Tiger Woods dad dies, history's greatest golfer a little more alone

Tiger Woods dad died and only a man’s who been through it can understand what that means. I once had a boss - a guy well established in his forties - who’s father died and he wasn’t close to the same guy for over a year. Your dad dying changes you.

Woods already found himself stepping back and enjoying life more, basically admitting that only four tournaments a year count in golf anyways. Who will forget the images of Tiger bungee jumping and banging cars in a celebrity stock car race in New Zealand? And who knew glare-specialist/caddie Steve Williams had a fun side?

Woods will no doubt dedicate his next majors win to his dad. But that doesn’t heal a loss. There’s no doubt Earl Woods, a former Green Beret, made Tiger Woods into the most mentally tough athlete of our times. And it’s not even close.

But Earl Woods’ final lesson may have been making his ultra driven son realize, through seeing his cancer fight, that it’s all right to have some fun. Essential even.

Will that make Tiger Woods an even more dominant golfer? Who knows. Tiger Woods himself probably doesn’t even rightly care.