Fans recall their favorite Tiger tales, part two | Things you don't know about Tiger Woods | Fans recall their favorite Tiger tales | Woods grows into golfing legend before our eyes | Woods inches closer to owning his swing | Woods' pro debut a memorable, if not a winning, one | What they're saying about Tiger now | What they said about Tiger back in 1996/97 | Players share Tiger stories | Tiger Woods also a legend off the course with charitable work | Share Your Tiger Memories Three weeks ago, several days before he would win the PGA Championship, a reporter asked Tiger Woods to quantify the impact he’s had on the game of golf over the last decade. The abundantly talented 30-year-old mentioned all those trophies he has won, a number has now swelled to 52 with that victory at Medinah and the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational last week. “That’s a good impact, I think,” Woods said, grinning. He added that he’d like to think he made the game better. Perhaps most importantly of all, though, Woods said he hopes that he’s made golf more attractive for young people because he knows the many benefits it can bring. “I know when I was growing up, golf was not a cool sport to play. You were considered a wuss for playing,” Woods said. “Now I think it's more of an accepted sport and a viable sport, as well. I think you're seeing a lot more juniors out there hitting the golf ball around more than I did when I first came out here on TOUR.” The correlation is unmistakable -- and not because of the reach of the popular EA Sports video game that bears his name or the Nike “swoosh” on his cap, either. Woods is the most recognizable athlete on the planet with what PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem last week called “penetrating impact.” He’s young, handsome, courteous, well-spoken and polite -- and Woods seemingly rewrites history every time he plays. His multi-ethnic heritage only serves to broaden his appeal. Not surprisingly, endorsement deals with high-profile clients like Nike, American Express and Buick have made Woods a very rich man with mansions around the globe and a yacht named “Privacy,” which is something he rarely gets. At the same time, he’s helped those businesses grow their brand and lent credibility to their varied products. But Woods has chosen to share the wealth, too. Ten years ago, he and his late father, Earl, launched the Tiger Woods Foundation, which has now reached an estimated 10 million youngsters and distributed more than $30 million through grants, scholarships and the Tiger Woods Learning Center, which opened this year. And this week, there is a particular synergy between Woods the golfer and Woods the philanthropist working on both sides of the United States. Woods seeks his fifth straight victory this week in Boston at the Deutsche Bank Championship, which just happens to benefit the Tiger Woods Foundation. And in Woods’ native California, some of those same young people he’s inspired will be playing alongside Champions Tour pros in the Wal-Mart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach. The game’s No. 1 player does more than pay lip service to what he sees as an opportunity to engage youngsters and help them embark on a better life through the TWF. He’s not preaching golf, as much as he’s talking life. “I'm saying this is an opportunity for you, and it's an opportunity for you to grow as a person. I think that's what really matters,” Woods said several years ago. “What I like to harp on is their self-esteem. If their self-esteem is high and if they love themselves, they'll be great people. They'll be role models for other kids as well once they get older. “If society could have that, could have kids growing up with high self-esteem, motivated and live their life correctly and if they can care and share, I mean, society would be wonderful and that's why I try to preach within my Foundation.” The TWLC is the crown jewel of the Foundation. Officially opened on Feb. 10 with Maria Shriver and former President Bill Clinton joining Woods at the ceremony, the $25-million, two-story facility in Anaheim, Calif., serves students from grades 4 through 12. “I’m impressed that Tiger Woods decided to do this when he was 30 instead of when he was 60,” Clinton told the Associated Press at the time. “It’s hard to have great gifts and bring them to bear in the public eye under enormous pressure when you’re young.” Students focus on career orientation, exploration and preparation in age specific programs at the 14-acre campus. They learn their interest in “CSI: Miami,” for instance, might translate into a career in forensic science. Classes as diverse as home design and repair, astronomy, genetics, oceanography, physics, robotics and video production -- to name a few -- are offered. Students learn to use computer programs and discover the educational power of the Internet, as well. Oh, and there’s also a practice facility that includes a driving range and putting and chipping areas. The facility was built adjacent to the Dad Miller public course where Woods once practiced and played matches for Williams High School. The idea for the TWLC was conceived in the days following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and Woods pledged $5 million to get his dream off the ground. A variety of corporate and private sponsors followed suit, and this year an estimated 5,000 students will be served. “I never thought we could ever pull this off, even when I first started the Foundation,” Woods said. “I thought maybe we could just do clinics, but I thought we were so limited in doing clinics, I didn't think we could touch enough lives. With this building and hopefully subsequent buildings down the road, I think we can really make a tremendous impact on kids' lives and futures. “Golf has been merely a vehicle for me to gain awareness for our foundation, and now that what we're doing right now with our educational and some of the philanthropic activities we're engaged in, that's what I would ultimately be remembered for -- not hitting high draws and fades but the people I was able to help and change their lives in a positive way.” Funds to support the Tiger Woods Foundation are generated by the Target World Challenge Presented by Countrywide, Tiger Jam Presented by AT&T and the TWLC Block Party, as well as the private and corporate donations. Among the entertainers and celebrities who have been involved are Prince, Sting, Bon Jovi, Terri Hatcher, Charles Barkley, Ray Romano, Kevin James and chef Bobby Flay. This week’s Deutsche Bank Championship has also contributed more than $4.5 million for the TWF and charities in New England. Woods says the Foundation allows him to make a more lasting impact rather than just a one-week contribution whenever he plays a tournament or gives a clinic somewhere. “I think that's so important that you give kids hope,” Woods once said. “By being a positive role model, I think you can do that. Because when I was a little boy, I had my father, as well as a couple of other people. And, they were my role models. And, I think if people have positive role models, they'll be positive people.” |
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