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The game of golf has traditionally been considered a game only played by the wealthy, especially in the game’s beginnings in Scotland.  In the United States, the PGA Tour began in 1929, representing the best golfers in the country, all of whom were white.  Since then, that has changed and race no longer plays the same role that it used to.   Now, when we watch any type of sport, we see that racial barriers and strong limitations are no longer what they used to be and people of all races and nationalities are playing any given sport. Sports are now played by the best players regardless of what they look like, or where they came from.  Who do we credit this to? In the world of golf, it would be Tiger Woods.

Although African American golfers preceded Tiger Woods, he is the one who not only eliminated racial barrier in golf, but also did so much more for his sport regarding off course events from the media to endorsements.  Tiger was one of the first golfers to sign a big endorsement deal and his biggest was with Nike in the early 90s for just over $20 million dollars per year, more than any other golfer at that time, and that came as a surprise to many.  

There have been plenty of comments regarding Tiger’s race like Sergio Garcia’s press conference after Tiger’s Player’s Championship victory, but he refuses to let those impact his playing on the course and constantly remains focused on his goal each weekend, coming home with another trophy. He has seventy nine and fourteen major championships.  The African American golfers that preceded Tiger were not as popular and that is in part due to the popularity of the sport at the time, but also because there could never be another player that had the same level of talent and passion that Tiger depicted on the golf course.  Tiger brought excitement and strength to a rather dull and boring (parallelism) sport played by generally older people.  “Golf may be making Tiger a rich man, but in turn, Tiger made golf one cool game” (Kagan). We take a look at the man who makes golf and his success look effortless.”  From the time of Tiger’s first tournament until his last, the biggest crowds and loudest galleries will be following him no matter if he is in the lead, in contention, or in last place.

Tiger was born to an African American father, and Asian mother, in California in 1975, the same year the first African American played in the Masters by the name of Lee Elder.  Without Elder, Tiger would not be in the position that he is today.  Tiger credits Elder with a lot his success and says that he paved the way for Tiger to work, play, and win on the PGA Tour.  Tiger is without a doubt the most successful golfer to ever play the game and it seems unlikely that arguably the world’s best golfer comes from where he does regarding his parents and their background.  Although his family wasn’t poor, many people would’ve never guessed that with his family’s background Tiger would be a champion golfer.  Tiger defied all odds as a kid to fulfill his life goal of becoming a professional golfer.  Today, comments are still thrown at Tiger regarding his roots and race and one is very famous said at a press conference by Fuzzy Zoeller:  “The flap over the racial identity of Tiger Woods just won't go away. Sure, it won't the tremendous accomplishment of his winning this year's Masters golf tournament. Nor will it erase insensitive comments of perennial jokester Fuzzy Zoeller, called Woods a ‘little boy’ and joked about him eating fried chicken and collard greens (Strege).   As discouraging as it was for an African American to play golf in the 70s and 80s, Tiger knew what he wanted to do regardless of how he would be treated, and he wanted his playing on the course to talk for him.  Tiger possess many qualities people desire and that is why he is looked up to not only by golfers, but also athletes of other sports.  Tiger is loved by the public regardless of his mistakes because what he stood for was so much bigger; breaking down the racial barrier in not only golf, but many other sports across the world.  Tiger wasn’t going to be denied anything in the game of golf and the public enjoyed that because he got everything he worked for and deserved.  He is a model for all people due to his work ethic and his persistency.  Tiger works countless hours and his practice routine can only be admired by his peers as it could never be replicated. As Tiger’s career went on people began to look past the color of his skin and focus more on the pure artistry he could do on the golf course. Who would’ve thought that the first African American golfer wouldn’t have played in the Masters until 1975, but another African American by the name of Tiger Woods filled the stands at Augusta National Golf Club just a few years later and would win the tournament six times in his career.  He is looked at as the face of Nike, the face of Golf, and quite possibly the face of sports.

Bibliography

 

"Encore Presentation: From Boyhood Fame to Grand Slam, Tiger Woods: Fairway Legend." Narr.

Daryn Kagan. People in the News. 11 Aug. 2001. Transcript. eLibrary. Web. 14 Dec. 2016.

 

This source talks about how Tiger began as a young kid with a dream to then overcoming racial remarks and comments, to then becoming a major champion and working hard to be the best golfer he could be.  He wanted the sport to represent the sophistication of American society and all the differences it shows.  Tiger changed the game while becoming the face of the game by bringing excitement and a sort of fearlessness out on the golf course that people mimic today.  Tiger inspired a whole generation of golfers, and it is because of him golf is what it is today.

 

"This Nation Is Not Yet Color-Blind." Emerge. 31 Aug. 1997: PG. eLibrary. Web. 14 Dec. 2016.

 

This source talks about racial injustice and comments said to and about Tiger during the early stages of his career.  It talks about where he comes from and his background especially of his mother and father.  It seems unlikely for Tiger to be a golfer coming from where he does. It wasn’t easy for Tiger to do what he did, but without him, golf would quite possible still look as it did years ago.  

 

John Strege. "Changing The Story Lines." Golf World. 28 Jul. 2014: 22. eLibrary.

Web. 13 Oct. 2016.

 

This source talks about how Tiger became one of the first African Americans to play golf and change the story lines in the game of golf.  Without him, golf wouldn’t be the game that it is today.  Tiger inspired a wave of minority golfers to play the game and make the next step and get to the PGA Tour.  Tiger is the face of golf and broke through the racial barriers of the game, which led to a wave of new golfers and forever changed the game as a whole.