Tiger: Celebrated Everywhere but Home

Who’s the most famous name ever to come out of Orange County?

The way things are going, Tiger Woods is about to turn Richard Nixon, Walt Disney, and even Mickey Mouse into footnotes on the county’s top notables list.

Woods has now leapfrogged past Michael Jordan as the biggest phenom in sports. He’s rewritten golf’s record books in such spectacular fashion that even golfing gods like Jack Nicklaus and Ben Hogan have been reduced to second-tier references.

And to think, Woods-the-24-year-old-legend grew up right here in good ol’ Orange County.

Not that anyone could tell. Signs of Tiger as a local hero have been a bit on the puny side.

This county, its golfing community, even Woods’ high school and his home city of Cypress, might consider doing more, as I see it, to recognize his amazing accomplishments.

I recommend a countywide committee to explore ways to honor Woods in a huge way. Someone on the Board of Supervisors ought to lead the way and make it happen. Supervisor Jim Silva says he’ll do it. Great, that’s a start.

Not that we should exploit Woods’ fame for the community’s benefit. It just seems we ought to honor a native son who’s making history at every turn.

Others here agree. Cypress City Councilman Tim Keenan last week raised the issue with his colleagues. Now the city’s parks and recreation director has been asked to come up with a recommendation on the best way for the city to honor Woods.

“Every time Tiger wins a major tournament, we say, ‘We ought to do something more,’ ” Keenan said. “Then he does something else, and we say the same thing. But after what he’s accomplished this year, we know we really need to get something done to show we’re proud of him.”

Unless you’ve lived in a cave this summer, you know this about Woods:

He set all-time scoring records while winning both the U.S. Open and the British Open. He’s the first player since Ben Hogan in the 1950s to defend in three of the four majors at once (the other the PGA). He’s only the fifth golfer in history to win all four majors.

In just four years on the PGA tour, Woods has become the all-time leading money winner at $17 million-plus. For this year, he’s leading in official money, more than second and third place combined.

And beyond all that, Woods is credited with bringing more new faces to the game--and more diverse ones--than anyone in the world.

“Mostly only people who play golf know golfers or watch golf,” said Cypress City Manager Patrick Importuna. “But everybody knows--and watches--Tiger.”

Imagine what Woods will do by the time he’s 30.

Ask around where you work; do people even know Woods grew up in Orange County?

You can’t tell it from TV commentators. At best they have him hailing from “the Los Angeles area” or “Southern California.” When they do mention his hometown of Cypress, it’s identified as a Los Angeles suburb. We could correct that, with more effort.

At Western High School in Anaheim where he graduated, I couldn’t find a picture of Woods anywhere in the administration building. When I approached school secretary Georgann ) Jones, she was polite but weary of another journalist’s inquiry.

“We get someone from the media here about every other day asking about Tiger,” she said. “We’ve already passed out all the memorabilia we had on him. We don’t even have a school yearbook left with his picture.”

True, the school is proud of him. “He was a quiet, very polite, very unassuming young man,” Jones said.

But me, I’d have a display case smack in the middle of hallway announcing that this golfing genius was once one of ours. I’d send out search parties for pictures and other items. Just write him; he’d donate something to the school for such a tribute.

At Cypress City Hall, included in a trophy case of other city accomplishments is a ball that Woods gave the city (a Top Flite XL). A sign notes that he won the 1994 U.S. Amateur. There’s also a picture of Woods being given the key to the city after that title.

Not to take away from Woods’ amateur career, but all that stuff was pre-legend. There’s no mention anywhere of Tiger the history maker.

The Woods family still owns the Cypress home where Woods grew up. His father, Earl, has mentioned to some journalists he’d like to see it turned into a museum. Like the boyhood homes of presidents.

I first heard that right after Woods won the Masters in 1997. I called then-Cypress City Manager Mike Ochenduszko, who had heard it too, and was surprised. The neighborhood is zoned residential. With state laws against spot zoning, it would be a gargantuan task to get such a museum approved.

But the idea doesn’t seem nearly as far-fetched now as when Ochenduszko and I chuckled about it three years ago.

Current City Manager Importuna agreed the neighbors would never permit it. But if Woods gains much greater fame, he said, “Maybe we’d have to move the house where it could become a museum.”

Like to a park down the street. One idea is to name that park after Tiger Woods. A museum at that site would be a proper goal. You can bet if Disneyland vacationers knew a tour of Woods’ home, or any such museum, was just a short drive away, they’d be there by the busloads.

Not that there aren’t some hard feelings. Woods played most of his adolescent golf at the old Navy Club in Cypress, which purposely keeps no Woods commemorations on display. That’s because five years ago Woods told Newsweek magazine he considered it a racist golf course.

“Until Tiger apologizes, no one here wants anything to do with him,” said old Navy pro Dan Rasmussen, who has played dozens of rounds with Woods.

Well, Tiger Woods was an immature teen when he said those things. He’s been a great ambassador for the game since then. There must be some way to get those differences resolved so old Navy can honor Woods too.

True, Woods is just a golfer. He isn’t responsible for medical miracles, and he hasn’t saved any destitute villages. But he’s the most famous person I know to come out of Orange County.

We ought to say so. Somewhere.

Jerry Hicks’ column appears Monday and Thursday. Readers may reach Hicks by calling (714) 966-7789 or e-mail to jerry.hicks@latimes.com.