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January 23, 2025 41 mins

Tiger Woods was not just a golfer; he was a global icon, a symbol of perfection both on and off the course. From his early rise to greatness, heavily influenced by his father’s unwavering guidance, to his unprecedented dominance in the world of golf, Tiger seemed invincible. But behind the meticulously crafted image, cracks began to form. In 2009, a shocking car accident unraveled a web of personal scandals that would shake the foundations of his career and his life. As the world watched, Tiger’s image of perfection crumbled under the weight of infidelity, addiction, and public disgrace. Yet, despite the odds, he would embark on an extraordinary journey of redemption. Join host Jay Harris as he explores the meteoric rise, the catastrophic fall, and the remarkable comeback of one of the most iconic athletes in history—Tiger Woods.

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Speaker 1 (00:08):
Welcome back to playing dirty sports Scandals. I'm your host
and barista extraordinaire, Jay Harris. Today I'm serving up the
story of one of the most iconic athletes of all time,
Tiger Woods, a name synonymous with epic achievement. Tiger Woods
revolutionized the sport of golf and became a cultural phenomenon.

(00:29):
But just as prune and grapefruit fusion blends hit the
big time before becoming a dark note in most people's
recipe books, Tiger woods meteoric trajectory would be marred by scandal. Meh, Yeah,

(00:50):
the heyday of prune and grapefruit blends is over for
a reason. That's just h But what was the reason
Tiger Woods starred in From the outset, it seemed unimaginable
that Tiger would miss his shot at consistent professional and
personal greatness. Born as Eldrick Tant Woods on December thirtieth,

(01:13):
nineteen seventy five, in Cypress, California, Tiger quickly proved worthy
of his ferocious nickname under the guidance of his driven father,
Earl Woods. Earl was a retired U. S. Army officer
and named his son after his friend South Vietnamese colonel
of Wangdong Fong, known as Tiger Fong. I never knew
him as Tiger Pong. Tiger Woods would later explain, my

(01:36):
father would talk about him so much. He was tiger Ie,
the first Tiger. It was important to Earl Woods that
his son live up to his namesake, and it became
apparent early on that this kid had the natural talent
to do so. Earl recognized Tiger's athletic potential around the
same time most new parents are thrilled to just see

(01:57):
their little one sitting up independently. When Tiger was ten
months old, I unstrapped him out of his high chair
one day and he walked over and hit the ball.
Earl would later recall in the HBO documentary, Tiger I said,
Oh my god, I've got something special. Earle wasn't wrong,
and he was certainly determined to help his son fulfill

(02:19):
his potential. Tiger's mother, called Tita Woods, who goes by Tita,
is originally from Thailand and made Earle's parental enthusiasm look tame.
Tiger confessed to USA Today in twenty seventeen that his mother,
Tita was the enforcer. My dad may have been in
the Special Forces, Tiger said, but I was never afraid
of him. My mom's still here and I'm still deathly

(02:43):
afraid of her. She's a very tough, tough lady, very demanding.
I love her so much, but she was tough. The
combination of Earl and Tita as his parents, plus his
incredible natural athleticism, made Tiger Woods a competitor out to
Gate at just eighteen months old. Earl took Tiger to

(03:04):
the practice range for the first time, where he emptied
an entire bucket of balls using a cut down iron.
Soon after, Tiger played his first hole, a par four
four hundred and ten yard challenge, where he recorded an eleven.
For you who are not golf officiados, that is a
remarkable feat for someone so young and for some of

(03:26):
us who are not so young. By the time Tiger
was two years old, he was already capturing significant media attention.
Los Angeles sports anchor Jim Hill featured him in a
segment declaring, this young man is going to be to
golf what Jimmy Connors and Chris Everett are to tennis.
Tiger was also on The Mike Douglas Show, where he

(03:46):
wowed audiences by putting on an exhibition alongside comedian Bob
Hope at three years old, when most kids are first
learning how to catch a ball and dress themselves, Tiger
broke fifty on nine holes for the first time, shooting
a forty eight on the Destroyer course at the Navy Facility.

(04:07):
To put this into perspective, it's an achievement that even
golf legends like Jack Nicholas didn't accomplish until they were
much older. Earl and Tita had a full time force
of nature on their hands with toddler Tiger, and they
knew he needed professional guidance. Tiger's parents found him his
first pro golf teacher, Rudy Durant, in nineteen eighty. Back then,

(04:31):
Rudy was an assistant pro at Hartwell Golf Course, a
collection of petit par three's in Long Beach, California. He
ran a junior golf program for one hundred kids, and
when Tiger showed up as his youngest participant, Rudy didn't
know what to expect, but it didn't take long for
tiny Tiger to become Rudy Durand's biggest focus. The coach

(04:51):
remembers being immediately impressed, saying he was blown away by
Tiger's swing. And it wasn't just Tiger's skills that far
exceeded his years. His fiercely competitive nature began to emerge
as well. His mother Tita, observed that he would quote
show a bit of temper when he didn't make a part,
and Rudy duran told golf dot Com how Tiger would

(05:13):
be frustrated by his physical limitations at four and a
half years old, turning to strategy to overcome his age
related challenges. By the time he was five years old,
Tiger Woods had his first set of clubs properly fitted
by Rudy Durant, and he was ready to take his
game to the next level. Tiger's accomplishments piled up. At

(05:33):
age six, he played in a two hole exhibition with
golf legend Sam Snead, finishing just one stroke behind him.
He then entered the Optimist Junior World ten and Under
division in San Diego, where he finished eighth out of
a field of one hundred and fifty. At age eight,
Tiger won his first Optimist Junior World title. He would

(05:55):
win it again at age nine. There was no doubt
about it. Tiger Woods was a bonafide golf prodigy before
his tenth birthday. Everyone saw greatness written into his future.
Even a Buddhist monk on a family trip to Thailand
would tell Tita that her son was special. As Tiger grew,

(06:18):
his talent grew with him. He dominated the junior golf circuit,
winning the Optimist International Junior Championship six times, and at
just fifteen years old, he became the youngest ever US
Junior Amateur champion. On the heels of this achievement, Tiger
won three consecutive US Junior Amateur titles, followed by three

(06:39):
US Amateur titles, a feat no one had accomplished before.
It felt as if there weren't enough awards yet created
for Tiger Woods to win. The teenager was simply unstoppable.
Even the golf legend Byron Nelson, after seeing Tiger play,
would gush to fellow legend Tom Watson, I've seen Ben, Jack, Nicholas,

(07:01):
and you. I've seen them all, Tom. This young fellow
has no weaknesses. These were proved to be loaded words
in later years, but as Tiger bordered on adulthood, He's
seen in his natural habitat on a pedestal. Unsurprisingly, Tiger
Woods was heavily recruited by colleges. He chose Stanford University,

(07:23):
the nineteen ninety four NCAA champion, and enrolled there in
the fall of nineteen ninety four under a golf scholarship.
His first collegiate tournament was the fortieth annual William H.
Tucker Invitational, and just as everyone expected him to, he won.
While Tiger only spent two years playing for Stanford before
leaving college to turn pro, he would describe it as

(07:45):
one of the best times in his life, saying, I
really enjoyed being stimulated by the students and professors. Some
were geniuses and others were Olympic athletes. It's amazing how
well rounded they are. That's what's so cool about it.
I must soak up that experience. According to his Stanford
friend Casey Martin, college really was an opportunity for Tiger

(08:07):
to soak up normal, age appropriate activities for the first
time in his life. Casey told Golf Digest, I love Tiger.
He's the greatest at his sport, maybe ever, but I'll
never forget one time a bunch of us were having
a grand time watching Tiger dance. You know a guy
that's so dominant, you've got to bring him down a little.

(08:27):
You've got to look for his weaknesses and really expose it.
I think we found it at Stanford Dancing. It's a
bad deal. Ha. But while Tiger Woods may have stood
out in a bad way for his terrible dancing, he
stood out in a positive way as a black trailblazer

(08:48):
in golf. Golf is a predominantly white sport. Even today,
The National Golf Foundation reports that just three percent of
all recreational golf players are black, and only one point
five five percent of competitive golfers are black. A handful
of athletes have paved the way for Tiger's dominance, golfers
like Charlie Sifford, Lee Elder, and Calvin Pete. Charlie Sifford,

(09:11):
often referred to as the Jackie Robinson of golf, broke
the color barrier on the PGA Tour in nineteen sixty one,
enduring significant racism and prejudice to create opportunity for future generations.
While Charlie would declare his endless love of golf, he
would also say I don't smile much and I never laugh.
If you'd been through what I've been through, you wouldn't

(09:33):
be smiling either. Tiger Woods would later make clear the
impact Charlie's trailblazing had on his own life by naming
his son after him. In fact, Tiger called Charlie Siffert
the grandpa I never had, and said that had Charlie
not broken the PGA color barrier, he might never have
played golf. My dad would have never picked up the

(09:55):
game without Charlie as a role model, Tiger explained similarly,
Lee Elder came the first black offer to play in
the Masters Tournament in nineteen seventy five. This was a
momentous event that challenged the segregationist history of the sport
and especially of Augusta National Golf Course. It was also
an event riddled with fear for Lee, who put his

(10:16):
personal safety on the line to participate. Leading up to
the tournament, Lee received large amounts of hate mail, and
during the week of the tournament, he rented two houses
in town and kept moving between them to make his
whereabouts difficult to nail down. It was very nerve racking,
Lee would tell CNN later, I was shaking so badly.

(10:37):
I did not know if I was even going to
be able to tee up the ball, but Lee persisted
and laid yet another stepping stone for Calvin Pete, who
won twelve PGA Tour events in the nineteen eighties. Calvin
would be the most successful Black offer until Tiger Woods
came on the scene. Tiger Woods rise to fame in

(10:59):
the nineteen nine and he's brought a new level of
visibility and inclusivity to the sport. His impact was immediate
and undeniable. By the time Tiger turned pro in nineteen
ninety six, the world was already watching closely. Within a year,
he had won his first major championship at the nineteen
ninety seven Masters, by a record breaking twelve strokes, becoming

(11:22):
the youngest Master's champion in history at just twenty one
years old. Tiger Woods was not only following in the
footsteps of Charlie Sifford, Lee Elder and Calvin Pete, he
was transcending the sport, becoming a global icon and inspiring
a new generation of golfers from diverse backgrounds. With his
signature fist pump and incredible intensity, Tiger not only won tournaments,

(11:46):
he captured the imagination of fans around the world. Over
the next decade, Tiger became the fastest player to win
fifty tournaments on the PGA Tour, and by two thousand
and one, he had completed what was to become known
as the Tiger Slam by holding all four major titles
from the Masters Tournament, PGA Championship, US Open, and the

(12:08):
Open Championship at the same time. This was an unprecedented achievement.
This combination of power, precision, and mental strength made him
nearly unbeatable, and Tiger Woods became a household name, not
just in golf, but in sports and popular culture at large.
Lucrative endorsement deals with major brands like Nike and titleists

(12:30):
naturally flowed to Tiger, making him a very wealthy man
while simultaneously bringing golf into the mainstream. Tiger Woods was
on top of the world, but as we've explored time
and time again on playing dirty meteoric rises come with
tremendous pressure. The expectations placed on Tiger by his parents

(12:51):
in the world were immense. As the victories piled up,
so did the demands on his time, his body, and
his psyche. It would be the same relentless drive that
pushed Tiger to the top of the golf world that
would ultimately contribute to his dramatic and scandalous fall. On

(13:15):
the evening of November twenty seventh, two thousand and nine,
the sports world was rocked by breaking news that Tiger Woods,
this seemingly invincible golf icon, had been involved in a
car accident outside his home in Windermere, Florida. What was
initially reported to be a minor traffic incident was soon
revealed to be something much more complex and sensational. Tiger Woods,

(13:42):
driving his Cadillac Escalator around two thirty am, had struck
a fire hydrant and a tree just a few yards
from his driveway. How could this happen to such a
controlled and disciplined athlete. It's difficult to imagine that the
golfer who unleashed a two hundred and eighteen yard Masters
stroke from a pile of wet sand at the two
thousand RBC Canadian Open would struggle to park. People didn't

(14:07):
buy it, and as the hours and days passed, the
narrative surrounding the incident began to shift, as relentless questions
poured in why had Tiger Woods been leaving his home
at such an odd hour? Why had Tiger's wife at
the time, model Elin Nordegren, used a golf club to
smash the back window of the vehicle to help her

(14:29):
husband escape from a low impact crash. Why had Tigers
sustained facial injuries? What was going on with golf scolden boy.
In the days and weeks that followed, the carefully guarded
facade of Tiger Wood's life began to unravel at an
alarming rate. Reports started surfacing that the crash was not

(14:50):
just a simple accident that it created thirty two hundred
dollars in residential property damage, but rather the culmination of
a heated argument between Tiger and Elin. Tiger Woods and
Elin Nordegren seemed to be the couple who had it all.

(15:11):
They met during the two thousand and one British Open.
Elan was working as a nanny for Swedish golfer Yesper
Parnavic's family, and Tiger quickly took notice, recognizing her as
the true grand prize. According to Jesper's wife, Mia Parnavik,
Elan had no interest in Tiger and he was okay
with that. There was a big line of single golfers

(15:32):
wanting to meet her. They were gaga over her, but
Tiger Woods never backed down from a challenge, so he
pulled out his famous long game to wu Elan, finally
getting her to say yes to his proposal at the
Shamwari Game Reserve in November two thousand and three. On
October fifth, two thousand and four, the couple married at
the Sandy Lane Resort in Barbados. Tiger rented the entire

(15:55):
complex for a week at a cost of almost two
million dollars in honor of the celebration. This included exclusive
access to three golf courses and all one hundred ten rooms.
The wedding went great of beaming Tiger Woods set after
the ceremony. It was a very special occasion. We just
had a great time with all the families there, and

(16:19):
then it seemed to the outside world that the great
times kept right on rolling for Tiger and Elin. They
lived in a seven nine hundred and forty square foot
multi million dollar mansion in a gated community. They welcomed
two beautiful, healthy children, first a daughter, sam Alexis Woods,
on June eighteenth, two thousand and seven, and then a son,

(16:40):
Charlie Axelwoods, on February eighth, two thousand and nine. It's
great when you see people who've been married for twenty
thirty forty years and they're still in love. That's what
I want for Elin and I, Tiger told People magazine.
It really seemed that Tiger Woods was not just a
phenomenal golfer, but all so an incredible husband and father.

(17:05):
But his car crash on November twenty seven, two thousand
and nine, exposed a double life. Journalists were quick to
uncover that Tiger and Elan had had an argument the
previous evening on Thanksgiving Day about his infidelity. Allegedly, Elin
discovered romantic text messages between her husband and Rachel Yukuatel,

(17:25):
the director of VIP operations for New York City's Tow nightclub.
Elan called the number associated with the text and, expecting
to hear Tiger on the other end of the line.
Rachel answered the phone saying something like hey babe. Not
only was this confirmation of Tiger's stepping out on her,
but Elin apparently found communications with other mistresses on his phone.

(17:50):
The man whom everyone thought could do no wrong had
apparently been playing very dirty. According to Tiger Woods's biographer,
James Patterson. Elan woke Tiger up and confronted him about
his affairs. At this point, Tiger locked himself in the
bathroom for a short time before rushing out of his
house and into his Cadillac, where he crashed it just

(18:11):
one hundred and fifty yards away. The image of Tiger
Woods as a devoted family man and clean cut athlete
was forever tarnished. As word got out, women lined up
to claim they'd had affairs with the golf superstar. Rachel
Yu could tell herself would say, I knew him to
be cheating on his wife from the first time I
met him, well before we got together. Facing mounting pressure

(18:35):
and public outrage, Tiger Woods broke his silence on December two,
two thousand and nine, releasing a statement on his website
acknowledging that he had quote let his family down and
expressing regret for his quote transgressions. He further announced that
he would be taking an indefinite break from professional golf
to focus on his family. It was a decision that

(18:58):
shocked the sports world, especially since the media had been
talking of how close Tiger Woods was to beating the
record of icon Jack Nicholas, who'd won eighteen major championships
in his illustrious career, it seemed inevitable that Tiger would
overtake Jack, But now on the heels of personal crisis,
golf fans were left wondering if the most influential golfer

(19:20):
of a generation would ever compete again. As we all know,
scandalous SIPs always come with an aftertaste. There was no
chance the press stepping back to give Tiger an eel
in privacy in their darkest days, and there was no
doubt that the full story would eventually be spilled for

(19:41):
public consumption. The New York Post soon reported that Tiger
Woods cheated with quote as many as one hundred and
twenty women behind his wife's back during their five year marriage,
from diner waitress Mindy Lawton to porn star Holly Sampson,
with whom he had sex the night of his bachelor party,
to exotic dancer Corey Wrist. But it was the discovery

(20:04):
of a one night stand with the twenty one year
old daughter of a neighbor that was the final straw
for Elin Nordegrend. The National Inquirer delved deeply into this
particular portrayal, claiming that Elan decided to sign divorce papers
after learning about Tiger's alleged fling with a neighbor's daughter,
Rachel Coudre, whom he had reportedly known since he was

(20:26):
just fourteen years old. As the scandal continued to dominate
headlines and Elan moved ever closer toward the exit, Tiger
Woods faced increasing pressure to address the unfolding situation more fully,
so on February nineteenth, twenty ten, Tiger held a highly
publicized press conference at the TPC Sawgrass Clubhouse in Ponavidra Beach, Florida.

(20:50):
It was his first public appearance since the scandal broke,
and millions tuned in to hear what he had to say. Here,
he faced the world's media and a select group of
friends and family, including his mother Tita, who sat stoically
in the front row. During the thirteen minute statement, Tiger
admitted to his infidelity, stating I was unfaithful, I had affairs,

(21:14):
I cheated. He went on to express deep regret for
his actions, saying I knew my actions were wrong, but
I convinced myself that normal rules didn't apply. Tiger acknowledged
that he had stopped living by the core values talked
to him by his parents, and that his behavior was
not acceptable. I thought I could get away with whatever
I wanted to. I felt that I had worked hard

(21:36):
my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations
around me. I felt I was entitled thanks to money
and fame. I didn't have to go far to find them.
While the apology was a pivotal moment in the scandal,
it did little to stem the tide of public criticism

(21:56):
and personal fallout for Tiger. He retreatd to Pine Grove
Behavioral Health and Addiction Services in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, for sex
rehab as his sponsors, like Jellette, Gatorade, and Accentua jumped ship.
Accentia was the first to severtize, announcing in December two
thousand and nine the Tiger Woods was no longer the

(22:18):
right representative for their brand. Gellette followed suit, stating that
they would be phasing Tiger out of their marketing campaigns. Gatorade,
which had already discontinued its Tiger Focus drink two days
before the scandal broke, formally ended its relationship with the
Fall and Golfer in early twenty ten, At and t

(22:39):
Another of tiger woods high profile sponsors, also dropped him,
citing the need to protect their company's image. Nike was
among the few companies that chose to stand by Tiger
Woods at his lowest point, though they too scaled back
their use of him in advertising. The financial impact of
these lost endorsements was staggering. It's been estimated that Tiger

(23:01):
Woods lost nearly twenty two million dollars in sponsorship deals
in twenty ten alone, a sharp decline from the ninety
two million he had earned in endorsements the previous year.
The loss of income was a blow to Tiger who
had been the highest paid athlete in the world for
several years running, but the financial hit paled in comparison

(23:22):
to watching his life's work unravel. Tiger Woods is a
born competitor, and at this point he was facing the
monumental challenge of returning to golf amid controversy and reclaiming
his place in the sport he dominated for more than
a decade. His absence from the game left the void
that was keenly felt by fans and the golfing community

(23:43):
at large. Tournaments that at once relied on Tiger Woods
to draw large crowds in television ratings suddenly found themselves
struggling to generate a fraction of the interest. The PGA Tour,
which had benefited enormously from Tiger Woods star power, experienced
a noticeable dip in viewership and attendance during his hiatus.

(24:05):
Sean McManus, the president of CBS Sports and News, told
The New York Times, that golf could go on without
Tiger Woods, but not for long without consequences. We've obviously
done golf tournaments without Tiger before, Sewn explained, but we
all know how much better they do when Tiger is
playing well on the weekend. Will adjust, but I guess

(24:26):
a lot of the impact will depend on what Tiger's
definition of the word indefinite is. But even as many
in the golf community pined for his return, Tiger's wife
Elin wanted him gone. Tiger's sexual escapades, many of which
had been conducted without protection, had demonstrated a gross lack
of consideration for her physical well being and for their

(24:49):
family's future. I have been through the stages of disbelief
and shock, to anger and ultimately grief over the loss
of the family I so badly wanted for my children,
Elan told People magazine. On August twenty third, twenty ten,
Tiger and Elan officially finalized their divorce at the Bay
County Circuit Court in Panama City, Florida. In a joint

(25:12):
statement released by Elin Nordegren's law firm McGuire Woods, the
former couple expressed their sadness over the end of their marriage,
but emphasized their mutual desire to move forward positively with
their two children, Sam and Charlie as the priority. While
we are no longer married, where the parents of two
wonderful children and their happiness has been and will always

(25:34):
be of paramount importance to both of us, the statement read.
The divorce was reported to be one of the most
expensive in history, with Elin Nordgren receiving a substantial settlement
rumored to be around one hundred million dollars. As Tiger
grappled with the end of his marriage, another set of
challenges was waiting to unfold. Golf is a sport with

(25:59):
a strong mental element. Focus is necessary for any champion.
Many were questioning whether Tiger Woods could ever get his
famous intensity back after everything that had gone down, would
he ever compete again? In March twenty ten, Tiger provided
an answer to this question at last, announcing that after
a long and necessary time away from the game, I

(26:22):
feel like I'm ready to start my season at Augusta.
The major championships have always been a special focus in
my career and as a professional, I think Augusta is
where I need to be, even though it's been a
while since I last played. And so the gauntlet was
thrown down. The champion had returned and would be competing

(26:42):
from April fifth through the eleventh, twenty ten at the Masters.
The world was watching. While Tiger played respectably at the
twenty ten Masters, he clearly lost some of his groove,
falling short of the high standards synonymous with his name.
He finished tied for fourth, a result that was both
a testament to his talent coming off a hiatus, as

(27:05):
well as a reminder that he still faced an uphill
climb back to the top of his sport, and that
climb would prove to be steeper than he imagined. In
the years that followed, Tiger battled the series of debilitating
injuries that severely impacted his ability to compete at the
highest level. He underwent multiple surgeries on his back, and knee,

(27:26):
leading to extended absences from the sport. Each comeback attempt
after recovery was met with hope and anticipation, but time
and again Tiger found himself sidelined by physical setbacks. His
once feared presence on the golf course was replaced by uncertainty,
as fans and analysts questioned whether he would ever regain

(27:47):
his former glory. I might be done, he confessed to
fellow Masters winners at the twenty seventeen Champions dinner before
flying to Harley Street in London for a diagnosis that
showed a back fusion would be needed for him to
have any chance of playing golf. Ever, again, Tiger's body
seemed to be against him, and he was on a
constant cocktail of drugs to dull the pain. The pressure

(28:10):
to succeed, coupled with constant physical pain and painkillers was
a recipe for disaster. In the early hours of May
twenty nine, twenty seventeen, Tiger Woods was arrested near his
ninety seven hundred square foot estate in Jupiter, Florida, for
driving under the influence. He was found asleep at the
wheel of his Mercedes Bins, which was stopped in the

(28:31):
middle of the road with the engine running. Tiger was
taken into custody at approximately three am and was later
charged with DUI. As news of Tiger's arrest spread, the
public and media speculated that alcohol might have been involved. However,
after being released on his own recognizance, Tiger quickly released

(28:52):
a statement to clarify the situation, stating, I understand the
severity of what I did, and I take full responsibility
for my action. I want the public to know that
alcohol was not involved. What happened was an unexpected reaction
to prescribed medications. I didn't realize the mix of medications
had affected me so strongly. The arrest report revealed that

(29:14):
Tiger Woods had indeed been under the influence of a
potent drug cocktail. He had five different drugs in his
system at the time he was picked up hydro codone
and hydromorphone, which are both opioid pain medications, alpresilam, which
is an anxiety drug known as xanax, zopidim which is
a sleep drug known as ambient, and Delta nine CARBOXYTCHC,

(29:39):
which is found in marijuana. Tiger had been trying to
manage his excruciating back pain and insomnia, but the pills
were a dangerous crutch. I realized now it was a
mistake to do this without medical assistance, Tiger Woods admitted.
Tiger Woods appeared in court on October twenty seven, two

(29:59):
thousand and seven, to plead guilty to reckless driving. The judge,
Sandra Bosso Pardo told him this particular plea agreement has
no jail time on it. However, if you violate your
probation in any significant way, I could revoke your probation
and then I could sentence you to jail for ninety
days with a fine of up to five hundred dollars.
Is that understood? Tiger said he did understand and expressed

(30:22):
deep regret for the incident. He vowed to take steps
to ensure it wouldn't happen again, saying I would like
to apologize with all my heart to my family, friends
and the fans. I expect more from myself too. I
will do everything in my power to ensure this never
happens again. He also thanked the law enforcement officers involved, stating,
I fully cooperate it with law enforcement, and I would

(30:43):
like to personally thank the representatives of the Jupiter Police
Department and the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office for their professionalism.
Despite the empathy many had for Tiger's physical challenges, the
Duy incident was unhelpful in the middle of his comeback efforts.
Narrative of Tiger Woods, golf's fallen hero dominated the headlines,

(31:04):
with his struggles serving as a cautionary tale about the
perils of fame and the fragility of even the most
successful careers. But as his competitors know, there isn't any
quit in Tiger Woods. He kept plugging away at his game.
He kept his eye on the ball, and on April fourteenth,

(31:26):
twenty nineteen, at age forty three, Tiger Woods achieved one
of the most extraordinary comebacks in sports history by winning
the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. This victory,
his fifth Master's title and fifteenth major championship, came eleven
years after his last major win and followed a decade

(31:48):
marred by scandal, injury, and personal turmoil. The triumph at
Augusta was a testament to tiger woods unparalleled skill and determination.
They nineteen Masters truly was a tournament for the ages.
Tiger entered the final round two shots behind the leader,
Francesco Mullinari, and faced a packed leaderboard featuring some of

(32:09):
the best players in the world. In true Tiger fashion,
he played a masterful round of golf, capitalizing on the
mistakes of his competitors while making clutch shots when it
mattered most. As the round progressed, the momentum began to
shift in Tiger's favor. His steady play and mental toughness
in the closing holes were reminiscent of the Tiger Woods

(32:30):
of old, the player who prowled the golf courses of
the world, striking fear into his competitor's hearts. On the
eighteenth green, after sinking the final putt to secure his victory,
Tiger raised his arms in triumph, letting out a roar
that echoed throughout Augusta National. The moment was electric, and
the gallery erupted in celebration, recognizing the significance of what

(32:54):
had just happened. This victory was more than just another
title for Tiger Woods. It was a comeback story that
was bigger than golf, capturing the imagination of sports fans
around the world. As he walked off the green, Tiger
embraced his children, a scene that brought full circle the
journey he'd been on since his last major win in

(33:16):
two thousand and eight. It's unreal for me to experience this,
Tiger Wood said in an interview after his victory. It
was one of the hardest I've ever had to win,
just because of what's transpired the last couple of years.
For many, the twenty nineteen Masters was a turning point
that restored much of the luster to tiger woods tarnished legacy.

(33:37):
It was as if, in that one moment all the
years of scandal and injury were washed away, leaving behind
only the image of a champion. The win had broader
significance for the world of sports as well. It was
a testament to why people love sports, the drama, the unpredictability,
and the capacity for human achievement to inspire. But while

(34:00):
the twenty nineteen Masters was undoubtedly a moment of immense triumph,
it was not the end of Tiger Wood's story. The
comeback of Augusta may have seen like the final chapter
in his long road to redemption, but in reality, it
was just another milestone in the life of ups and downs.
Even as Tiger basked in the glory of his great win,

(34:22):
the physical toll of his career and the consequences of
his past were ever present. Just when it seemed that
Tiger Woods was beginning to regain control of his life
and career, another shocking incident occurred. On February twenty third,

(34:42):
twenty twenty one, Tiger was involved in a severe car
accident in Rancho Palas Verdas, California. They left him with
serious leg injuries and once again thrust him into the headlines.
Early that morning, Tiger Woods was driving his SUV when
he approached the sharp curve in the road. According to
the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, instead of hitting the brakes,

(35:04):
Tiger mistakingly accelerated, sending the vehicle into a high speed rollover.
The SUV, which was traveling at speeds of up to
eighty seven miles per hour and a forty five mile
per hour zone, careened across the center divider, plowed through shrubbery,
and struck a tree before coming to a stop. The
impact was so severe that the vehicle was sent airborne,

(35:27):
spinning before it landed on the side of the road.
The crash data recorder from Tiger's vehicle revealed that there
was no braking detected at the time of the crash,
only acceleration. There is zero breaking on that data recorder.
Captain James Powers of the Sheriff's Department explained, but there
is ninety nine percent acceleration on the pedal. This suggested

(35:49):
that Tiger mistook the gas pedal for the brake, leading
to the devastating accident. Despite the severity of the crash,
investigators determined that there was no no evidence of impairment
or intoxication. Tiger would later state that he had not
been drinking or taking any medication at the time of
the accident, and due to his injuries, no field sobriety

(36:10):
tests were conducted. He was immediately rushed to the Harbor
UCLA Medical Center, where he underwent emergency surgery for multiple
fractures in his legs. Tiger's injuries were so severe that
for time there was concern about whether he would be
able to walk again, let alone play golf. Tiger, who
had likely assumed that his most difficult years were behind him,

(36:32):
now faced one of the most challenging periods of his life.
The severity of his injuries required multiple surgeries, including the
insertion of a rod into his tibia and screws and
pins to stabilize his foot and ankle. For a man
who had already endured so many surgeries throughout his career,

(36:55):
this was another daunting hurdle to overcome. As he worked
on his physical recovery, Tiger provided occasional updates to the public,
expressing gratitude for support, but offering little detailed about his progress,
keeping the specifics of his physical health largely private. Tiger's
dedication to rehabilitation was reminiscent of the discipline that had

(37:17):
made him a champion in the first place. In December
twenty twenty one, just ten months after the crash, Tiger
Woods made a stunning return to competitive golf at the
P and C Championship, a family oriented tournament where he
played alongside his son, Charlie. The event marked Tiger's first
competitive rounds since the accident, and although it was a

(37:39):
low stakes, friendly competition, his participation was a powerful statement.
The site of Tiger Woods swinging a golf club again,
even if at a reduced capacity, reignited hope among fans
that he could make a more substantial return to the sport.
Tiger and Charlie finished second, with Tigers showing flashes of

(37:59):
the brilliant play that had defined his career. As of
twenty twenty four, Tiger Woods remains a figure of immense
interest and admiration in the world of golf. He seems
to have achieved redemption from the scandals of his earlier career,
including forgiveness from his ex wife, Elin Nordegren. According to
multiple sources, the two are now best friends and epitomized

(38:22):
top notch co parenting. Having the relationship that I have
now with Elin is fantastic, Tiger gush to us weekly.
She's one of my best friends. We're able to pick
up the phone. We talk to each other all the time.
We both know that the most important things in our
lives are our kids. So while Tiger Woods may never
return to full time competition, it seems he has anchored

(38:45):
the greatest prize his family and that he will continue
to be involved in the sport he loves through hosting
tournaments like the Hero World Challenge and mentoring younger players.
His participation in select events such as the Masters and
the p N Championship will always cause a stir and
forever demonstrate his enduring commitment to the game, even as

(39:07):
his physical capabilities have been significantly reduced. Tiger Wood's journey
is one of the most compelling narratives in the story
of sports. What makes his story truly remarkable is not
just his rise or his fall, but his ability to
rise again. Tiger's comeback, culminating in that unforgettable victory at

(39:32):
the twenty nineteen Masters, was nothing short of extraordinary. It
was a testament to his resilience, his unwavering determination, and
his ability to learn from the past and move forward.
Tiger Wood's legacy is complex. He is a symbol of greatness,
a reminder of human frailty, and an example of the

(39:53):
power of redemption. In the end, Tiger Woods has shown
us that no one is perfect, and that our true
care arter is revealed not in how we handle success,
but in how we respond to failure. As the great
American novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne once pinned, no man can wear
one face to himself and another to the multitude without

(40:14):
finally getting bewildered as to which may be true. Tiger
Woods is one of my all time favorite tales on tap.
I am honored to be your host, Jay Harris, thank
you so much for joining me and never missing the
dirt this has been Playing Dirty Sports Scandals. Playing Dirty

(40:42):
Sports Scandals is a production of Dan Patrick Productions, Never
Ever Productions, and Workhouse Media from executive producers Dan Patrick,
Paul Anderson, Nick Panela, Maya Glickman, and Jennifer Clary. Hosted
by Jay Harris, Written and produced by Jen Brown, Francy Haiks,
my Eglictment and Jennifer Clare.
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Todd "Fritzy" Fritz

Todd "Fritzy" Fritz

Dan Patrick

Dan Patrick

Patrick "Seton" O'Connor

Patrick "Seton" O'Connor

Paul Pabst

Paul Pabst

Marvin Prince

Marvin Prince

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