Golf's newest master outdoes the hype

By Christopher Burke

We all know the numbers. 18 under par. 12-stroke margin of victory. 21 years old. The first African-American to win the Masters. Each one a record.

Tiger Woods did "the impossible" last weekend. No, winning the Masters was not "the impossible." Many golfers have done it before, and many more will do it in the future. Even dominating the field was not inconceivable. Raymond Floyd and Jack Nicklaus brushed aside their respective opponents in previous Masters competitions. Woods, however, did something far greater than win the biggest golf tournament of the year. He met and then surpassed the world's expectations.

Sports fans seem to expect only great things from Tiger Woods. We anticipate that he will be the greatest golfer of his era, perhaps of all time. We hope that one day, he will be mentioned alongside the names of Jones, Hogan, and Palmer. We want to see his lanky frame wind into a swing and drive a golf ball further than we could ever hope to. Sports Illustrated named him their 1996 Sportsman of the Year, based not on his accomplishments for that year, but for the promise he showed, and for his unlimited athletic and marketing potential. Time deems him one of the most influential people in America. Tiger's father, Earl Woods, believes his son can do more than any person in history to enrich the lives of people around the globe. (Okay, so maybe he's still a little short of that expectation.)

When he entered the Masters, I expected the same things from Woods, yet hoped they wouldn't happen. "What?" you ask. "How could any red-blooded sports fan root against Tiger Woods?" Frankly, I was sick of the Tiger Woods mystique. I couldn't stand to hear another word about how wonderful a golfer this young man was, and how he would become something much bigger than the game itself. Tiger, without winning a single major golf tournament, signed a huge contract with Nike, was offered part-ownership of the All-Star Café, and graced the cover of GQ. I was fed up with yet another over-blown media sensation. Woods could have proven to be nothing more than a mediocre golfer when pitted against the pros. "After all," I thought, "he's just a kid."

I saw Woods play in amateur tournaments. After each successful putt, he would pump his fist in the air, or maybe strut around the green, showing more emotion on the golf course than I had ever seen. I didn't appreciate it. Tiger seemed to be making a mockery of both his opponents and of golf--the quiet, civilized sport. His arrogance turned me off. He seemed to be infiltrating an adult's game with the antics of a child.

Woods shot a four-over through his first nine holes of the Masters. Vindication, I thought. Now that Woods was matched up against the pros, he would fold under pressure. I continued watching the round, however, as Woods crawled back, lighting up the back nine to finish three-under for the day. The domination had just begun.

As the Masters progressed, I found myself spellbound by what Woods was accomplishing. He played such a clean game, never allowing the cameras, famous playing partners, or throngs of fans to affect him. He quietly went about his game, taking care to study each shot. Birdie after birdie, Woods would calmly pick up his ball and walk to the next hole.

His emotion was confined to a confident, often kid-like, smile, one conveying a sense of both pride and astonishment in his recent play. He was not only beating the golfers around him, but also beating the lethal Augusta greens into submission. He was making a mockery of the course in a way that only confident champions can. Even more amazing, it was only Tiger's third time at the Masters. Former champions such as Nick Faldo couldn't even survive after the second day of competition. Tiger, as he approached each tee shot, seemed unphased by the enormous expectations placed on him. All this from a 21-year-old.

By the end of the Masters, much to my surprise, I had officially become a Tiger Woods fan. I not only wanted him to win the tournament, but wanted him to set every record possible. His Masters victory was one of the greatest sports feats that I had ever seen. I began to look past his arrogance, past the media hype, and appreciate the best golfer on the course, maybe in the world. Tiger Woods exceeded expectations: mine, the media's, perhaps even his own.

Now when I think of Tiger Woods, the image that comes to mind is not a GQ cover, a Nike ad, an All-Star Café opening, or any other media promotion. Instead, I see a talented 21-year-old golf champion, who, despite his record-breaking performance, still maintained enough innocence to fall, sobbing, into his father's arms. What a kid....

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