More Than Just An Athlete: Tiger Woods (Part 1)

Over the next several days, I'll be posting portions of a longer article that I wrote on Tiger Woods. The article breaks up nicely into segments which will give the series continuity. The posts will look at the history of blacks in a stereotypically white game, and will of course discuss Woods' accomplishments on and off the golf course and how he has changed the game of golf. But in a larger sense, the article looks to tackle questions that go beyond sport and into issues of how our society looks at and handles race and the expectations we have of our heroes. I hope you'll enjoy it.

As Tiger Woods capped off a third win in as many years at the U.S. Amateur, Woods began the transition from a ‘golfing’ name to a ‘household’ name. Though he had yet to even join the PGA Tour ranks, he already had signed a thirty-seven million dollar contract with Nike. Other endorsements flew at his door constantly. The media was hailing him as a “Great Black Hope” as they expected Woods to tear down the racial walls that continued to haunt the Tour and private country clubs around the country. Tiger’s father, Earl, was his biggest supporter and believer. In the winter of 1996, Earl offered this prediction: “Tiger will do more than any other man in history to change the course of humanity…I don’t know exactly what form this will take. But he is the Chosen One. He’ll have the power to impact nations. Not people. Nations. The world is just getting a taste of his power.”[1] This endorsement may not have been worth thirty-seven-million dollars, but it helped to capture to an extraordinary degree the hopes and dreams that many had for Woods on the brink of his professional career.

Indeed, Woods’ career so far has been almost indescribably successful. He has been on top of the money leader’s list for seven of the past nine years. At only 32 he has amassed a total of 64 wins, an average of 5.2 per year, and with thirteen major championships under his belt he is seriously threatening Jack Nicklaus’ record of eighteen. Yet Tiger’s success as a golfer does not stop with broken records or overflowing trophy cases. In many ways, Woods has transcended the game of golf. As an African-American (although this description is misleading and complex as will be pointed out later) he has shattered many of golf’s racial barriers to entry. More blacks have taken up the game than ever before. A study compiled by the National Golf Federation found that in 1996 an estimated 360,000 African-Americans were playing golf. By 2007, they found that that number had eclipsed 820,000. Indeed, Tiger’s impact has been felt far and wide.

Nevertheless, there exists another line of thought that approaches doubt with regard to Woods’ career. This perspective looks beyond Tiger’s accomplishments on the course to a more complex and nuanced take on Woods and his role not simply as a golfer but as a social leader. Adherents to this point of view criticize Tiger for not being more outspoken on social issues, especially those involving race. They point out that, despite all that Woods has done for the game, he remains the only African-American on the PGA Tour.

Tiger Woods may well go down in history as the game’s greatest golfer. But what is more remarkable and illuminating is how Woods has been received, subsequently handled, and finally embraced by the golfing world. It is a complex story of racial definitions and societal transformations. This paper will address the multi-faceted interpretations of Woods as a golfer; exactly what impact has he had on a historically white sport? Is this impact on the whole more positive or negative? It will also explore Woods beyond golf by addressing the widespread confusion over his race when he entered the sport, the meaning of Woods being heralded as a “great black hope,” and how Tiger’s career is a reflection of the increasing importance of the entertainment and leisure industries.

[1] Earl Woods, as quoted in, Gary Smith, “The Chosen One,” Sports Illustrated (December 23, 1996)