Column: ALL WRITE

AL S. MENDOZA

 

WITH TIGER WIN,

SPONSORS FALL IN

IN LINE, PLEASE?

BAGUIO CITY – John Lennon sang, “Words are flowing down like endless rain into a paper cup…” They are from “Across the Universe.”

I cite that in lieu of Tiger Woods’s victory yesterday in the Chevron World Challenge.

Words from friends kept “falling down” in endless cadence in reaction to Tiger’s historic feat.

It was historic because it ended Woods’s victory drought lasting nearly 25 months.  His last triumph was in November 2009 in Australia.

Barely two weeks after that, Woods was chased by his wife out of their home garage in a Thanksgiving Trauma for Tiger following discovery of his illicit sex liaisons with mostly women of ill-repute.

That triggered a chain reaction of life-changing events for the world number one, eventually leading to a divorce worth $100 million in settlement and several solid sponsors abandoning him.

While his game took a nosedive of unimaginable proportions, he would soon virtually lose everything, including the last thing a golfer needs to stay afloat: confidence.

From everything to nothing, from celebrity to obscurity, from No. 1 to No. 52 – Woods had to suffer through all that.

Then yesterday, all of that had ended.

Down by one with two holes to go after Zach Johnson birdied 16, Woods used two uphill putts on 17 and 18 from 10 feet and 8 feet, respectively, to finally end his agony.

Each putt sank was followed by Tiger’s characteristic air-punch, each one accompanied by roars from a crowd used to applauding the greatest golfer of his era.

“It’s good for him, but again, it’s also good for golf,” said former Gov. Rocky Molintas of Benguet.

“I prayed for him when I heard

Mass this morning,” said Jake P. Ayson, my fellow Rules Official in the ongoing Fil-Am here.  “God answers prayers.”