In the world of sports, there are players who are exceptionally well at doing their job, and then there are those who defy all descriptions to etch their names in the history books as the undisputed greats. Cricket has seen one in the great Sachin Tendulkar. Tennis found one in the ageless Roger Federer. And, similarly, Golf witnessed the artistry of Tiger Woods.
He set records, broke stigmas and inspired millions all over the world. He won majors, hunted down rivals on the final day and became an unstoppable beast on the course. Even after 21 years since he turned pro, if you listen carefully, Tiger's roar can still be heard on the world's most famous and prestigious courses today.
In the height of his career, Woods did more than just dominate golf rankings, he transcended a sport. He has won 14 professional major golf championships - the second-highest by any player (Jack Nicklaus leads the list with 18), and 79 PGA Tour events - second all time (Sam Snead remains on top with 82 wins).
Woods is the youngest player to achieve the career Grand Slam, and the youngest and fastest to win 50 tournaments on tour. After the legendary Nicklaus, he is only the second golfer in history to have achieved a career Grand Slam three times. And, golf fans still get goosebumps over that chip on the Par 3 16th at the 2005 Masters.
Thanks to his inhuman exploits on the course, Woods struck up multi-million sponsorship deals with the likes of Nike and Gillette, making him one of the richest sportsmen in the world. The American golfer achieved everything there was in golf. An envious trophy cabinet, lucrative endorsement deals and a beautiful wife, Woods had everything.
But that was then. And, this is now.
At 3am on Monday morning, Woods was arrested in Florida for driving under influence. At 10:50am, he was released from Palm Beach County Jail and the social media was buzzing with the mugshot of a tired and unshaven Woods. But, the seeds of his latest antics were probably sown long time back.
In November 2009, an American tabloid claimed that Woods had an extramarital affair with New York City nightclub manager Rachel Uchitel. Two days later, Woods rammed his SUV into a fire hydrant, a tree and several hedges. He was treated for minor lacerations and received a ticket for careless driving.
Following intense media speculation, Woods released a statement taking sole responsibility without revealing the details of his accident. Next month, a New York City-based magazine reported of a purported mistress and subsequent release of a voicemail message allegedly left by Woods for the woman. Over the next few days, more than a dozen women claimed in various media outlets to have had affairs with Woods.
Reacting to the reports, Woods admitted transgressions and apologized to his supporters while reiterating his and his family's right to privacy. But, on 11 December 2009, the entire sports fraternity, not just golf, came to a standstill after golf's beloved poster boy admitted to infidelity and announced an indefinite break from his professional career.
In the days and months following his explosive admissions, Woods' career - that once promised of greater feats, witnessed a massive downfall. It changed everything - the player, his legend and, most importantly, respect amongst fans.
In a bid to cope with the pressure, Woods claimed that he underwent a 45-day therapy program. However, it wasn't enough to save his six-year-old marriage with former Swedish model Elin Nordegren who divorced the disgraced sports icon on 23 August, 2010.
After his wife, it was the turn of several companies to re-evaluate their associations with Woods. Accenture, AT&T, Gatorade and General Motors immediately put an end to their sponsorship deals with the Amercian star, while Gillette suspended their advertisements featuring Woods. Soon, Tag Heuer joined the anti-Woods bandwagon with Golf Digest following suit later.
Woods returned to the competition at the 2010 Masters Tournament in April where he finished in a tie for the fourth spot. His poor run continued at the Quail Hollow Championship and the Players Championship in the coming months. Shortly afterward, Hank Haney - Woods' coach since 2003 - also decided to part ways with the American golfer. The rest of the season went so bad for Woods that he failed to win a single event for the first time since turning pro in 1996.
In 2011, he played only 12 tour events, winning just one. His poor show saw him descend to the 23rd rank in the world. And, if that wasn't enough, Woods suffered knee and Achilles problems continued to trouble him in 2012.
Upon his return at the 2013 US Open, Woods finished 13-over par - recording his worst-ever score a professional. The year 2014 saw him plagued by back injuries which forced him to compete in just nine events. He also missed his first Masters tournament since 2004 and drops to 32nd spot in the world rankings.
In 2015, Woods undergoes back surgery after missing the cut in three out of four majors. He further dropped to 416th spot in the world rankings and his frustration led to his split with girlfriend Lindsey Vonn. In the year to follow, Woods plays just one event (missing all four majors for the first time in his career) and drops to 652 in the world.
This year has been no different for the golf legend whose comeback lasted just two events before he pulled out citing back problems. On 20th April, the 41-year-old announced that he had undergone his fourth back surgery since 2014 to alleviate back and leg pain. With six months needed to recover, Woods' surgery meant that he would spend the rest of the year without playing any professional golf.
The man who has won 14 golf Majors and was once certain to eclipse the great Nicklaus, saw himself lose it all. He lost his wife and sponsorship deals, sits 876th in the world, currently out of action due to injuries and now has the infamous DUI charge to his name - probably the final nail in the coffin of one of Golf's greatest legends.
A promising career that was once tipped to scale greater heights will surely go down in the history as one of the saddest and heart-breaking stories, not just in golf, but in sports overall.
Photo: © Reuters (Main Image)
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