Speaker 1: Welcome back to playing dirty sports Scandals. I'm your host
Speaker 1: and barista extraordinaire, Jay Harris. Today I'm serving up the
Speaker 1: story of one of the most iconic athletes of all time,
Speaker 1: Tiger Woods, a name synonymous with epic achievement. Tiger Woods
Speaker 1: revolutionized the sport of golf and became a cultural phenomenon.
Speaker 1: But just as prune and grapefruit fusion blends hit the
Speaker 1: big time before becoming a dark note in most people's
Speaker 1: recipe books, Tiger woods meteoric trajectory would be marred by scandal. Meh, Yeah,
Speaker 1: the heyday of prune and grapefruit blends is over for
Speaker 1: a reason. That's just h But what was the reason
Speaker 1: Tiger Woods starred in From the outset, it seemed unimaginable
Speaker 1: that Tiger would miss his shot at consistent professional and
Speaker 1: personal greatness. Born as Eldrick Tant Woods on December thirtieth,
Speaker 1: nineteen seventy five, in Cypress, California, Tiger quickly proved worthy
Speaker 1: of his ferocious nickname under the guidance of his driven father,
Speaker 1: Earl Woods. Earl was a retired U. S. Army officer
Speaker 1: and named his son after his friend South Vietnamese colonel
Speaker 1: of Wangdong Fong, known as Tiger Fong. I never knew
Speaker 1: him as Tiger Pong. Tiger Woods would later explain, my
Speaker 1: father would talk about him so much. He was tiger Ie,
Speaker 1: the first Tiger. It was important to Earl Woods that
Speaker 1: his son live up to his namesake, and it became
Speaker 1: apparent early on that this kid had the natural talent
Speaker 1: to do so. Earl recognized Tiger's athletic potential around the
Speaker 1: same time most new parents are thrilled to just see
Speaker 1: their little one sitting up independently. When Tiger was ten
Speaker 1: months old, I unstrapped him out of his high chair
Speaker 1: one day and he walked over and hit the ball.
Speaker 1: Earl would later recall in the HBO documentary, Tiger I said,
Speaker 1: Oh my god, I've got something special. Earle wasn't wrong,
Speaker 1: and he was certainly determined to help his son fulfill
Speaker 1: his potential. Tiger's mother, called Tita Woods, who goes by Tita,
Speaker 1: is originally from Thailand and made Earle's parental enthusiasm look tame.
Speaker 1: Tiger confessed to USA Today in twenty seventeen that his mother,
Speaker 1: Tita was the enforcer. My dad may have been in
Speaker 1: the Special Forces, Tiger said, but I was never afraid
Speaker 1: of him. My mom's still here and I'm still deathly
Speaker 1: afraid of her. She's a very tough, tough lady, very demanding.
Speaker 1: I love her so much, but she was tough. The
Speaker 1: combination of Earl and Tita as his parents, plus his
Speaker 1: incredible natural athleticism, made Tiger Woods a competitor out to
Speaker 1: Gate at just eighteen months old. Earl took Tiger to
Speaker 1: the practice range for the first time, where he emptied
Speaker 1: an entire bucket of balls using a cut down iron.
Speaker 1: Soon after, Tiger played his first hole, a par four
Speaker 1: four hundred and ten yard challenge, where he recorded an eleven.
Speaker 1: For you who are not golf officiados, that is a
Speaker 1: remarkable feat for someone so young and for some of
Speaker 1: us who are not so young. By the time Tiger
Speaker 1: was two years old, he was already capturing significant media attention.
Speaker 1: Los Angeles sports anchor Jim Hill featured him in a
Speaker 1: segment declaring, this young man is going to be to
Speaker 1: golf what Jimmy Connors and Chris Everett are to tennis.
Speaker 1: Tiger was also on The Mike Douglas Show, where he
Speaker 1: wowed audiences by putting on an exhibition alongside comedian Bob
Speaker 1: Hope at three years old, when most kids are first
Speaker 1: learning how to catch a ball and dress themselves, Tiger
Speaker 1: broke fifty on nine holes for the first time, shooting
Speaker 1: a forty eight on the Destroyer course at the Navy Facility.
Speaker 1: To put this into perspective, it's an achievement that even
Speaker 1: golf legends like Jack Nicholas didn't accomplish until they were
Speaker 1: much older. Earl and Tita had a full time force
Speaker 1: of nature on their hands with toddler Tiger, and they
Speaker 1: knew he needed professional guidance. Tiger's parents found him his
Speaker 1: first pro golf teacher, Rudy Durant, in nineteen eighty. Back then,
Speaker 1: Rudy was an assistant pro at Hartwell Golf Course, a
Speaker 1: collection of petit par three's in Long Beach, California. He
Speaker 1: ran a junior golf program for one hundred kids, and
Speaker 1: when Tiger showed up as his youngest participant, Rudy didn't
Speaker 1: know what to expect, but it didn't take long for
Speaker 1: tiny Tiger to become Rudy Durand's biggest focus. The coach
Speaker 1: remembers being immediately impressed, saying he was blown away by
Speaker 1: Tiger's swing. And it wasn't just Tiger's skills that far
Speaker 1: exceeded his years. His fiercely competitive nature began to emerge
Speaker 1: as well. His mother Tita, observed that he would quote
Speaker 1: show a bit of temper when he didn't make a part,
Speaker 1: and Rudy duran told golf dot Com how Tiger would
Speaker 1: be frustrated by his physical limitations at four and a
Speaker 1: half years old, turning to strategy to overcome his age
Speaker 1: related challenges. By the time he was five years old,
Speaker 1: Tiger Woods had his first set of clubs properly fitted
Speaker 1: by Rudy Durant, and he was ready to take his
Speaker 1: game to the next level. Tiger's accomplishments piled up. At
Speaker 1: age six, he played in a two hole exhibition with
Speaker 1: golf legend Sam Snead, finishing just one stroke behind him.
Speaker 1: He then entered the Optimist Junior World ten and Under
Speaker 1: division in San Diego, where he finished eighth out of
Speaker 1: a field of one hundred and fifty. At age eight,
Speaker 1: Tiger won his first Optimist Junior World title. He would
Speaker 1: win it again at age nine. There was no doubt
Speaker 1: about it. Tiger Woods was a bonafide golf prodigy before
Speaker 1: his tenth birthday. Everyone saw greatness written into his future.
Speaker 1: Even a Buddhist monk on a family trip to Thailand
Speaker 1: would tell Tita that her son was special. As Tiger grew,
Speaker 1: his talent grew with him. He dominated the junior golf circuit,
Speaker 1: winning the Optimist International Junior Championship six times, and at
Speaker 1: just fifteen years old, he became the youngest ever US
Speaker 1: Junior Amateur champion. On the heels of this achievement, Tiger
Speaker 1: won three consecutive US Junior Amateur titles, followed by three
Speaker 1: US Amateur titles, a feat no one had accomplished before.
Speaker 1: It felt as if there weren't enough awards yet created
Speaker 1: for Tiger Woods to win. The teenager was simply unstoppable.
Speaker 1: Even the golf legend Byron Nelson, after seeing Tiger play,
Speaker 1: would gush to fellow legend Tom Watson, I've seen Ben, Jack, Nicholas,
Speaker 1: and you. I've seen them all, Tom. This young fellow
Speaker 1: has no weaknesses. These were proved to be loaded words
Speaker 1: in later years, but as Tiger bordered on adulthood, He's
Speaker 1: seen in his natural habitat on a pedestal. Unsurprisingly, Tiger
Speaker 1: Woods was heavily recruited by colleges. He chose Stanford University,
Speaker 1: the nineteen ninety four NCAA champion, and enrolled there in
Speaker 1: the fall of nineteen ninety four under a golf scholarship.
Speaker 1: His first collegiate tournament was the fortieth annual William H.
Speaker 1: Tucker Invitational, and just as everyone expected him to, he won.
Speaker 1: While Tiger only spent two years playing for Stanford before
Speaker 1: leaving college to turn pro, he would describe it as
Speaker 1: one of the best times in his life, saying, I
Speaker 1: really enjoyed being stimulated by the students and professors. Some
Speaker 1: were geniuses and others were Olympic athletes. It's amazing how
Speaker 1: well rounded they are. That's what's so cool about it.
Speaker 1: I must soak up that experience. According to his Stanford
Speaker 1: friend Casey Martin, college really was an opportunity for Tiger
Speaker 1: to soak up normal, age appropriate activities for the first
Speaker 1: time in his life. Casey told Golf Digest, I love Tiger.
Speaker 1: He's the greatest at his sport, maybe ever, but I'll
Speaker 1: never forget one time a bunch of us were having
Speaker 1: a grand time watching Tiger dance. You know a guy
Speaker 1: that's so dominant, you've got to bring him down a little.
Speaker 1: You've got to look for his weaknesses and really expose it.
Speaker 1: I think we found it at Stanford Dancing. It's a
Speaker 1: bad deal. Ha. But while Tiger Woods may have stood
Speaker 1: out in a bad way for his terrible dancing, he
Speaker 1: stood out in a positive way as a black trailblazer
Speaker 1: in golf. Golf is a predominantly white sport. Even today,
Speaker 1: The National Golf Foundation reports that just three percent of
Speaker 1: all recreational golf players are black, and only one point
Speaker 1: five five percent of competitive golfers are black. A handful
Speaker 1: of athletes have paved the way for Tiger's dominance, golfers
Speaker 1: like Charlie Sifford, Lee Elder, and Calvin Pete. Charlie Sifford,
Speaker 1: often referred to as the Jackie Robinson of golf, broke
Speaker 1: the color barrier on the PGA Tour in nineteen sixty one,
Speaker 1: enduring significant racism and prejudice to create opportunity for future generations.
Speaker 1: While Charlie would declare his endless love of golf, he
Speaker 1: would also say I don't smile much and I never laugh.
Speaker 1: If you'd been through what I've been through, you wouldn't
Speaker 1: be smiling either. Tiger Woods would later make clear the
Speaker 1: impact Charlie's trailblazing had on his own life by naming
Speaker 1: his son after him. In fact, Tiger called Charlie Siffert
Speaker 1: the grandpa I never had, and said that had Charlie
Speaker 1: not broken the PGA color barrier, he might never have
Speaker 1: played golf. My dad would have never picked up the
Speaker 1: game without Charlie as a role model, Tiger explained similarly,
Speaker 1: Lee Elder came the first black offer to play in
Speaker 1: the Masters Tournament in nineteen seventy five. This was a
Speaker 1: momentous event that challenged the segregationist history of the sport
Speaker 1: and especially of Augusta National Golf Course. It was also
Speaker 1: an event riddled with fear for Lee, who put his
Speaker 1: personal safety on the line to participate. Leading up to
Speaker 1: the tournament, Lee received large amounts of hate mail, and
Speaker 1: during the week of the tournament, he rented two houses
Speaker 1: in town and kept moving between them to make his
Speaker 1: whereabouts difficult to nail down. It was very nerve racking,
Speaker 1: Lee would tell CNN later, I was shaking so badly.
Speaker 1: I did not know if I was even going to
Speaker 1: be able to tee up the ball, but Lee persisted
Speaker 1: and laid yet another stepping stone for Calvin Pete, who
Speaker 1: won twelve PGA Tour events in the nineteen eighties. Calvin
Speaker 1: would be the most successful Black offer until Tiger Woods
Speaker 1: came on the scene. Tiger Woods rise to fame in
Speaker 1: the nineteen nine and he's brought a new level of
Speaker 1: visibility and inclusivity to the sport. His impact was immediate
Speaker 1: and undeniable. By the time Tiger turned pro in nineteen
Speaker 1: ninety six, the world was already watching closely. Within a year,
Speaker 1: he had won his first major championship at the nineteen
Speaker 1: ninety seven Masters, by a record breaking twelve strokes, becoming
Speaker 1: the youngest Master's champion in history at just twenty one
Speaker 1: years old. Tiger Woods was not only following in the
Speaker 1: footsteps of Charlie Sifford, Lee Elder and Calvin Pete, he
Speaker 1: was transcending the sport, becoming a global icon and inspiring
Speaker 1: a new generation of golfers from diverse backgrounds. With his
Speaker 1: signature fist pump and incredible intensity, Tiger not only won tournaments,
Speaker 1: he captured the imagination of fans around the world. Over
Speaker 1: the next decade, Tiger became the fastest player to win
Speaker 1: fifty tournaments on the PGA Tour, and by two thousand
Speaker 1: and one, he had completed what was to become known
Speaker 1: as the Tiger Slam by holding all four major titles
Speaker 1: from the Masters Tournament, PGA Championship, US Open, and the
Speaker 1: Open Championship at the same time. This was an unprecedented achievement.
Speaker 1: This combination of power, precision, and mental strength made him
Speaker 1: nearly unbeatable, and Tiger Woods became a household name, not
Speaker 1: just in golf, but in sports and popular culture at large.
Speaker 1: Lucrative endorsement deals with major brands like Nike and titleists
Speaker 1: naturally flowed to Tiger, making him a very wealthy man
Speaker 1: while simultaneously bringing golf into the mainstream. Tiger Woods was
Speaker 1: on top of the world, but as we've explored time
Speaker 1: and time again on playing dirty meteoric rises come with
Speaker 1: tremendous pressure. The expectations placed on Tiger by his parents
Speaker 1: in the world were immense. As the victories piled up,
Speaker 1: so did the demands on his time, his body, and
Speaker 1: his psyche. It would be the same relentless drive that
Speaker 1: pushed Tiger to the top of the golf world that
Speaker 1: would ultimately contribute to his dramatic and scandalous fall. On
Speaker 1: the evening of November twenty seventh, two thousand and nine,
Speaker 1: the sports world was rocked by breaking news that Tiger Woods,
Speaker 1: this seemingly invincible golf icon, had been involved in a
Speaker 1: car accident outside his home in Windermere, Florida. What was
Speaker 1: initially reported to be a minor traffic incident was soon
Speaker 1: revealed to be something much more complex and sensational. Tiger Woods,
Speaker 1: driving his Cadillac Escalator around two thirty am, had struck
Speaker 1: a fire hydrant and a tree just a few yards
Speaker 1: from his driveway. How could this happen to such a
Speaker 1: controlled and disciplined athlete. It's difficult to imagine that the
Speaker 1: golfer who unleashed a two hundred and eighteen yard Masters
Speaker 1: stroke from a pile of wet sand at the two
Speaker 1: thousand RBC Canadian Open would struggle to park. People didn't
Speaker 1: buy it, and as the hours and days passed, the
Speaker 1: narrative surrounding the incident began to shift, as relentless questions
Speaker 1: poured in why had Tiger Woods been leaving his home
Speaker 1: at such an odd hour? Why had Tiger's wife at
Speaker 1: the time, model Elin Nordegren, used a golf club to
Speaker 1: smash the back window of the vehicle to help her
Speaker 1: husband escape from a low impact crash. Why had Tigers
Speaker 1: sustained facial injuries? What was going on with golf scolden boy.
Speaker 1: In the days and weeks that followed, the carefully guarded
Speaker 1: facade of Tiger Wood's life began to unravel at an
Speaker 1: alarming rate. Reports started surfacing that the crash was not
Speaker 1: just a simple accident that it created thirty two hundred
Speaker 1: dollars in residential property damage, but rather the culmination of
Speaker 1: a heated argument between Tiger and Elin. Tiger Woods and
Speaker 1: Elin Nordegren seemed to be the couple who had it all.
Speaker 1: They met during the two thousand and one British Open.
Speaker 1: Elan was working as a nanny for Swedish golfer Yesper
Speaker 1: Parnavic's family, and Tiger quickly took notice, recognizing her as
Speaker 1: the true grand prize. According to Jesper's wife, Mia Parnavik,
Speaker 1: Elan had no interest in Tiger and he was okay
Speaker 1: with that. There was a big line of single golfers
Speaker 1: wanting to meet her. They were gaga over her, but
Speaker 1: Tiger Woods never backed down from a challenge, so he
Speaker 1: pulled out his famous long game to wu Elan, finally
Speaker 1: getting her to say yes to his proposal at the
Speaker 1: Shamwari Game Reserve in November two thousand and three. On
Speaker 1: October fifth, two thousand and four, the couple married at
Speaker 1: the Sandy Lane Resort in Barbados. Tiger rented the entire
Speaker 1: complex for a week at a cost of almost two
Speaker 1: million dollars in honor of the celebration. This included exclusive
Speaker 1: access to three golf courses and all one hundred ten rooms.
Speaker 1: The wedding went great of beaming Tiger Woods set after
Speaker 1: the ceremony. It was a very special occasion. We just
Speaker 1: had a great time with all the families there, and
Speaker 1: then it seemed to the outside world that the great
Speaker 1: times kept right on rolling for Tiger and Elin. They
Speaker 1: lived in a seven nine hundred and forty square foot
Speaker 1: multi million dollar mansion in a gated community. They welcomed
Speaker 1: two beautiful, healthy children, first a daughter, sam Alexis Woods,
Speaker 1: on June eighteenth, two thousand and seven, and then a son,
Speaker 1: Charlie Axelwoods, on February eighth, two thousand and nine. It's
Speaker 1: great when you see people who've been married for twenty
Speaker 1: thirty forty years and they're still in love. That's what
Speaker 1: I want for Elin and I, Tiger told People magazine.
Speaker 1: It really seemed that Tiger Woods was not just a
Speaker 1: phenomenal golfer, but all so an incredible husband and father.
Speaker 1: But his car crash on November twenty seven, two thousand
Speaker 1: and nine, exposed a double life. Journalists were quick to
Speaker 1: uncover that Tiger and Elan had had an argument the
Speaker 1: previous evening on Thanksgiving Day about his infidelity. Allegedly, Elin
Speaker 1: discovered romantic text messages between her husband and Rachel Yukuatel,
Speaker 1: the director of VIP operations for New York City's Tow nightclub.
Speaker 1: Elan called the number associated with the text and, expecting
Speaker 1: to hear Tiger on the other end of the line.
Speaker 1: Rachel answered the phone saying something like hey babe. Not
Speaker 1: only was this confirmation of Tiger's stepping out on her,
Speaker 1: but Elin apparently found communications with other mistresses on his phone.
Speaker 1: The man whom everyone thought could do no wrong had
Speaker 1: apparently been playing very dirty. According to Tiger Woods's biographer,
Speaker 1: James Patterson. Elan woke Tiger up and confronted him about
Speaker 1: his affairs. At this point, Tiger locked himself in the
Speaker 1: bathroom for a short time before rushing out of his
Speaker 1: house and into his Cadillac, where he crashed it just
Speaker 1: one hundred and fifty yards away. The image of Tiger
Speaker 1: Woods as a devoted family man and clean cut athlete
Speaker 1: was forever tarnished. As word got out, women lined up
Speaker 1: to claim they'd had affairs with the golf superstar. Rachel
Speaker 1: Yu could tell herself would say, I knew him to
Speaker 1: be cheating on his wife from the first time I
Speaker 1: met him, well before we got together. Facing mounting pressure
Speaker 1: and public outrage, Tiger Woods broke his silence on December two,
Speaker 1: two thousand and nine, releasing a statement on his website
Speaker 1: acknowledging that he had quote let his family down and
Speaker 1: expressing regret for his quote transgressions. He further announced that
Speaker 1: he would be taking an indefinite break from professional golf
Speaker 1: to focus on his family. It was a decision that
Speaker 1: shocked the sports world, especially since the media had been
Speaker 1: talking of how close Tiger Woods was to beating the
Speaker 1: record of icon Jack Nicholas, who'd won eighteen major championships
Speaker 1: in his illustrious career, it seemed inevitable that Tiger would
Speaker 1: overtake Jack, But now on the heels of personal crisis,
Speaker 1: golf fans were left wondering if the most influential golfer
Speaker 1: of a generation would ever compete again. As we all know,
Speaker 1: scandalous SIPs always come with an aftertaste. There was no
Speaker 1: chance the press stepping back to give Tiger an eel
Speaker 1: in privacy in their darkest days, and there was no
Speaker 1: doubt that the full story would eventually be spilled for
Speaker 1: public consumption. The New York Post soon reported that Tiger
Speaker 1: Woods cheated with quote as many as one hundred and
Speaker 1: twenty women behind his wife's back during their five year marriage,
Speaker 1: from diner waitress Mindy Lawton to porn star Holly Sampson,
Speaker 1: with whom he had sex the night of his bachelor party,
Speaker 1: to exotic dancer Corey Wrist. But it was the discovery
Speaker 1: of a one night stand with the twenty one year
Speaker 1: old daughter of a neighbor that was the final straw
Speaker 1: for Elin Nordegrend. The National Inquirer delved deeply into this
Speaker 1: particular portrayal, claiming that Elan decided to sign divorce papers
Speaker 1: after learning about Tiger's alleged fling with a neighbor's daughter,
Speaker 1: Rachel Coudre, whom he had reportedly known since he was
Speaker 1: just fourteen years old. As the scandal continued to dominate
Speaker 1: headlines and Elan moved ever closer toward the exit, Tiger
Speaker 1: Woods faced increasing pressure to address the unfolding situation more fully,
Speaker 1: so on February nineteenth, twenty ten, Tiger held a highly
Speaker 1: publicized press conference at the TPC Sawgrass Clubhouse in Ponavidra Beach, Florida.
Speaker 1: It was his first public appearance since the scandal broke,
Speaker 1: and millions tuned in to hear what he had to say. Here,
Speaker 1: he faced the world's media and a select group of
Speaker 1: friends and family, including his mother Tita, who sat stoically
Speaker 1: in the front row. During the thirteen minute statement, Tiger
Speaker 1: admitted to his infidelity, stating I was unfaithful, I had affairs,
Speaker 1: I cheated. He went on to express deep regret for
Speaker 1: his actions, saying I knew my actions were wrong, but
Speaker 1: I convinced myself that normal rules didn't apply. Tiger acknowledged
Speaker 1: that he had stopped living by the core values talked
Speaker 1: to him by his parents, and that his behavior was
Speaker 1: not acceptable. I thought I could get away with whatever
Speaker 1: I wanted to. I felt that I had worked hard
Speaker 1: my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations
Speaker 1: around me. I felt I was entitled thanks to money
Speaker 1: and fame. I didn't have to go far to find them.
Speaker 1: While the apology was a pivotal moment in the scandal,
Speaker 1: it did little to stem the tide of public criticism
Speaker 1: and personal fallout for Tiger. He retreatd to Pine Grove
Speaker 1: Behavioral Health and Addiction Services in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, for sex
Speaker 1: rehab as his sponsors, like Jellette, Gatorade, and Accentua jumped ship.
Speaker 1: Accentia was the first to severtize, announcing in December two
Speaker 1: thousand and nine the Tiger Woods was no longer the
Speaker 1: right representative for their brand. Gellette followed suit, stating that
Speaker 1: they would be phasing Tiger out of their marketing campaigns. Gatorade,
Speaker 1: which had already discontinued its Tiger Focus drink two days
Speaker 1: before the scandal broke, formally ended its relationship with the
Speaker 1: Fall and Golfer in early twenty ten, At and t
Speaker 1: Another of tiger woods high profile sponsors, also dropped him,
Speaker 1: citing the need to protect their company's image. Nike was
Speaker 1: among the few companies that chose to stand by Tiger
Speaker 1: Woods at his lowest point, though they too scaled back
Speaker 1: their use of him in advertising. The financial impact of
Speaker 1: these lost endorsements was staggering. It's been estimated that Tiger
Speaker 1: Woods lost nearly twenty two million dollars in sponsorship deals
Speaker 1: in twenty ten alone, a sharp decline from the ninety
Speaker 1: two million he had earned in endorsements the previous year.
Speaker 1: The loss of income was a blow to Tiger who
Speaker 1: had been the highest paid athlete in the world for
Speaker 1: several years running, but the financial hit paled in comparison
Speaker 1: to watching his life's work unravel. Tiger Woods is a
Speaker 1: born competitor, and at this point he was facing the
Speaker 1: monumental challenge of returning to golf amid controversy and reclaiming
Speaker 1: his place in the sport he dominated for more than
Speaker 1: a decade. His absence from the game left the void
Speaker 1: that was keenly felt by fans and the golfing community
Speaker 1: at large. Tournaments that at once relied on Tiger Woods
Speaker 1: to draw large crowds in television ratings suddenly found themselves
Speaker 1: struggling to generate a fraction of the interest. The PGA Tour,
Speaker 1: which had benefited enormously from Tiger Woods star power, experienced
Speaker 1: a noticeable dip in viewership and attendance during his hiatus.
Speaker 1: Sean McManus, the president of CBS Sports and News, told
Speaker 1: The New York Times, that golf could go on without
Speaker 1: Tiger Woods, but not for long without consequences. We've obviously
Speaker 1: done golf tournaments without Tiger before, Sewn explained, but we
Speaker 1: all know how much better they do when Tiger is
Speaker 1: playing well on the weekend. Will adjust, but I guess
Speaker 1: a lot of the impact will depend on what Tiger's
Speaker 1: definition of the word indefinite is. But even as many
Speaker 1: in the golf community pined for his return, Tiger's wife
Speaker 1: Elin wanted him gone. Tiger's sexual escapades, many of which
Speaker 1: had been conducted without protection, had demonstrated a gross lack
Speaker 1: of consideration for her physical well being and for their
Speaker 1: family's future. I have been through the stages of disbelief
Speaker 1: and shock, to anger and ultimately grief over the loss
Speaker 1: of the family I so badly wanted for my children,
Speaker 1: Elan told People magazine. On August twenty third, twenty ten,
Speaker 1: Tiger and Elan officially finalized their divorce at the Bay
Speaker 1: County Circuit Court in Panama City, Florida. In a joint
Speaker 1: statement released by Elin Nordegren's law firm McGuire Woods, the
Speaker 1: former couple expressed their sadness over the end of their marriage,
Speaker 1: but emphasized their mutual desire to move forward positively with
Speaker 1: their two children, Sam and Charlie as the priority. While
Speaker 1: we are no longer married, where the parents of two
Speaker 1: wonderful children and their happiness has been and will always
Speaker 1: be of paramount importance to both of us, the statement read.
Speaker 1: The divorce was reported to be one of the most
Speaker 1: expensive in history, with Elin Nordgren receiving a substantial settlement
Speaker 1: rumored to be around one hundred million dollars. As Tiger
Speaker 1: grappled with the end of his marriage, another set of
Speaker 1: challenges was waiting to unfold. Golf is a sport with
Speaker 1: a strong mental element. Focus is necessary for any champion.
Speaker 1: Many were questioning whether Tiger Woods could ever get his
Speaker 1: famous intensity back after everything that had gone down, would
Speaker 1: he ever compete again? In March twenty ten, Tiger provided
Speaker 1: an answer to this question at last, announcing that after
Speaker 1: a long and necessary time away from the game, I
Speaker 1: feel like I'm ready to start my season at Augusta.
Speaker 1: The major championships have always been a special focus in
Speaker 1: my career and as a professional, I think Augusta is
Speaker 1: where I need to be, even though it's been a
Speaker 1: while since I last played. And so the gauntlet was
Speaker 1: thrown down. The champion had returned and would be competing
Speaker 1: from April fifth through the eleventh, twenty ten at the Masters.
Speaker 1: The world was watching. While Tiger played respectably at the
Speaker 1: twenty ten Masters, he clearly lost some of his groove,
Speaker 1: falling short of the high standards synonymous with his name.
Speaker 1: He finished tied for fourth, a result that was both
Speaker 1: a testament to his talent coming off a hiatus, as
Speaker 1: well as a reminder that he still faced an uphill
Speaker 1: climb back to the top of his sport, and that
Speaker 1: climb would prove to be steeper than he imagined. In
Speaker 1: the years that followed, Tiger battled the series of debilitating
Speaker 1: injuries that severely impacted his ability to compete at the
Speaker 1: highest level. He underwent multiple surgeries on his back, and knee,
Speaker 1: leading to extended absences from the sport. Each comeback attempt
Speaker 1: after recovery was met with hope and anticipation, but time
Speaker 1: and again Tiger found himself sidelined by physical setbacks. His
Speaker 1: once feared presence on the golf course was replaced by uncertainty,
Speaker 1: as fans and analysts questioned whether he would ever regain
Speaker 1: his former glory. I might be done, he confessed to
Speaker 1: fellow Masters winners at the twenty seventeen Champions dinner before
Speaker 1: flying to Harley Street in London for a diagnosis that
Speaker 1: showed a back fusion would be needed for him to
Speaker 1: have any chance of playing golf. Ever, again, Tiger's body
Speaker 1: seemed to be against him, and he was on a
Speaker 1: constant cocktail of drugs to dull the pain. The pressure
Speaker 1: to succeed, coupled with constant physical pain and painkillers was
Speaker 1: a recipe for disaster. In the early hours of May
Speaker 1: twenty nine, twenty seventeen, Tiger Woods was arrested near his
Speaker 1: ninety seven hundred square foot estate in Jupiter, Florida, for
Speaker 1: driving under the influence. He was found asleep at the
Speaker 1: wheel of his Mercedes Bins, which was stopped in the
Speaker 1: middle of the road with the engine running. Tiger was
Speaker 1: taken into custody at approximately three am and was later
Speaker 1: charged with DUI. As news of Tiger's arrest spread, the
Speaker 1: public and media speculated that alcohol might have been involved. However,
Speaker 1: after being released on his own recognizance, Tiger quickly released
Speaker 1: a statement to clarify the situation, stating, I understand the
Speaker 1: severity of what I did, and I take full responsibility
Speaker 1: for my action. I want the public to know that
Speaker 1: alcohol was not involved. What happened was an unexpected reaction
Speaker 1: to prescribed medications. I didn't realize the mix of medications
Speaker 1: had affected me so strongly. The arrest report revealed that
Speaker 1: Tiger Woods had indeed been under the influence of a
Speaker 1: potent drug cocktail. He had five different drugs in his
Speaker 1: system at the time he was picked up hydro codone
Speaker 1: and hydromorphone, which are both opioid pain medications, alpresilam, which
Speaker 1: is an anxiety drug known as xanax, zopidim which is
Speaker 1: a sleep drug known as ambient, and Delta nine CARBOXYTCHC,
Speaker 1: which is found in marijuana. Tiger had been trying to
Speaker 1: manage his excruciating back pain and insomnia, but the pills
Speaker 1: were a dangerous crutch. I realized now it was a
Speaker 1: mistake to do this without medical assistance, Tiger Woods admitted.
Speaker 1: Tiger Woods appeared in court on October twenty seven, two
Speaker 1: thousand and seven, to plead guilty to reckless driving. The judge,
Speaker 1: Sandra Bosso Pardo told him this particular plea agreement has
Speaker 1: no jail time on it. However, if you violate your
Speaker 1: probation in any significant way, I could revoke your probation
Speaker 1: and then I could sentence you to jail for ninety
Speaker 1: days with a fine of up to five hundred dollars.
Speaker 1: Is that understood? Tiger said he did understand and expressed
Speaker 1: deep regret for the incident. He vowed to take steps
Speaker 1: to ensure it wouldn't happen again, saying I would like
Speaker 1: to apologize with all my heart to my family, friends
Speaker 1: and the fans. I expect more from myself too. I
Speaker 1: will do everything in my power to ensure this never
Speaker 1: happens again. He also thanked the law enforcement officers involved, stating,
Speaker 1: I fully cooperate it with law enforcement, and I would
Speaker 1: like to personally thank the representatives of the Jupiter Police
Speaker 1: Department and the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office for their professionalism.
Speaker 1: Despite the empathy many had for Tiger's physical challenges, the
Speaker 1: Duy incident was unhelpful in the middle of his comeback efforts.
Speaker 1: Narrative of Tiger Woods, golf's fallen hero dominated the headlines,
Speaker 1: with his struggles serving as a cautionary tale about the
Speaker 1: perils of fame and the fragility of even the most
Speaker 1: successful careers. But as his competitors know, there isn't any
Speaker 1: quit in Tiger Woods. He kept plugging away at his game.
Speaker 1: He kept his eye on the ball, and on April fourteenth,
Speaker 1: twenty nineteen, at age forty three, Tiger Woods achieved one
Speaker 1: of the most extraordinary comebacks in sports history by winning
Speaker 1: the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. This victory,
Speaker 1: his fifth Master's title and fifteenth major championship, came eleven
Speaker 1: years after his last major win and followed a decade
Speaker 1: marred by scandal, injury, and personal turmoil. The triumph at
Speaker 1: Augusta was a testament to tiger woods unparalleled skill and determination.
Speaker 1: They nineteen Masters truly was a tournament for the ages.
Speaker 1: Tiger entered the final round two shots behind the leader,
Speaker 1: Francesco Mullinari, and faced a packed leaderboard featuring some of
Speaker 1: the best players in the world. In true Tiger fashion,
Speaker 1: he played a masterful round of golf, capitalizing on the
Speaker 1: mistakes of his competitors while making clutch shots when it
Speaker 1: mattered most. As the round progressed, the momentum began to
Speaker 1: shift in Tiger's favor. His steady play and mental toughness
Speaker 1: in the closing holes were reminiscent of the Tiger Woods
Speaker 1: of old, the player who prowled the golf courses of
Speaker 1: the world, striking fear into his competitor's hearts. On the
Speaker 1: eighteenth green, after sinking the final putt to secure his victory,
Speaker 1: Tiger raised his arms in triumph, letting out a roar
Speaker 1: that echoed throughout Augusta National. The moment was electric, and
Speaker 1: the gallery erupted in celebration, recognizing the significance of what
Speaker 1: had just happened. This victory was more than just another
Speaker 1: title for Tiger Woods. It was a comeback story that
Speaker 1: was bigger than golf, capturing the imagination of sports fans
Speaker 1: around the world. As he walked off the green, Tiger
Speaker 1: embraced his children, a scene that brought full circle the
Speaker 1: journey he'd been on since his last major win in
Speaker 1: two thousand and eight. It's unreal for me to experience this,
Speaker 1: Tiger Wood said in an interview after his victory. It
Speaker 1: was one of the hardest I've ever had to win,
Speaker 1: just because of what's transpired the last couple of years.
Speaker 1: For many, the twenty nineteen Masters was a turning point
Speaker 1: that restored much of the luster to tiger woods tarnished legacy.
Speaker 1: It was as if, in that one moment all the
Speaker 1: years of scandal and injury were washed away, leaving behind
Speaker 1: only the image of a champion. The win had broader
Speaker 1: significance for the world of sports as well. It was
Speaker 1: a testament to why people love sports, the drama, the unpredictability,
Speaker 1: and the capacity for human achievement to inspire. But while
Speaker 1: the twenty nineteen Masters was undoubtedly a moment of immense triumph,
Speaker 1: it was not the end of Tiger Wood's story. The
Speaker 1: comeback of Augusta may have seen like the final chapter
Speaker 1: in his long road to redemption, but in reality, it
Speaker 1: was just another milestone in the life of ups and downs.
Speaker 1: Even as Tiger basked in the glory of his great win,
Speaker 1: the physical toll of his career and the consequences of
Speaker 1: his past were ever present. Just when it seemed that
Speaker 1: Tiger Woods was beginning to regain control of his life
Speaker 1: and career, another shocking incident occurred. On February twenty third,
Speaker 1: twenty twenty one, Tiger was involved in a severe car
Speaker 1: accident in Rancho Palas Verdas, California. They left him with
Speaker 1: serious leg injuries and once again thrust him into the headlines.
Speaker 1: Early that morning, Tiger Woods was driving his SUV when
Speaker 1: he approached the sharp curve in the road. According to
Speaker 1: the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, instead of hitting the brakes,
Speaker 1: Tiger mistakingly accelerated, sending the vehicle into a high speed rollover.
Speaker 1: The SUV, which was traveling at speeds of up to
Speaker 1: eighty seven miles per hour and a forty five mile
Speaker 1: per hour zone, careened across the center divider, plowed through shrubbery,
Speaker 1: and struck a tree before coming to a stop. The
Speaker 1: impact was so severe that the vehicle was sent airborne,
Speaker 1: spinning before it landed on the side of the road.
Speaker 1: The crash data recorder from Tiger's vehicle revealed that there
Speaker 1: was no braking detected at the time of the crash,
Speaker 1: only acceleration. There is zero breaking on that data recorder.
Speaker 1: Captain James Powers of the Sheriff's Department explained, but there
Speaker 1: is ninety nine percent acceleration on the pedal. This suggested
Speaker 1: that Tiger mistook the gas pedal for the brake, leading
Speaker 1: to the devastating accident. Despite the severity of the crash,
Speaker 1: investigators determined that there was no no evidence of impairment
Speaker 1: or intoxication. Tiger would later state that he had not
Speaker 1: been drinking or taking any medication at the time of
Speaker 1: the accident, and due to his injuries, no field sobriety
Speaker 1: tests were conducted. He was immediately rushed to the Harbor
Speaker 1: UCLA Medical Center, where he underwent emergency surgery for multiple
Speaker 1: fractures in his legs. Tiger's injuries were so severe that
Speaker 1: for time there was concern about whether he would be
Speaker 1: able to walk again, let alone play golf. Tiger, who
Speaker 1: had likely assumed that his most difficult years were behind him,
Speaker 1: now faced one of the most challenging periods of his life.
Speaker 1: The severity of his injuries required multiple surgeries, including the
Speaker 1: insertion of a rod into his tibia and screws and
Speaker 1: pins to stabilize his foot and ankle. For a man
Speaker 1: who had already endured so many surgeries throughout his career,
Speaker 1: this was another daunting hurdle to overcome. As he worked
Speaker 1: on his physical recovery, Tiger provided occasional updates to the public,
Speaker 1: expressing gratitude for support, but offering little detailed about his progress,
Speaker 1: keeping the specifics of his physical health largely private. Tiger's
Speaker 1: dedication to rehabilitation was reminiscent of the discipline that had
Speaker 1: made him a champion in the first place. In December
Speaker 1: twenty twenty one, just ten months after the crash, Tiger
Speaker 1: Woods made a stunning return to competitive golf at the
Speaker 1: P and C Championship, a family oriented tournament where he
Speaker 1: played alongside his son, Charlie. The event marked Tiger's first
Speaker 1: competitive rounds since the accident, and although it was a
Speaker 1: low stakes, friendly competition, his participation was a powerful statement.
Speaker 1: The site of Tiger Woods swinging a golf club again,
Speaker 1: even if at a reduced capacity, reignited hope among fans
Speaker 1: that he could make a more substantial return to the sport.
Speaker 1: Tiger and Charlie finished second, with Tigers showing flashes of
Speaker 1: the brilliant play that had defined his career. As of
Speaker 1: twenty twenty four, Tiger Woods remains a figure of immense
Speaker 1: interest and admiration in the world of golf. He seems
Speaker 1: to have achieved redemption from the scandals of his earlier career,
Speaker 1: including forgiveness from his ex wife, Elin Nordegren. According to
Speaker 1: multiple sources, the two are now best friends and epitomized
Speaker 1: top notch co parenting. Having the relationship that I have
Speaker 1: now with Elin is fantastic, Tiger gush to us weekly.
Speaker 1: She's one of my best friends. We're able to pick
Speaker 1: up the phone. We talk to each other all the time.
Speaker 1: We both know that the most important things in our
Speaker 1: lives are our kids. So while Tiger Woods may never
Speaker 1: return to full time competition, it seems he has anchored
Speaker 1: the greatest prize his family and that he will continue
Speaker 1: to be involved in the sport he loves through hosting
Speaker 1: tournaments like the Hero World Challenge and mentoring younger players.
Speaker 1: His participation in select events such as the Masters and
Speaker 1: the p N Championship will always cause a stir and
Speaker 1: forever demonstrate his enduring commitment to the game, even as
Speaker 1: his physical capabilities have been significantly reduced. Tiger Wood's journey
Speaker 1: is one of the most compelling narratives in the story
Speaker 1: of sports. What makes his story truly remarkable is not
Speaker 1: just his rise or his fall, but his ability to
Speaker 1: rise again. Tiger's comeback, culminating in that unforgettable victory at
Speaker 1: the twenty nineteen Masters, was nothing short of extraordinary. It
Speaker 1: was a testament to his resilience, his unwavering determination, and
Speaker 1: his ability to learn from the past and move forward.
Speaker 1: Tiger Wood's legacy is complex. He is a symbol of greatness,
Speaker 1: a reminder of human frailty, and an example of the
Speaker 1: power of redemption. In the end, Tiger Woods has shown
Speaker 1: us that no one is perfect, and that our true
Speaker 1: care arter is revealed not in how we handle success,
Speaker 1: but in how we respond to failure. As the great
Speaker 1: American novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne once pinned, no man can wear
Speaker 1: one face to himself and another to the multitude without
Speaker 1: finally getting bewildered as to which may be true. Tiger
Speaker 1: Woods is one of my all time favorite tales on tap.
Speaker 1: I am honored to be your host, Jay Harris, thank
Speaker 1: you so much for joining me and never missing the
Speaker 1: dirt this has been Playing Dirty Sports Scandals. Playing Dirty
Speaker 1: Sports Scandals is a production of Dan Patrick Productions, Never
Speaker 1: Ever Productions, and Workhouse Media from executive producers Dan Patrick,
Speaker 1: Paul Anderson, Nick Panela, Maya Glickman, and Jennifer Clary. Hosted
Speaker 1: by Jay Harris, Written and produced by Jen Brown, Francy Haiks,
Speaker 1: my Eglictment and Jennifer Clare.