Tiger Woods’ recent arrest marks the third time in the last decade that he has been involved in car crashes caused by reckless driving. Woods is no stranger to controversy in his career, with his 2009 infidelity scandal being his first major public incident.
Before all the controversy, many golf fans might have considered him infallible, having been the youngest ever Masters winner at 21, and the youngest to ever achieve a Career Grand Slam just three years later. It’s hard to see Woods this way now, with his consistently chaotic personal life overshadowing his immense sporting achievements for the casual fan.
However, with a career as prolific and dominant as Woods’, could any amount of personal controversy erode the respect he has earned for himself? Ranking second in men’s major championships, and tied for first place in PGA Tour wins, it is undeniable that Woods is one of, if not the greatest, golfer to ever play the sport.
Beyond personal accolades, his long drives (while golfing) and remarkable consistency early in his career excited fans, and even led to the strategy of ‘Tiger-proofing’ courses, as golf courses extended holes in an attempt to even out competition between Woods and other golfers. Some would say that a career marked by such vast success cannot be overshadowed by his personal affairs.
While some fans may be comfortable turning a blind eye to Woods’ personal life, some may not find it so simple. Having previously been seen as the best ever golfer by many, fans might now be reluctant to refer to him this way in the face of his apparent commitment to infidelity and reckless driving. Other players with a claim to being the best ever include Jack Nicklaus, who holds the most men’s major championships with 18, and Arnold Palmer, who helped to popularise golf in the 1960s, changing the perception of it from an elitist upper-class sport to one accessible to the working classes in America. With other players having had comparable levels of success and impact on the sport, and considerably less personal controversy, Woods may be slipping down the global rankings of public memory with each new incident.
“Tiger Woods drives by Allison” by Keith Allison is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.