Tiger Hints at Career Mortality

 

By Adam FonsecaDecember 12, 2013 3:07 PM

COMMENTARY | When will Tiger Woods retire from professional golf?

It is a truth many golf fans prefer not to think about. Love him or hate him, the idea that Woods will one day hang up his Nike golf shoes and store away his tiger headcover for good seems foreign or science fiction-like.

But, just as so many sporting legends before him, Tiger will one day retire. Earlier this week, he reminded us all of that fact, albeit in a muted way.

During a press conference on Saturday of his Northwestern Mutual World Challenge, Woods was asked how long he sees himself playing at The Masters tournament, having earned a lifetime exemption to the major.

"Let me put it to you this way," Woods replied. "I'm not going to beat Arnold's record. I'm not playing that long. That's for sure."

The record Woods was referring to is the amazing mark set by Arnold Palmer, in which he made 50 consecutive Masters Tournament starts. It is, in a way, golf's version of Cal Ripken's "Iron Man" record of consecutive games played. It is hard to fathom anyone breaking Palmer's record. Perhaps nobody should.

Still, Woods' reply serves as a painful shot of reality that there will come a time when we can no longer watch who many believe to be the greatest golfer of this generation, if not all-time.

The focus that has motivated Woods throughout his career is clear: He wants to win. As Tiger later mentioned in his press conference, the moment he believes he can no longer win golf tournaments will be the moment he calls it quits.

"You know, for me, I always want to win," Woods continued. "So if I can't win, why tee it up?

"That just my own personal belief. And I know what it takes to prepare to win and what it takes to go out there and get the job done, and there's going to be a time where I just can't do it anymore.

"We all, as athletes, face that moment."

One can assume that Woods' motivating factor -- winning -- is commonly found among his peers on the PGA Tour. It is a fundamental concept that drives any successful professional athlete, regardless of sport. Yet, for some, the true motivation is not just winning, but simply competing.

Michael Jordan is perhaps the only athletic figure in our lifetime that comes close to the level of excellence displayed by Tiger Woods. Jordan's competitive nature is legendary, both on and off the court. Tales of physical confrontations with his teammates during practice (!) are well-documented, as well as his off-the-court struggles with gambling.

When Jordan no longer had the ability -- and I use that opinion loosely -- to compete on an NBA court, he turned his attention to other competitive pursuits, including his growing obsession with golf.

In fact, it is rumored that during a friendly golf match with former President Bill Clinton, Jordan forced his opponent to play from the back tees. "You're going to play from the little girls' tees?" His Airness reportedly asked Clinton.

Similarly, Jordan once pounded on the hotel door of Dream Team head coach Chuck Daly until the latter agreed to play the former in a golf rematch. Apparently, Daly had defeated Jordan the previous day. Daly agreed to the rematch, which Jordan won.

While we have yet to see similar displays of competitive obsession from Woods, it is clear that the current World No. 1 is only concerned with winning. But should we expect anything less from those who we expect to be great?

As with Jordan, our desire to see Woods succeed is just as obsessive. We need to see Tiger play, and weneed to see him win. Frankly, anyone who says anything differently would be lying.

Even the biggest dissenters of Tiger require him to be great and to continue winning. Without either, what would they have to critique? To whom would they direct their scorn and negativity? They would no longer have their villain, and that would be downright boring.

Thankfully, we are still years away from having to cope with the post-Tiger Woods era. At 37 years old, Woods is still 13 years from eligibility on the Champions Tour. He could play competitively for another decade after that, assuming he can still notch a win every so often.

Frankly, who would be dumb enough to bet against him?

Unlike Jordan, Woods has never been afraid to speak about the end of his career. He seems in-tune with his place in history, focusing on strengthening his legacy as opposed to having irrational expectations for a professional now over two decades into his career. In turn, Woods also seems mindful of his image and career mortality, especially over the past few years.

It is not uncommon to see Woods laughing with playing partners during tournaments, sharing moments with his children and new girlfriend, Lindsey Vonn, or simply spending more time with fans at the driving range. It is a maturation we often see with pro athletes in one way or another, which Woods has quickly perfected.

Yes, there will be a time when I will write about Tiger Woods, the golfer in past tense. Until that time, however, I am going to enjoy watching every second of what he's willing to give.

Adam Fonseca has covered professional golf since 2005. His work can also be found on the Back9Network. Follow Adam on Twitter at @chicagoduffer.