Tiger Woods has made the turn in his career.
Woods talked of kids, friends and love of the game during his media stop at Congressional Country Club on Wednesday to promote his upcoming AT&T National tournament. It was more of a casual conversation with an absent friend who normally says very little.
Maybe knee surgery has enlightened Woods. Gave him more than six months away from the game to see life is more family than fairways. Let him know his powerful drives are no longer a given to clear three football fields onto awaiting greens.
The world’s greatest golfer still wants to win. The fire inside could melt the polar ice caps, but Woods is also becoming the well-rounded person so many wanted a decade ago when he entered the PGA Tour.
Woods expects to soon select a District site for the learning center funded by the tournament. He’s expanding activities with military veterans groups. Woods is lobbying for golf to be an Olympic sport in 2016.
Everyone wants Woods to lend his celebrity to causes. As a young man in his twenties, Woods wasn’t ready. And while he’s not leading a march on Washington, you see someone who has more to say, especially about children’s groups and education.
The man who some scorned as a robot for guarding his privacy is emerging. He told stories — always about famous friends — like how he was “suckered” by Michael Jordan’s opening 88 into a rematch wager where the basketball icon shot a 73. That thanks to his Swedish wife and Thai mother he knows how to say “Take out the trash” in two languages. Or how Woods thinks Charles Barkley’s golf swing is “like a speech impediment.”
Woods, 33, wouldn’t have made that joke years ago. He was much too controlled by the country club sport where a good guffaw beats a belly laugh. Woods now realizes he can say what he wants.
Still relatively young in the game, Woods’ 14th season on the tour is roughly one-third of his career even if the final third might see some Senior Tour stops. Yet, he realizes how quickly it passes.
“Most guys I looked up to are now on the Senior Tour,” Woods said. “It’s really different [having younger tour members look up to him]. I don’t consider myself that old and it’s amazing how time flies.”
At least he’s having fun.
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more at TheRickSniderReport.com or e-mail [email protected]
