I woke up very early Monday morning vividly recalling Tiger Woods striding up the fairway, a picture of unflappable, stoic discipline, red shirt, cap on, he looked no more than 30.
Striking his iron shot which slowly but surely curled to four feet from the hole on the 71st; the birdie followed.
Tapping in for a safe bogey to win by one stroke on the 72nd hole; millions roared. Off with his cap, revealing graying hair and the reality that, yes, this man is in his 40's.
Walking briskly to hug his young son and daughter and his mother with unbridled joy and love as we were reminded by TV footage of how he had hugged his now deceased father when he won this same tournament in 1997.
These are pictures in my mind. You may have your own.
For me, there is a good deal wrapped up in this win by Tiger Woods.
It is a story of redemption, as he came back incredibly from the physical and personal setbacks of the last 15 years.
It is a story of persistence and courage. .How many people could have survived four back operations and come back to win this tournament against players almost two decades younger?
It is a story of stamina and resolve. The practice was unending: Even yesterday, Woods got up at 3:45 AM to prepare for a 9 o'clock tee time. The margin of victory was incredibly small: one stroke out of 275: less than 1%. Such is the difference between being first and second.
It is a story of forgiveness, as millions of fans, indeed the general public, looked past his earlier self-admitted personal mistakes to not only cheer him on but share in the joy of his recovery.
It is a story of artistic excellence. Great performance in golf seems to me to deserve the descriptive "artistic excellence". It requires a special combination of sheer talent and strength, finesse and boldness and discipline . And we observe all these things, as they happen in the instant stroke snd flight of the ball and then as we observe how the player reacts, emotionally and physically, as he goes on to next shot.
Perhaps most simply, it is a story of how the world loves a hero, especially a come-back hero, a hero who shows his humanity and love of family, especially today when cynicism and examples of flawed standards surround us. Stories like this remind of what is possible and in their own way of what we at our best can accomplish.
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