Athletic performance amnesia

Almost four years ago Tiger Woods’ life looked to be in complete shambles. His wife had chased him out of his house on Thanksgiving night with a golf club. All of his marital infidelities began to come to light. He was still recovering from injuries. Woods even checked himself into a therapy program. 

Even after the initial disaster, Woods continued to suffer. He clearly wasn’t the same golfer. He came close to winning a couple of tournaments but couldn’t close. Woods went more than two years without winning a PGA event. 

Amazingly, though, Woods has brought back his pre-scandal magic and seemingly made us forget about his past transgressions. Last week at the Jack Nicklaus’ Memorial Tournament, Woods turned back the clock almost six years with his ridiculous chip-in on the 16th hole.

At that moment, it was impossible to think of the scandalous and unfaithful Woods. He made spectators ask the same question he had been making everyone ask for years: “How the hell did he do that?” As long as he has played, he has shown an ability to make a small white ball do things that no one else in the world can seemingly make it do.

More amazing than any shot that Woods has ever made is his ability to make us instantly forget about his past.

After his win on June 3rd, it almost seemed his infidelities had never happened. Woods reminded us of what he was: an athlete, a golfer.  
Like most college-age young adults who grew up watching golf, my favorite golfer is and will always be Woods.

I’m glad Woods has been blessed with the little memory-erasing device from “Men in Black.” While he made some absolutely unforgiveable mistakes, those are mistakes he made in his personal life. His mistakes don’t affect us, and I personally believe they aren’t any of my business.

This weekend, Woods will play in the U.S. Open at the Olympic Club outside
San Francisco.

While it would be slightly ironic if the first big championship he won since the scandal would come on Father’s Day on Sunday, it would be a cool storyline for a father who has made many mistakes. 

Woods is back to playing golf and playing golf well. And when Tiger Woods is playing golf well, I challenge you to try to find a more exciting athlete. No one can match the drama he can create on a golf course.

­— wfgryna@indiana.edu