It took some digging, but I found an old Cypress Walls manuscript with the entry dedicated to Tiger and his win at the 1997 Masters that didn't make the final draft. Given recent headlines, I thought I'd share it with ya'll. I wonder how he'll mark the passing of his 34th birthday next week...
Sunday, the 13th of April
There's a 21-year-old kid from California who made more money this afternoon than I'll most likely make in my lifetime. His name? Tiger Woods. His occupation? Professional golfer. And it wasn't any old tournament he laid claim to. No, his coming out party rocked the hallowed grounds of Augusta National during spring's rite of passage, the Masters. Furthermore, he annihilated the field on his way to slipping on the green jacket, winning with a record breaking score of 18 strokes under par, his nearest competitor 12 strokes off his scintillating pace. Even more amazing about his romp was that he shot a rocky 40 on the front nine on the first day of competition before rallying with a 30 on the back, fighting through adversity and keeping himself in contention for the remaining three days of play. I've never been a big fan of watching golf on TV, but tracking Tiger's round this afternoon was riveting. Despite his huge lead and the outcome a foregone conclusion, his intensity was laser-focused, his concentration and poise unflappable as he adroitly negotiated one hole after the next. It was impossible not to root for him, knowing that he was on the cusp of fulfilling a dream that he's unquestionably sought to achieve from the first time he had enough strength to swing a club. Once that final putt was holed and he pumped his fist mightily into the Georgia night, it was nothing short of spine tingling to watch him stride through the gallery, remove his cap and wrap his arms around his father, overcome with emotion. Clearly the conquest of Augusta was not Tiger's alone. Generation X may have uncovered a legend, one capable of truly inspiring others. It's about time.
Personally, what is sadder than all of Tiger's foibles coming to light is that I can't think of a single person in our generation who embodies discipline the way he did. In a small way, Tiger helped dispel the notion that we are nothing more than a group of self-absorbed slackers as defined long ago in movies like "Singles" and "Reality Bites." Now that we know that his focus and determination were exclusive to his sport, these perceptions of Gen X will persist in my humble opinion. Collectively, all we have mastered over the last decade are the arts of shameless self-promotion, undying vanity and whining. As 2010 fast approaches, I pray that we get our act together because less than 20 years from now, one of us will be running for president and his name will not be Tiger Woods.
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