Anticipation-Tiger's Shrine-The Masters

The Professor: Higher Intellectual Golf Analysis

Anticipation-Tiger's Shrine-The Masters

Who broke the story? Which news agency had the audacity to first declare Tiger’s return? It is all antiquated news, my social pundits. For months the speculation and conjecture has been enough to detract even the most ardent golf enthusiasts. Enough analysis, over rationalization, and personal insights about his return, time for Tiger to stick a tee in the pristine Bermuda grass at the “holy” land of golf, the Masters.

Time to salvage the ship, Thursday April 8^th, 2010 the incredible and indelible former number one golfer in the Universe makes his exalted appearance back at the Masters after being orphaned from golf for four months. How fortuitous for the game of Golf and the PGA and tour commissioner Tim Finchem, his thoroughbred back in the stable. This anticipation will rival “who shot J.R. Ewing” from Dallas. What a marketing juggernaut for CBS, the Masters, and the Waffle House in downtown Augusta, Georgia. Should the headlines insinuate; “Tiger heads into the lions den at the Masters?”  

CON

Oh the travesty of making the Masters your first choice to resume your competitive golf playing career. You so fervently want to penetrate back into the safe and all encompassing environment of your golf domain, while your fractured and misaligned world you created through illicit behavior is still freshly transparent. Will you, the former number one player be able to alienate and isolate all the media frenzy for the week? Can you find the peace of mind and solace at a place where you have stirred so many highly charged emotions? Certainly, there will be some hostility from your peers, toxic questions from the media, and the galleries, oh the galleries, fervently anticipating your demise? Maybe visualizing your triumphant return as a fist pumping gladiator on the 18^th green at Augusta on April 11^th adorned with a size 44 green jacket.   

By failing to address your rogue type of behavior in a golf tournament before the Masters, you have created a slippery slope of perceived arrogance. How will the Augusta faithful accept your insular behavior? Any sage therapist knows denial is the first step, then acceptance, then admit to the ones you have hurt and make amends, and then work feverishly on your shortcomings. If you would have played in a golf tournament as a precursor to the Masters, maybe you would have gotten lambasted by the media, however you could have deflected some of the impending interrogation from the sports writers that you will be encountering at the Masters. Makes sense, make yourself approachable to the media before the Masters, establish new and existing interpersonal relationships with players and the media, and seek out interaction and initiate contact with peers and old alliances. When you are genuine and committed to changing the face of your reputation, many adversaries will extend you an olive branch of goodwill. What organization is doing your public relations?

PRO

It is quite lucid the impetus behind Tiger’s rationalization why he has chosen the Masters to climb back into the lions den and culminate his attack on the all-time major’s record.  Wining four times in thirteen attempts (31% efficiency) at the Masters, never missed the cut, feels a special kindred relationship to the golf course, tighter media control, and normally less heckling from the galleries. This non-evasive playing environment will closely align with his business like approach on the golf course. While this type of foundation should be conducive to keeping his psyche in equilibrium, his competitive advantage will be the visualization of previous success and the ingrained positive reinforcement from those previous successes. Augusta is as close to a sanctuary for Tiger than any other playing venue. This is the place where he wore his first green jacket for his first major win, a pristine place in the country where the permeating essence of azaleas, mesmerizing shapes of the majestic pines, and where the pristine landscape denotes a place of higher existence, even the butterflies go unabated. The Masters is a place where you can implore the circular winds of your mind to caress the rich history and ignite your boundless imagination for four days. The grandiose script for Tiger’s return has been crafted, but not finalized. Tiger Nation is poised for a polarizing four days of golf in April. And to Mark Twain, who said “golf is a good walk spoiled,” I empathetically suggest to you, “It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.”

TIGER TRACKS

Stay in the truck, hold the phone, a tiger is about to enter into a lions den, called the media frenzy blitz. However, a tiger being a solitary hunter, more aggressive by nature, quicker in speed when engaged, superior agility, and extreme evasiveness, is dominant under most normal of conditions against a Lion. Evasive? Superior agility? Tiger will need all of these traits in his arsenal to defeat the Lion’s den on April 8^th, 2010. What great theater this game of golf inspires. Who says a loose Tiger isn’t allowed at the Masters?

Anticipation, anticipation, is making me wait……………

Enough Discourse: Analysis Delivered.

Robert Needles