Tiger Woods Will Be Fine, if Only the Public Grows Up

I watched the “Skins” game on TV over the weekend and soon began fretting over Tiger Woods. I don’t usually fret about a guy who seems to have the world by the tail, but does he?

Sure, he already has millions and millions of Nike dollars stashed away in his golf bag, but if money made you worry free, there’d be no psychiatrists in Newport Beach.

And maybe because I was once 20 myself, I want the kid to be happy.

If left to his own devices, he looks like he would be. What made we worry, though, was wondering whether the rest of us will allow him to be happy. Will we let him to grow up at his own pace and become his own man?

No, I’m not singing any sad songs for young Tiger, but weren’t you already saying to yourself, “Gee, am I supposed to feel sorry for a 20-year-old kid who’s already set for life?”

That is precisely my point. Young Tiger is rich, so the rest of us think we own a little piece of him. He’s chosen to go public with his life, so we’re all entitled to our expectations, right? And if he doesn’t live up to those expectations, we’re entitled to spank him, aren’t we?

Nope. He’s not a public official. He’s a professional golfer. A public figure, but not a public possession.

Yeah, but there are lots of celebrities around. Why am I so worried about Tiger, you ask.

While watching Woods over the weekend, I tried to imagine the next 20 to 30 years of his life. My crystal ball reveals a guy who’s going to become one of the world’s most recognizable figures, dwarfing even the projections people now have for him.

I have a hunch his life is going to be about a lot more than playing golf. He’s going to be much more than a walking Nike billboard. As he matures, what he says is going to count for something--and not in the cheesy way that a Dennis Rodman or Madonna-type celebrity sparks headlines.

Only Michael Jordan now has what I think Woods someday will have, but Jordan steers clear of taking stands or arguing for causes. I sense that Woods will be equal parts Jordan and the late Arthur Ashe--a world-class athlete but one who speaks out with credibility on selected issues.

Forget about whether he’s ready. I wonder if we’re ready.

Will we let him be a human being in these formative years as an adult, with foibles and opinions? Will we forgive him if his temper flares or he says something indiscreet? Will we hold his millions against him right from the start, or will we allow him to develop into whatever kind of man he is to become?

Bryon Bell is an old Cypress buddy who has known Woods since junior high school. Both in conversations with Woods and in his private musings, Bell, now a junior at UC San Diego, tried to picture what his friend’s future might be like after fame came calling.

“I’ve thought about it, but when I am with him now, I see him as still trying to be as normal as possible and not letting it [his celebrity status] control him,” Bell says. “He’s still willing to go out into the public and face all the autographs that want to be signed.”

The wave already has begun, Bell says. “I was a little worried in the beginning that he would get overwhelmed by all the people when he goes out, but he’s learned to control it more. He’s learned to say, ‘No, not tonight [for autographs].’ It’s something he has to do, and it shouldn’t really matter whether people understand or not. I’m less worried about him now because he’s learned to do that.”

Keith McDuff is the first assistant pro at the Cypress Golf Club, where Woods used to play with his Western High School team. Like others, he’s seen the Tiger Woods phenomenon coming.

“I’ve got my concerns with society and the things that will be thrown his way,” McDuff says, “because he’ll have everything thrown at him and he’ll have a lot of decisions to make. But my thoughts were that he always showed a lot of respect for people in general and always seemed to be levelheaded. My impression was--and I could be wrong--that if anybody could handle it, he could.”

Bell shares my view that Woods, over his adult life, will become an international figure of stature.

“He’ll be a lot like Michael Jordan, where even people who have never seen golf will know who he is,” Bell says. “We’ve talked about it, what it would be like in the future, and he’s willing to accept it. He doesn’t want to become isolated, like a few of the tour players have. So, I think he’s going to give it his best shot. He doesn’t really know what’s going to happen in the next 10 to 20 years, but he’s going to keep going out in public as long as he can.”

Yes, I worry about the kid. But maybe I’m worried more about us than about him. He may be ready to attack his stardom, but are we?

If he matures and deepens as I think he will, there’ll be plenty of time to measure our expectations against the reality.

For now, though, let’s allow him to be 20 years old.

Dana Parsons’ column appears Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Readers may reach Parsons by writing to him at the Times Orange County Edition, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626, or calling (714) 966-7821.