Has Tiger had the greatest impact on golf, ever?
USAToday has a fascinating article imagining golf without Tiger. Here are some amazing stats compiled by Jim Halley of USAToday:
Purses: There were nine PGA Tour millionaires in 1996. Last year, there were 78. From 1986-'96, the total purse on the PGA Tour increased $37.5 million. In the Woods' decade, the 10 years since, the purses have jumped $186.1 million.
Ratings: Sean McManus, President of CBS News and Sports, says Woods has had a direct effect on the growth of golf on TV, with ratings spiking 35% to 50% for regular tour events and major championships when Woods is in contention. Last weekend The International, minus Woods, drew a 2.1 rating. A few weeks earlier, the Buick Open, which Woods won, drew a 4.3 rating.
Marketing: * * * According to a 2004 study at Indiana University, before Woods' professional golf debut in '96, a typical annual increase in new golfers was 1%. The ''Tiger Woods Effect'' lifted it to 5%. The percentage of African-American golfers has doubled since '96, the study said.
Read the article for more.
6 Comments:
Yea, I don't think there's any doubt that he's had the biggest impact on golf..ever. I know people myself that will watch golf when he's in contention,and have ZERO interest when he's not.
He's really transcended the game. Very few playersin the history of sports have been able to do that.....Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan, Mohamed Ali, Pele....and Tiger.
Here's one way to look at it, whether you love Tiger as a God who walks the Earth or whether you despise him for whatever reason.
Jack was very famous, as was Arnie and Bobby Jones. Tiger however, has reached a level of fame on a par with Muhammad Ali in the 70's.
You could parachute into the remotest places in the world, find an isolated tribe of people, pull out a picture of Tiger and they'd say 'Tiger Woods'.
No other golfer has reached that level of fame. Whether this qualifies as an 'impact on golf' is open to debate.
Tiger has certainly had an effect on commercialized golf and its entertainment value -- TV, equipment, purses, etc., just as Michael Jordan did. But, in a way, he IS the sport, for when he's not there, ratings go down. So, when Tiger is not in the field, is the game of golf still better off, still positively impacted? You have to say, yes.
His work ethic, high morals, and family life have an impact, as well, on the drama, as well as setting a great example for the kids and adults out there (which is rare in sport. I mean, how can A-Rod or any baseball or football player set a good example for kids when he and his team try to cheat the rules and trick the umpires during every game? But I digress...).
Has Tiger changed the elemental game of golf? Or is he a show unto himself, while diminishing the skills of other golfers? Has he changed golf's heart an soul? Arnie did. Jack did. I think Seve did, as well. And, don't hit me, John Daly had immense impact on the game. You have to say Tiger has too, but in a multi-media way unimagined before.
example: How has basketball changed since Michael Jordan? For me, I used to watch Michael Jordan play--but I'm no basketball fan. Now, I don't watch a single game, ever. On the other hand, I grew up when Mantle and Maris were going head-to-head for the homerun crown. The excitement was nearly unbearable all season long. It hooked me on the drama of baseball forever.
Caly said it right: Tiger transceds golf by his sheer excellence and presence.
I'll tell you what Tiger has also changed: the level of professional play. I think he's inspired other players to elevate their games. I see this in Phil and Vijay, for sure. Furyk, too, and others. Not sure Sergio is capable of rising above himself. I think Tiger's success drives Michelle Wie to believe that anything is possible.
I think without Tiger, there would be more tee times on Saturdays. :)
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The Tiger Woods effect has also increased my sales. Every Sunday he plays, my sales incease anywhere from 33-50%.
The Tiger Woods effect has also increased my ability to make friends and has given me minty fresh breath.
The problem with golf is that it's documented history is so long to say that one person has had the greatest impact on the game without considering the total historical context, is really not fair.
Let's break it down a bit smaller, to modern professional tournament golf (1930+). Even placing Tiger in that enviroment is difficult, when you consider all of the past greats. Flashy characters like Jimmy Demeret or Walter Hagen, and dominating characters like Hogan, Sneed, and Nelson helped the modern tour evolve into what it is today. Quite frankly, without them, there may have never been a PGA tour. How does that weigh in to the equation?
I feel what Tiger has done is that he's taken what was really a niche sport that a lot of people stuck their noses up to into mainstream, and with that the prizes, exposure, and popularilty has increased. The Muhammad Ali comment is apt for Tiger and modern, professional tournament golf and here is where he has made the greatest impact.
Now, if the man breaks every major record in the book, retires and designs a dozen world class courses, invents a better sand wedge, and develops a training method that can change anyone to start playing sub-four-hour rounds
he'll require further examination.
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