The Rise & Fall Of Tiger Woods

The Rise & Fall Of Tiger Woods

[Music] from Hollywood. It’s the Mike Douglas Show. Right now, I’d like you to meet Tiger Woods and his father, Earl Woods. How old are you, Tiger? Tiger. His name is Eldrich Tiger Woods. And since he was 8 months old, he’s been playing golf. At 8 months, I had a cut down putter made for him. He climbed out out of his chair and he had a golf swing. Even though Tiger’s only 2 and a half years old, like the fellows on the PGA Tour, he can be reluctant to give interviews. Tiger, my career is in your hands right now. Will you please help me? Do you like playing golf? Yes or no? At age two, I took him out on a course and he played a regulation course, nine holes, which is par 36, and he shot a 48. He entered his first tournament, which was a pitch, putt, and drive tournament. and he was competing in the age category of 10 and under and at three he won it. It is generally assumed that Phil Mickelson, the left-hander out of the University of Arizona, will be the next great touring pro and he might well be. But no junior golfer in recent memory has received the kind of publicity than that of 15-year-old Tiger Woods. There is no limit to what he can be right now. I would put him on a par with at least 50% of the touring pros. Tiger won the US Junior Amateur in 1991 at just 15 years old, making him the youngest to ever win it. A year later, he returned to defend his title and did it again. Same tournament, same pressure, same result. He was started to make it look routine. But two wasn’t enough for Tiger. He came back in 1993 for a third, something no one had ever done. He was calm, focused, and playing some of the best golf of his life. Every opponent brought their best, but Tiger kept finding a way. When it was over, he stood alone. The first player to ever win it three times in a row. With a 3P under his belt, Tiger had done just about everything you could do in junior golf. The next step was college, and he chose Stamford, representing the school at the 1994 US Amateur. Into the trees again. I tell you one thing, that is some golf shot right there. [Music] [Applause] He knew what he was doing. [Music] And that’s going to do it. Tiger Woods is the youngest US amateur champion ever. Well, Tiger, I’m not sure if anybody’s ever come from six down in the finals of the US Amateur, but it was a sensational performance and we at ESPN congratulate you. Thanks. Best of luck in the future. Tiger’s win in the 1994 amateur put him on the map in a whole new way. He was just a freshman at Stamford, but already shown he could compete with the best amateurs in the country. In 1995, he came back to defend his title. Older, more experienced, and with a target on his back. Looks pretty good. Good looking putt here in the half. Good looking shot drawn right at the flag. Right over the flag and checking up and coming back. That won’t get it done. Second straight US amateur championship. An encore performance by the 19-year-old phenom. Five USJ titles before the age of 20. Some performance. I hit some bad shots early, but I just hung in there, kept patient, you know, something that uh I’ve been working on all year and it finally paid dividends. Winning once was impressive. Winning twice meant Tiger was on the edge of something historic. In 1996, he came back for one last run at the US Amateur. Everyone was watching. The pressure was bigger than ever, but so was his game. Going to leave himself a sidehill putt. This is at it. If it’s the right distance, will it come back? Yes, it will. And this time he’s got it. One down with two to play. Looks good. Great speed. It’s in. Are you serious, Tiger? Unbelievable. Nice shot starting left of the hole and cutting. Good looking shot. Great shot by Tiger Woods. Another Tiger comeback completed and with it, golf history. Three straight US amateur championships for Tiger Woods. Well, Tiger, we got to ask the question, what does this do is to your feelings as to whether you’ll turn pro or stay in school. I really don’t know right now. I just know one thing. I’m going to celebrate like hell tonight. I guess hello world, huh? Yesterday, I confirmed that I had decided to become a professional golfer. I did this because I wanted my final round as an amateur to be in the US Amateur Championship, which was a day that I will always remember. Tiger, uh, what is your goal for this week? What would make this a successful tournament for you? A victory. Nothing less. I’ve in my life, I’ve never gone to a tournament without thinking I I could win. That’s just the mindset I have. Um, each and every tournament, I go there to to try and win. What would be a successful week here at Milwaukee? two two things I think if I play four solid rounds and go off to a good start today. Um if I can do that for three more days I’ll be very happy and uh that victory would be awfully nice too. To me that comes off as uh a little cocky or brash especially talking to the you know the other guys on tour that have been out here for years and years and years and you know certainly an incredible amate record but what do you say to those guys first pro tournament and you say you know I can win. As I would explain to my dad, second sucks and third’s even worse. I want to win. That’s just my nature. You’ll learn. From Cypress, California, Tiger Woods. There you can see my little telling to bite and move and hop and jump. And I the result just literally a few feet from the hole. Second shot for Tiger Woods. 137 yds up the hill. Low shot for Tiger here, but it’s a good one. Wow. Brown deer 14th hole, 202 yd par three with a sixiron. Bring it in there. The ninth hole in one of his young life. You can see 67 69 73 68. It was a lot more difficult than I thought it would be. Um, you know, with with the media attention and um just the fact I haven’t got a chance to rest yet. Tiger made his pro debut at the Milwaukee Open in 1996 and he tied for 60th place. Not exactly the start you’d expect from golf’s most hype prospect, but what came next made people pay attention. The game got sharper, the finishes got better, and it didn’t take long for Tiger to show why the hype was real. Hey, after an eagle at 16, Tiger Woods te at the par 317. He’s 19 under. Nothing more than a seven iron down the hill for Tiger. A beautiful shot. Just a nice hard nine iron cut very close on the left hand side. That’s a good smart shot. Try to take the lead at 14. There it is. Sure read it right. [Applause] No center of the green there. This guy doesn’t know what the center of the green is. I don’t believe. I don’t think he knows what water and sand is. He certainly doesn’t know what fear is. [Applause] If Davis matches that, they’ll go back and play the bar 317. in just two months from his third straight US Open ground with US crown to his first professional victory. Tiger now to open up a two- shot advantage. Tiger Woods with a final round 66 battled all the way with Payne Stewart. That was fun to watch. It’s been a remarkable few months for you from coming from winning the US amateur to now winning two PGA Tour events. It’s uh it’s unbelievable an awful lot for a 20-year-old. We have to congratulate you. It’s unbelievable. But we now have to talk about the fact that you’re going to the Tour Championship next week. You know, I was just hoping to get my card. Uh good answer. By the end of 1996, Tiger had only been pro for a few months. But he’d already won twice, finishing at the top almost every week, and been named Rookie of the Year. Just a few months later, in April of 97, Tiger stepped onto Augusta’s first tea as a 21-year-old. It was his first masters as a professional, and everyone was waiting to see how he would do. Lovely, lovely stuff. [Music] The sandwich shot that must come up short of the pin now. [Applause] There it is. A win for the ages. Tiger Woods in a moment like no one has ever seen at the Masters, shattering record after record after record. The Green Jacket will be on his shoulders in just a moment. For a player to win a major early in his career is a tremendous advantage. it could be an advantage because it could perhaps relieve some pressure. The other way to look at it is that you win early and people start to expect an awful lot more of you all the time. I really don’t care what they think. Winning a major early. Um, I always had envisioned it. So, it’s really not that big a surprise to win a major by 21. I kind of thought I would do it by 22 or so. So, I kind of beat my own expectations. After the 97 masters, Tiger was left with an edge most didn’t have, and that was time. Winning a major comes with a 10-year exemption on the PGA Tour. And that meant he didn’t have to worry about keeping his card or chasing results. So in 1998, instead of competing for wins, he started rebuilding. He and coach Butch Harmon tore down parts of his swing to make it stronger, more consistent, more ready for the long haul. The results didn’t come right away. In fact, he went the whole year without a win. But underneath the surface, Tiger was reloading. And by the time the 1999 PJ Championship came around, it all started to show. You see that ball turning. This might be the greatest shot that I have ever seen of her carries. Unbelievable shot. [Applause] [Music] Come on down. By the end of 1999, Tiger wasn’t just winning again. He was dominating. He closed the year with eight wins, including the PJ Championship in a playoff. But that was just the start. In 2000, everything leveled up. The swing was locked in. The confidence was different, and the gap between him and everyone else, it only got wider. What followed that summer was one of the greatest runs sports has ever seen. Starting with the US Open at Pebble Beach. Just push it over to the right. Oh, he caught that awfully good. John, look at this. Look at this. Oh my left of the hole. Needs to get down a little bit, it looks [Applause] like. And Tiger Woods is the 100th US Open champion in history. [Applause] [Applause] Baby, get on. [Applause] She’s real quick. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] The 2000 PJ Championship was the final piece of a season that didn’t feel real. Three majors, nine wins, and Tiger wasn’t slowing down. If anything, the gap was growing. Over the next two seasons, he kept finding new levels. Whilst others chase trophies, Tiger was chasing history. [Applause] Oh, and he’s pulled it right at the hole. Look out. Work with good play. [Applause] There it is. As grand as it gets, Tiger has his slam. Something I never dreamt that I would ever see or ever thought that anyone could ever do. I think it’s the greatest feat I’ve ever known in all sports. In 2001, Tiger did something no one else in golf history ever had. He held all four major titles at the same time. Not in one calendar year, but all in a row. The US Open, the Open Championship, the PGA, and then the Masters. four straight one player. That run became known as the Tiger Slam. Tiger had completed everything there was to do in golf, but it wasn’t the end, it was a beginning. He came into 2002 still at the top and still hungry. The question had shifted. It wasn’t just can he win. It was who’s going to stop him? [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] I’ll see the number. Oh, he’s got a little curtain call here. Yes. [Applause] Tiger Woods joins Jack Nicholas and Nick Valdo as the only back-to-back champions in Masters history. After dominating the golf world in the late ‘9s and early 2000s, Tiger’s path through 2003 and 2004 was a bit more challenging. The victory slowed and despite flashes of brilliance, the majors remained just out of reach. But as 2005 rolled around, the narrative began to shift. Tiger ended the year with a renewed sense of focus. His game beginning to feel more like his own again. And with the masters just ahead, the pressure was [Applause] mounting in the [Applause] Tigers eight iron over the green. Here it comes. Oh my [Applause] goodness. Oh wow. Tiger off the fairway with eight iron. [Music] [Applause] Tiger to win the Masters. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] This is for dad. Every year that I’ve been lucky enough to won this tournament, my dad’s been there to give me a hug, and he wasn’t there today. Um, I can’t wait to get home and see him, to give him a big bear hug. Thank you. Tiger’s 2005 masters victory marked his return to dominance, a powerful moment in his career. But as his professional life flourished, his personal world was crumbling. His father, L. Woods, who had been his rock and greatest mentor, was fighting a losing battle with cancer. Just months after his master’s win, Tiger faced the devastating loss of his father. L passed away before the 2006 Open Championship, leaving Tiger to confront one of the toughest emotional battles of his life. In the midst of grieving, he prepared for the championship. A tournament that would be anything but routine. Watching anxiously just settle down there. [Music] He’s been practicing this length repeatedly after Sergio hold his no problem sticking with the iron as well. back to 10 Pro Dinners. And speaking of Tiger Woods, that’s not one shot. No way today. He finds the target. Normal passing. This might be a tough two putt, but maybe not for Tiger. It’s rolling. Oh, now that’s that’s an excellent ahead. De Marco’s got [Applause] a lucky break. [Applause] It bubbled just that little bit, didn’t it? as it left the club 67 to finish for Tiger Woods. Tiger Woods is the 135th Open Champion and there’s emotion there because I’m sure he’s thinking of his father and how much his father would have loved to have been here and see him winning in this way. Coming up to the 2008 US Open, Tiger was still winning, but his body was under serious strain. He had a torn ACL and two stress fracture in his leg. Most players wouldn’t have even considered teeing it up, but most players aren’t Tiger Woods. I mean, you would have given him, you know, incredibly high odds of just making the cut. I mean, he was hitting it, you know, incredibly bad. He was just his knee and his leg were in poor shape and he just couldn’t play. Fourth shot by though trying to make it. [Music] Boy, he went that hard. I don’t understand that. It’s going right, too. It’s just just about in the same line as West. Good with the flat stick. He wanted that one badly. We saw this earlier. He’s going to go crazy. And there we have it. At the right side of the green. Hey, not able to take that. that the right distance. [Applause] Unbelievable. I knew he’d make it. I knew it. Tiger. A few days after the US Open, Tiger revealed what no one knew. He’d won it with a torn ACL and a fractured leg. He went straight into surgery and missed the rest of the year. When he returned, it seemed like the legend hadn’t missed a step. He racked up wins, and there were moments where it felt like everything was back on track. But off the course, tension was mounting in his private life. Whispers turned into headlines and the pressure began to build behind the scenes. Then in November, everything unraveled. One moment changed the trajectory of his life and career, meaning nothing would ever be the same again. I need an ambulance immediately. I have someone down in front of my house. They hit a pole. Are you conscious? Yes. Okay. Are you able to tell if he’s breathing? Uh, no. I can’t tell right now. His wife um came out of the house when she heard the him the ax of him hitting the fire hydrant. Used a golf club is what we were told to break out the rear window to gain entrance into the vehicle, removed him from the vehicle and laid him down the street. In his statement, Tiger Wood says, quote, “The situation is my fault.” But he doesn’t say exactly what situation or how how he managed to crash his car just outside his driveway or why he was unconscious after the crash. These are just some of the unanswered questions in this mysterious case. And right now, Tiger Woods is not talking. In the days that followed, the questions began to outnumber the answers. Tiger Woods didn’t speak to police. Not once, not twice. On three separate occasions, he declined interviews, cancelled, rescheduled, then cancelled again. The world had just witnessed the fall of the most disciplined man in sports. And he had nothing to say. Why? Outside his home that night, he had crashed into a fire hydrant and a tree. But it wasn’t the damage of the car that caught people’s attention. It was what happened after, or maybe what happened before. His wife, Alen, shattered the back window of the SUV with a golf club. She told officers it was to rescue him, but headlines had already filled in the rest. A golf club, the symbol of his empire, now wielded in the chaos of a midnight emergency. Tiger had left the house in a rush. No socks, no shoes, barefoot into the dark like he was running from something. And maybe he was. Hey, it’s Tiger. I need you to do me a huge favor. Can you please take your name off your phone? My wife went to my phone and they’ll be calling you. So, if you can please take your name off that call. Just have it as a number. Okay, you got to do this for me quickly. All right. Bye. In the hours before the crash, Alen found text messages on Tiger’s phone. Messages from women he’d been secretly seeing. They were explicit, undeniable, and confirmed her worst fears. She confronted him. The argument escalated. Tiger tried to leave, but she followed, furious and betrayed. What happened next is only speculation, but what I can say is there was a golf club, a broken window, and Tiger barefoot driving off into the night. Over the next few days, more women came forward. Waitresses, party girls, adult film actresses, cocktail hostesses. Some had met him in nightclubs, others in hotel lobbies, during golf tournaments, and even on private flights. They shared similar stories. Late night messages, secret meetings, promises whispered in the dark. But now they were speaking out. For years, Tiger lived two lives. The well-known is a disciplined champion. The man who dominated golf with surgical precision. But in the shadows, there was another man, impulsive, reckless, and struggling to manage the secrets he couldn’t keep. As the truth unraveled, Tiger’s carefully crafted image began to crumble. The man who had once embodied success and perfection was now seen as a liability. The first major blow came from Akento, his longtime sponsor. They were quick to sever ties, citing the current situation as the reason. The company’s decision to drop Tiger was swift and public. And they weren’t the only ones. Gatorade, which had marketed Tiger for years with its Tiger focused campaign, also ended its relationship. Gillette, Takura, and PepsiCo all made moves to either reduce his presence in campaigns or cut ties altogether. Even companies that had stood by Tiger since the ‘9s, like Nike, were left to explain their continued partnership with him in the face of public scrutiny. A month after the crash, Tiger released a statement on his website acknowledging his actions and the harm they had caused. In it, he admitted to his infidelity and expressed deep regret for betraying his family and supporters. I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all my heart. I have brought this on myself and I am the only one to blame. Tiger apologized to his wife, his children, his friends, and fans. He explained that he would be taking time away from golf to focus on his personal life, repair his marriage, and seek professional help. He pledged to earn back the trust and respect of those I have hurt, emphasizing that he intended to deal with his issues privately and fully. Nearly 3 months later, Tiger reemerged, not on a course, not in a commercial, but at a podium. On February 19th, 2010, he stood before a small group of friends, family, and reporters to apologize. I know I have bitterly disappointed all of you. I have made you question who I am and how I could have done the things I did. I am embarrassed that I have put you in this position. For all that I have done, I am so sorry. It’s hard to admit that I need help, but I do. For 45 days from the end of December to early February, I was in inpatient therapy receiving guidance for the issues I’m facing. I have a long way to go, but I’ve taken my first steps in the right direction. By mid 2010, Tiger checked into rehab again. This time for an addiction to Vicodin and Ambient, painkillers to get through the day, sleeping pills to shut it all off at night. What started his treatment had slowly become routine. He made his much anticipated return to golf. A few months later at the Masters, the world held his breath, hoping to witness the golfer who had once dominated the sport. His return, however, was far from a triumphant one. While Tiger had been away from the game, rebuilding his personal life after the scandal, his body had been slowly deteriorating. Despite an emotional return to Augusta, it was clear that Tiger was no longer the intriguable force he once was. His swing, once perfect and fluid, looked different. The pain in his back was evident and it showed in his inconsistent play. His first few tournaments back were a mix of near misses and early exits. Not the Tiger of old who dominated from start to finish. Over the next few years, the physical toll took center stage. In 2014, Tiger underwent back surgery for the first time. He tried to power through it, but by 2015, his back was still causing major issues, forcing him to go under the knife once again. Each time, there was hope. the surgery would fix him, that he’d find his old form. But pain persisted. By 2016, things only got worse. His back problems intensified, and after a particularly painful period, Tiger made the decision to take time off from the sport. He withdrew from multiple tournaments, including the 2016 Masters, the event which had once been his playground. Amid all the uncertainty, Tiger’s personal battles resurfaced with a moment of poor judgment off the course, threatening to derail everything that he had worked for. So, where are you coming from today? Uh, just Okay. Do you know where you’re going? Uh, no. I I like to drive. I’m sorry. I I like to drive. You don’t have to walk anywhere. I’m placing you under arrest for suspicion of driving under the influence. Okay. Thankfully for Tiger, the arrest didn’t turn into something worse. After being taken back to the station, he submitted to a breathalyzer test and passed. No alcohol in his system. He hadn’t been drinking, but he had been under the influence. A toxiology report revealed that he had a cocktail of five medications in his system. Vicodin, diluted, Xanax, ambient, and THC. Tiger would go on to plead guilty to reckless driving. He avoided jail time but was placed on probation, ordered to complete a DUI program and required to perform community service. This DUI arrest marked rock bottom for Tiger Woods. He had fallen before in the public eye in his personal life on the leaderboard. But this was different. The man once known for his control, his focus, his invincibility now look lost. Mugsh shot plastered across every new screen. Body broken, reputation in pieces. For many it looked like the end. But behind the scenes, something was shifting. In April 2017, just weeks before his arrest, Tiger underwent a spinal fusion surgery, his fourth back operation, and most serious yet. It was a last resort. He couldn’t sit, couldn’t stand, couldn’t swing a club without immense pain. If this didn’t work, his playing days were over. Slowly, steadily, Tiger began to heal. Not just physically, but mentally. Step by step, tournament by tournament, he found his way back. The swing returned. So did the belief. By 2018, he was competing again. And by April 2019, Tiger Woods walked onto the grounds at Augusta, majorless for 11 years. What happened next would become one of the greatest comebacks in sports history. Look at [Music] this. Not going to be short, is it? There he goes. This is just perfection. The apex. That was magnificent. [Applause] [Applause] 17 and just a tap in for Tiger. So played for the slope for safety. I can’t believe I’ve never seen Tiger play for safety. Let him history, but here it is, the return to glory. [Applause]

The Rise & Fall of Tiger Woods explores the incredible highs and devastating lows of one of the most iconic athletes in history. From his record-breaking dominance on the golf course, to the public unraveling of his personal life, to the injuries that nearly ended his career — and the miraculous comeback that stunned the world.

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