clinic and the end of his marriage to Elin Nordegren.
Those incidents, along with his DUI arrest Monday, were self-inflicted wounds. Injuries, however, are different, although they have greatly impacted the trajectory of Woods’ career since his last major. He’s now had four back surgeries since 2014, and the few times we’ve seen him on the golf course since then haven’t gone according to plan.
Seeing Woods win another tournament now, let alone a major, seems pretty farfetched due to his personal issues and countless injuries. It would be quite the story if he did, but it might be best to stop holding out hope for that.
After all, the fall of Tiger Woods seems to still be ongoing.
Thumbnail photo via Robert Deutsch/USA TODAY Sports Images
