A More Interesting Tiger

For golf fans, it's all about the story. Every good drama has balance - a balance of good and evil; a balance of humor and gravity. If one was to write the story of the world's greatest golfer, perhaps the greatest ever to have played the game, that story would also need balance. Face it, Tiger Woods, before Thanksgiving of 2009, was pretty boring. His after-match interviews were bland at best. His image was that of the family man with the impeccable work-ethic who'd beat balls past sunset after tournament rounds, and who'd be at the gym before sunrise, keeping his edge finely honed for competition. The drama was on the course - it doesn't get any better than the 2008 U.S. Open, overcoming adversity and all that, and the chip-in from off the 16th green at the Masters is the stuff from which legends are made, but not good novels, not good movies. Our golf story would need the hero to be a tragic figure, one with a dark side, one with doubts and weaknesses. It's these elements that make Batman so much more interesting than Superman. Now we know Tiger's weakness, his vulnerability. For once in his public life, he's out of control. The page is turned.

Will the rest of the story be about the comeback? We await the next chapter.

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