Tiger Woods the Man

Those who know me and read my blog might assume I’m a fan of Tiger Woods. That’s true in one sense—and completely irrelevant in another.

Like anyone who has spent a lifetime around the game, I witnessed something through Woods that none of us had ever seen before, and likely never will again. In his first ten years on tour, he won 60 events. I won’t list the rest of the staggering accomplishments—his records are there for anyone to find. Tiger the golfer was pure brilliance. That is what I was a fan of.

But Tiger Woods the man? How could I—or anyone who doesn’t know him personally—claim to be a fan?

In a culture that leans heavily toward celebrity worship, we often fail to make that distinction. We can admire, even be thrilled by extraordinary talent. But that is a long way from knowing the person behind it.

It is clear that Tiger Woods the man has struggled. If that sounds judgmental, so be it—we all have our struggles. When those struggles remain personal and harm no one else, they are just that: personal. But when they endanger others, they cross a line. They become a societal issue.

Driving while impaired sits near the top of that list.

I am, of course, referring to his past incidents involving driving under the influence. We know this has not been an isolated occurrence. And while, to this point, no one else has been harmed, that is more a matter of luck than anything else. Luck runs out.

The reasons behind substance use don’t change the reality—it is a problem. And ultimately, the only person who can confront it is Tiger Woods himself. If he cannot remove himself from behind the wheel, then the laws designed to protect the public must do it for him.

What makes this especially troubling is that we have seen, up close, one of the most disciplined athletes in the history of sport. His preparation, his focus, his mental resolve—arguably unmatched. His commitment to his craft was extraordinary, and we were right to admire it.

But when that same singular intensity shifts from something constructive—like mastering the game of golf—to something destructive, the results can be devastating. That is the nature of addiction.

The American Medical Association recognized addiction as a disease years ago. It is too easy—and too lazy—to dismiss it as a simple failure of character. Research has long suggested a correlation between exceptional ability and increased vulnerability to substance abuse. And what Woods did on a golf course came very close to genius.

But at what cost?

Everyone has the right to live their life as they choose. No one has the right to put others at risk in doing so.

We all wish Tiger well. But right now, he needs help.