Apropos sports phenoms: Tiger Woods won the British Open…again!!!

As a former competitive athlete (swimmer), I understand implicitly why so many people are hooked on playing golf. But I can also appreciate why professional golfers are chagrined to hear that the popularity of their sport is due as much to shrewd marketing (to yuppies as the course to take for corporate success) as to their skilful and entertaining play.

There can be no denying, however, that Tiger Woods transcends all corporate efforts to manage this sport. After all, his athletic bearing alone makes him something of a phenomenon amongst professional golfers and country-club shankers. His Horatio-Alger personal story makes him as American as apple pie. And, his charismatic play makes him as irresistible to watch as Michael Jordan was when he played basketball.

Indeed, I don’t mind admitting that, despite its career-boosting hype, I have never swung a golf club, let alone played a round of golf.... Yet I'm as big a fan of the game as anyone else - whenever Tiger hits the links.

Therefore, here’s to Tiger Woods for winning his third British Open (and 11th major) yesterday in such dramatic and emotional fashion: A win that is especially noteworthy given that unsentimental critics were declaiming his waning skills when he missed the cut for the first time in a major a few weeks ago - soon after his Daddy died.

I just miss my dad so much…I wish he could have been here to witness this. [Tiger Woods]

NOTE: Some sports commentators predicted that – because Tiger depended so much on his Daddy for emotional support – he would not have the mental fortitude to win another major championship: so much for that.

But these are the same critics who predicted (perhaps based more on envy than sports analysis) that Tiger’s marriage in October 2005 to Swedish model Elin Nordegren would so sap him of professional drive that he would not have the energy or ambition to win another championship. Of course, since then, Tiger has only won more titles than any other player on the PGA tour, including 3 more coveted majors….

British Open, Tiger Woods