Domination- v. 1. To rule over; govern; control
2. To tower above; overlook; overshadow.
Tiger Woods dominated the sport of golf for over a decade. While Mark McGwire hit 70 home runs, Tiger was dominating golf. When George Bush was elected president, Tiger was dominating golf. When President Bush was reelected president, Tiger was dominating golf. When President Obama was elected president, Tiger Woods was dominating golf.
Tiger has spent 623 weeks ranked the number one golfer in the world, for you math wizards out there that’s nearly 12 years. The next closest to that number is Greg Norman who held the number one ranking for a total of 331 weeks. In addition, Tiger has 14 major titles, 3 grand slams, and 71 career wins. The great Jack Nicklaus along with Tiger are generally considered the top two golfers of all-time. Nicklaus won 18 majors, 3 grand slams, and 73 career wins on the PGA. However, Tiger’s achievements span 14 years whereas Jack’s span 25 years. So although great, it can’t be said that Nicklaus ever dominated the golfing world the way Tiger has. Heck, no one has ever dominated anything the way Tiger has dominated golf. So can Tiger catch Jack and surpass him for the most major wins of all-time? Of course he can and he will. Do I realize the health issues and the personal turmoil he has dealt with? Of course I do, (they have certainly been well documented, every single time Tiger tweets, we all have the pleasure of hearing it.) Despite this, Tiger will win again. There are several athletes who can be said to be dominators of their sport, and still experience troubles or slumps of some kind. For instance, Michael Jordan, took a sabbatical from basketball when his father passed away. When he resumed his basketball career he was as good as ever, as dominating as ever, winning three more championships, and two more MVP’s. Tiger is fully capable of having a similar resurgence.
Tiger is 35 years old, and despite his knee problems is in remarkable physical condition, Nicklaus won his last major well into his 40’s. If Tiger plays twelve more years he will have nearly fifty opportunities to win five majors. Tiger has proven he can easily accomplish that. Since November 2009 when the car accident and fall out from that occurred, the golfing world has not found a new candidate to replace Tiger as the king and dominator. Not one person has claimed multiple major titles, and the ranking of number one has already changed a couple times. So the door is open for Tiger to go in and dominate the way he used to and he will. Tiger has always been like a rock in his mental toughness and a relentless competitor, especially on the golf course. Players ahead of Tiger going into Sunday had to look back and know Tiger was going to make a run at them. He lost some of that the last two years but he’s looking to regain it and he will.
Domination-v. To rule over; govern; control
2. To tower above; overlook; overshadow.
Tiger has dominated the golfing world for years; it’s all he knows how to do. He’s had his sabbatical from the top, but he’s now poised to come back and take it. In the year 2036 Tiger Woods will have more major titles than anyone else in the history of golf.
Regan
*Definitions courtesy of dictionary.com
I think you're right on target. When a person thinks of golf, an image of Tiger first generates in that person's thoughts before any items associate to the game of golf. I believe Tiger will regain his game and focus very soon. We've seen guys like MJ, Kobe, and recently Michael Vick bounce back from traumatic, personal issues. Tiger is perhaps the greatest competitor the game has ever seen, so we know the will to win is there. What I am questioning about him is his mental toughness and his ability to achieve greatness while possessing a tainted image. Tiger recently fired his caddie who has remain loyal to him in good and bad times. I think that's wrong approach for Tiger. He must keep his loved ones (few nowadays) closer rather than diverting from them. This all takes a toll on him when he plays. But like all the greats athletes in sports history, they all have 3 phases: 1. greatness from the start 2. sluggishness due to trials and beatings of this world 3. remake or refinement of skills. I think Tiger can make this switch, but it will take some time. The storybook will not end disastrously. He will bounce back better, stronger, and sharper.
ReplyDeleteThe above comment was from Akwasi Opoku.
ReplyDeleteThanks Akwasi. It's amazing the brand Tiger created for himself, and the amount of money he make outside of golf because he's incredible at golf.
ReplyDeleteNo doubt. Last year, he managed to retain his spot as the highest paid athlete. Despite his poor display on the green and cuts in endorsements, the guy is still stud when it comes to earning money. He's in an elite club. I think there are 4 iconic figures that most people around the globe recognize within a heartbeat: Michael Jordan, Mohammed Ali, Tiger Woods, and Usian Bolt. You could throw Kobe in there. Tiger's fame and fortune will only expand as his game improves.
ReplyDelete--Akwasi
I don't think you should have used Mark McGwire as an example, he cheated! And I don't think that Tiger will come back, he has not played that well in the tournament this week. I think he is a has been.
ReplyDelete