(Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)
Tiger Woods is no longer simply a role model.
He’s become a business model for aspiring athletes by capturing crowns at tournaments sponsored by companies he endorses.
Not all golf tournaments are created equal, and Tiger Woods has become the Master of Priority, the King of Precedence, the Sultan of Strategy, and a Logistical Perfectionist.
In appreciation for the support and efforts of high-paying sponsors and fans at the AT&T National, the tournament hosted by Woods to benefit the Tiger Woods Foundation, Tiger managed to set a tournament record Sunday, finishing with a final score of 267, 13 under par at Congressional in Bethesda, MD.
Woods’ policy of dominating tournaments hosted by his sponsors and idols has enriched the world’s No. 1 golfer many times over. He has earned more than any athlete in history, and he shows little signs of slowing down as he approaches $1 billion career earnings.
Astonishingly, Woods has earned his megabucks playing in fewer tournaments than most golfers.
But he’s extremely efficient and productive, currently ranking No. 3 in all-time PGA Tour wins with 68 PGA Tour wins.
He’s five behind Jack Nicklaus (73) and 14 behind Sam Snead (82).
There are times a golfer is so good at certain tournaments that he makes the public wonder if he’s slacking at other events. But winning sponsor's tournaments can be very lucrative, the fruitful results pushing golfer's annual income into another stratosphere.
By participating in fewer events, Woods protects his sponsors by not shining in events hosted by his sponsors’ competition, and he also has more time to prepare to dominate the tournaments he partakes in.
Hunter Mahan, a rising star on the Tour who finished one stroke behind Tiger at Congressional, has competed in 17 PGA Tour events this year, earning $2.15 million, good for No. 15 on the Tour’s money list.
Woods has competed in about half the events, nine, and leads the money list at $4.56 million. He also leads the Tour FedEx standings after his win on Sunday.
Now, the majors are very important to Tiger—and all other PGA Tour members—because of their prestige, rewards of exemption, and lifetime honor they bestow.
Who can forget Tiger’s 2008 U.S. Open victory at Torrey Pines, where Woods won on with a gimpy knee?
Woods would refrain from competition until 2009, following his third U.S. Open title.
But all the talk about Woods only being concerned about the four majors, the Masters, U.S. and British Opens, and the PGA Championship undermines Woods’ exceptional record at tournaments in which he has a vested interest.
Skeptics may question the theory that Woods plays better at certain tournaments.
But consider this: Woods holds course records and multiple titles at tournaments near and dear to his heart, mind, and wallet.
The longtime endorsement specialist for automaker GM’s Buick brand and financial giant American Express, has shined at tournaments sponsored by both, winning the American Express Championship (1999, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, and 2007) and the Buick Invitational (1999, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008) six times apiece.
Even more telling, Woods holds the tournament scoring records for the American Express Championship and the Buick Invitational. He also won two Buick Open titles (2002 and 2006).
Eerily, Woods hasn’t won a title at the Buick Invitational or American Express Championship since the cohorts’ business relationship ended (Amex, 2007 and Buick 2008).
The Orlando resident has won the city’s Bay Hill Invitational a record six times (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2008, and 2009).
It’s well-known that Tiger uses Jack Nicklaus’ achievements as a barometer for his own accomplishments. Woods has won the Memorial Tournament, hosted by Nicklaus, four times (1999, 2000, 2001, and 2009), more than any golfer.
Woods, a positive example as a father, golfer, and philanthropist, has also shown business acumen with his endorsement deals, and he should be a standard-bearer for other golfers.
He’s forever changed the meaning of winning the right way.
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