THERE IS no sport as dependant on one person for its revenue, popularity, participation, and relevance than Golf.
In a generation blessed with superstars across sports, we have witnessed numerous candidates for greatest of all time (“GOAT”) in their particular sports, but when it comes to the GOAT across sports and time both spatially and laterally, then there are few who stand out above the rest. Amazingly, some of the greatest are in this generation, and this isn’t just because of the further monetization or exposure that each athletes’ accolades receive. Simply put, sports is a career and a business, therefore the level of competition both quantitatively as well as qualitatively goes up exponentially once the dollars make cents (pardon the pun). Given this aspect, it is hard to ignore the level of athleticism and accomplishment that athletes across the world routinely attain, and usually with more than a little whiff of charisma, personality, or allure.
Until recently, it was a foregone conclusion that the greatest athlete of all time was the great Muhammad Ali, who was an epochal boxer, statesman, and media wunderkind. A pariah as well as a messiah, Ali remains etched in most fans’ minds as the man who stung the world out of submission, yet floated transcendently above human accomplishment.
But, look around, and there are icons in every sport who are activating merchandise, sponsorships, awareness and of course breaking records almost daily. While most may never reach the levels of greatest of all time, there are some who are definitely legitimate contenders for that fictional moniker- Sachin Tendulkar, Manny Pacquiao (if he beats Mayweather), Lionel Messi, Michael Phelps, Tom Brady, Alex Rodriguez, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and of course, the front-runner (at least in his sport) – Roger Federer. These are iconic figures, whose sportsmanlike allure is counterbalanced by their lucrative appeal. Each is immensely important to his sport, and the overall profitability of each particular sports’ business side will take a massive hit were any of these individuals to retire or diminish in their capability. But, the sport will more likely than not survive and at some point rebound. Tendulkar has heirs apparent waiting to create their own records (although none likely will), Pacquiao is aging in a generation of appealing boxers in the lower weight categories such as Saul Alvarez and Amir Khan, and the story is similar in virtually every other sport. Even in tennis, Rafa and Djokovic are not too far behind in bankability, and tennis is moving from strength to strength.
Ironically, there is one sport where no matter how poorly the protagonist performs, or how downtrodden his ethical and moral considerations appear to be, he remains the man who snarls as the others cower. Tiger Woods is Golf. There is no circuit that exists without him, and despite a bulrush of superlatively talented youngsters both European and American, there is no one who can galvanize a crowd like Tiger can. He has been to the depths of career suicide both on and off the course, and there is no amount of mud-slinging, maligning, libel or slander that he has not been exposed to in the last three years or so, but the man remains, and so does his legend. One can point, repudiate, chastise or judge, but Tiger really didn’t ask for most of it. In fact, he was accused at his peak of being too cold, too aloof, too private, too insulated, and just too darn good.
Today, he is none of those things. A 100 meter dash to the line which would pronounce him the GOAT across sports and time now is more like a marathon that he may not finish. Stuck at 14 majors, the record of 18 doesn’t seem to be a sure shot, similar to when Roger was stuck at his career defining total. But again, it doesn’t matter. Because Tiger can still rake in the sponsors, rake in the crowds, create TRP ratings with more magic dust than David Copperfield, and it’s simply because in sports – contact sports included, the energy surrounding a Tiger surge on the back nine of the final round is both awe-inspiring and riveting. The air of inevitability never gets stale, and even when his comebacks have been short-lived, the breathlessness and anxiety while the comeback was on, remains.
Tiger had become a joke, a mockery, a tabloid tale. But while he may have buckled, he did not bend. A man who is accused of forcing stoicism upon his ex-wife since he was ‘expected to win’, is more human and erring than ever on the golf course. And the crowd loves it and him. He on his own can rally for Olympics recognition for Golf (his sponsor ‘Buick’ actually launched ad campaigns during the Beijing games in 2008), but above all else, he is a multi-billion dollar property. He is the sport of golf, and when Tiger crawls, the sport flounders. When he crouches, the sport senses some hope. And when he roars, the sport goes in for the kill. And now, finally, when his third swing change is starting to yield dividends, the Augusta Masters is set for its most exciting line-up ever. And believe it or not, Tiger is likely to swarm Georgia with front-runner/favorite status in tow. This despite his winning just his first PGA tour title in nearly 30 months. But then, this is Tiger we are talking about, and already his competitors seem far less smug and wary with their one-line quips.
It may have been a distant memory for the last 30 months of hapless comebacks, but on Sunday at the Arnold Palmer invitational, Tiger showed his true stripes, and the world of golf rubbed its hands in glee – yes, even the haters. Because Tiger is the business of Golf, and while the jury may be out on his place in the inter-sport GOAT debate until he breaks the majors’ record, there is one thing that is for sure. Tiger is the Greatest Athlete Brand of All Time, and from a sports perspective, he is the unanimous MVP for his sport. Even when he doesn’t sit at the pinnacle of the rankings, his roar is ever-present. Golf is truly back in the hunt, and going for the kill.
