The Woods’ Opus--Tiger Likened to Mozart, Chopin

There was Tiger Woods splashing out of a bunker. Tiger Woods punching the air after his final putt. Tiger Woods holding the trophy. Tiger Woods wearing the famous green jacket.

Pictures of the record-breaking winner of the Masters were on front pages around the world last week. He even made the front of the Financial Times.

By winning the Masters by 12 strokes at Augusta at age 21, Woods rewrote the record books and caught the imagination of young and old, male and female, black and white.

The BBC’s Peter Alliss said Woods’ feat transcended sport and could be compared only to the precocious talents of Mozart and Chopin.

Several papers described his mastery of the tough Augusta course as reducing it to pitch and putt. By outplaying a field that included the likes of Nick Faldo and Greg Norman and such luminous names as Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player, Woods appeared to change the whole concept of the game.

“It seemed clear that he was staking his claim to the kind of greatness that rewrites the rule book and redefines the dimensions of a sport,” the Guardian said.

“It is not the money or the flashing smile which dazzles,” said the Daily Mail. “It is the sheer breathtaking talent of a youngster who, in one weekend, changed the face of his chosen sport.”

The Independent noted that the greats of golf had all heaped praise on the young star in the same way a 25-year-old Nicklaus received similar adulation from Bobby Jones in 1965.

It suggested Augusta ought to be renamed.

“The extent to which he has overpowered one of the most strategic courses in golf suggests it should be renamed Woods World,” The Independent said.

Woods was being compared to other superstars of sport, such as Muhammad Ali and Pele, while in Italy he was dubbed the Michael Jordan of golf.

“Woods really seems to be from another planet,” wrote the sports daily Gazzetta della Sport.

“If not for the Martian Woods, the real story of the tournament could have been Costantino Rocca,” said Gazzetta, referring to the Italian who was paired with Woods last Sunday and finished fifth.

Meanwhile, the odds on Woods achieving golf’s Grand Slam of four majors have come down from 5,000-1 three months ago to just 100-1 after his Masters triumph.

“He is the only thing people want to bet today,” said Ed Nicholson of the bookmakers Ladbrokes.

Ladbrokes lists Woods at 7-1 favorite in each of the next three majors--U.S. Open, British Open and PGA--and is offering the same odds on a Woods’ victory at next year’s Masters.

Praise for the new superstar was tempered by criticism of his commercial deals.

Noting that the bulk of his earnings come from Nike, the London Evening Standard reported that critics “claim he is cynically cashing in on his status as the first black man to win a major golf title.”

One sports agent said Woods would still lag behind the top basketball players in terms of earnings.

“With Nike’s influence he could make perhaps $128 million a year,” said London sports agent Jonathan Barnett. “Commercially, he has got everything going for him, but he is unlikely in the States to get near the potential earnings of the top basketball players.

“Golf in the U.S. just doesn’t have the same profile and most of Nike’s interest will be in selling shoes. Basketball is a perfect vehicle for selling shoes. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Tiger Woods being used to endorse Michael Jordan shoes.”