New Zealand Listener - October 13, 2018

44 LISTENER OCTOBER 13 2018

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O

f all the impressive numbers Tiger

Woods has racked up, this may be the

most remarkable: when his serial infi-

delity scandal erupted in late 2009,

the story was front-page news in the

New York Post for 20 consecutive

days, beating the previous

record set following 9/11.

Nine years on and given the joy that

greeted Woods’ recent return to the win-

ner’s circle, it’s easy to forget how drastic

the reaction to the scandal was; how

emphatic the consensus that he’d never

emerge from

the shadow

of disgrace. As

one writer put

it, Woods would

be “in the rough

forever”.

And with each cocktail

waitress or porn star

who secured her 15

minutes of fame by

adding herself to the roll-call of

Woods’ low-rent rendezvous – hence

the NYP’s abiding interest – the

disgust deepened and the judgments

became more implacable. Reviewing

the media reaction to his televised

public statement two months after

the story broke, one could only

conclude that “sorry” is in fact the

most ineffectual word. Woods said

“sorry” several dozen times but it

got him nowhere.

The New York Times devoted

four columns to it, all of

them archly dismissive.

Three columnists

felt the apology

didn’t go nearly far

enough, the fourth

that his public

self-abasement was “disgusting and

pathetic”. Talk about lose-lose. New

Zealanders who savour irony had the

pleasure of hearing broadcaster Tony

Veitch, a convicted domestic abuser,

analyse Woods’ statement.

When Woods resumed his career

at the 2010 Masters, he received a

public flea in his ear from Augusta

National chairman Billy Payne: “His

future will never again be measured

only by his performance against par,

but measured by the sincerity of his

efforts to change.” The sincerity of

Augusta National’s efforts to change

are apparent in the fact that it didn’t

allow women members until 2012.

The perception that, until this

year’s comeback, it had been all

downhill since 2009, was evident

in the euphoric reaction to Woods’

victory in the Tour Championship

in Atlanta. (His subsequent strug-

gles at the Ryder Cup followed a

by Paul Thomas

SPORT

Woods with the FedEx

Cup in 2009. He also won

the trophy in 2007.

His Tour Championship

and FedEx Cup results

underline that Tiger Woods’

rehabilitation is complete.

Tiger’s tale of

redemption

THIS LIFE