Blog 3: Tiger is Legend!

Posted on June 17, 2008 by Carl Hardin

Just when you thought you had seen Tiger Woods at his best, he pulls a performance that will be talked about for ages.  Crippled with pain.  Too far behind to be a factor.  He had been written off numerous times.  There was no way he could contend.  He just would not win this tournament.  But, guess what?  Win the U.S. Open is what Tiger Woods did, on Monday, after playing 91 holes of golf in so much pain, I took a Tylenol for him.

 

Now, I’m not a big golf fan.  In fact, I spent most of my life condemning the activity as the sport of wusses.  Then, I spent Saturday morning butchering a round of golf at a charity fundraiser.  I figured it was for a good cause.  ‘Cause I was awful!  When I got home that afternoon, I was too tired to do anything but collapse on the sofa and turn on the tube.  The sight of Tiger doing his best to contend, though in obvious pain, was too compelling for me to turn away.  So I watched, and I watched, and I watched, on into the night.

 

His performance was reminiscent of Isiah Thomas’ performance in the 1988 NBA finals, in which, hobbling on a fractured ankle, Thomas scored an NBA finals record 25 points in the fourth quarter.  Unfortunately, some jive ref made a call, to send Kareem Abdul Jabbar to the free throw line to sink in the tying and winning points, ending what was about to become a made-for-Hollywood story of utter determination.  So, 20 years later, Tiger rewrites the script.

 

Tiger hit shots befitting of Superman.  A 60 foot putt for eagle that had my mother-in-law doing fist pumps.  A chop from the rough that had no business dropping in the hole, but it did.  Followed by a 40 foot put for eagle.  The television ratings were going through the roof, as everyone everywhere was in disbelief.  My wife pointedly asked me, “why are you watching golf”?  Two hours later, she was still watching with me.

 

Whenever it seemed like he had fallen too far back to catch up, he found a way to get back in it.  Twice, he had to birdie the final hole to stay in contention.  And, each time he did what he had to do.  Kudos too, to Rocco Mediate.  He took Tiger to the limit.  The two were going at it like Ali and Frazier in one of their historic prize fights.  But, after 91 holes there could be only one winner.  The legend of Tiger lives on.