Tiger Woods Book Summary

Book Summary

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Brief Summary

Tiger Woods is a living golf legend. He started his career at the age of two and was controlled by his overbearing father and forced to reach the top. However, his upbringing brought about destructive behavior later in life. Woods is now working hard to change his image, while still improving his game.

About the Author

Jeff Benedict is an American author, special features writer for Sports Illustrated, and a television and film producer. He has written for the New York Times and Los Angeles Times. His stories have been featured on 60 Minutes, 20/20, CBS Sunday Morning, CBS Evening News, etc. He is the founder and director of the Institute for Writing and Mass Media at Southern Virginia University.

He graduated with a Bachelors’s degree in history from Eastern Connecticut State University. He has an M.A. in Political Science from Northeastern University and a J.D. from the New England College of Law.

Before journalism, he acted as the director of research at the Center for Study of Sports and Society at Northeastern University. His research on athletes and violence against women made an impact.

He ran as a Democrat for the U.S Congress in Connecticut’s 2nd congressional district. He lost the Democratic primary to Joe Courtney. He has written 15 nonfiction books, including the National Bestseller, QB: My Life Behind the Spiral, an autobiography of Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young.

Topics

Biography & Memoir

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Key Insights

Tiger Woods is a name that comes to mind when discussing golf.

But, because of unfortunate events in his life, his name also comes up when the topic of infidelity arises.

When Woods was under scrutiny for his marital problems, he decided to take a break from his golfing career to deal with these issues.

However, Woods is back in the spotlight to use his talent to gain success once again.

“As a human being, he might not have been lovable—or even likable—but as a performer, he possessed unsurpassed talents that he honed through a lifetime of practice. On Sunday afternoons, he shared his gifts with millions, enabling them to forget reality and vicariously experience thrills that were more exhilarating than anything felt in a church pew.”- Jeff Benedict & Armen Keteyian

In, “Tiger Woods” by Jeff Benedict and Armen Keteyian you will learn if Woods has what it takes to make a total comeback. You will also discover what led him down that dark path in the first place.

Tiger Woods Was Created To Be A Golf Legend

Tiger Woods was born in 1975. He started learning how to play golf at the age of two from watching his father Earl play.

According to neuroscientists and their studies on child development, Wood’s early exposure to the game primed him for success.

Even at just two years old, Woods spent two hours a day golfing. Earl was mighty impressed and even had a local reporter come to the golfing range to cover the story of his child.

The reporter Jim Hill was impressed as well and invited Woods on his TV show where he predicted that Woods would be a golf pro.

Earl Was Overbearing and Controlling

Earl had high goals for Woods from a young age. And, he let everybody know. Earl was also not against shortcuts and non-traditional methods in order to ensure that Woods would be a golf star one day.

While growing up, Woods had only a couple of friends. Earl would not let him join team sports in school. Because golf was a solo sport, Earl made sure to keep Woods isolated.

Woods had the best golf instructors in the business who helped him with his swing at no cost because of his talent, ambition, and previous success.

Earl did not take a traditional route when it came to fathering Woods. He would put him through mentally abusive tests calling him names and degrading him to ensure that he would remain tough throughout his life. One of the main reasons he put Woods through these tests was because the PGA had a history of racial bias.

Earl believed that by Woods making it big in the golf world, which was a very “white” sport at the time, he would help solve the problem of racism in sports.

Earl put too much pressure on his young son. It was a burden Woods could not handle.