CAN TIGER WOODS BE MORE INSPIRING?

I don’t play golf. I wanted to, but couldn’t. Wasn’t a member of the country club. I’ve played the game twice in my life. Once, at Ft. Bragg, while stationed there with the 440th Army Band. The other time was with Gary Salt, owner of Salt Wood Products, of Greenville, Kinston, and Winterville. I met Gary when he was stationed with the 440th, around 1968.
I think of how foolish we were, when Gary Reinhardt, a weight-lifter, from San Diego, and I, held Gary, a little guy, by his feet, suspended, above ground, off the second-floor fire escape, of the sleeping-quarters barracks. I put my trust in Reinhardt’s strength, for us not to drop the poor fella.
A group of us band members, led by John Watkins, of Roanoke Rapids, told Gary, on his first night with us, that we all had to get up at 2am, that morning, and exercise outside the barracks. Watkins, normal, in physique, ordered all of us around, including Reinhardt, with his imposing weight-lifter body, as we feigned terror, at his every command. It was a hilarious sight: Gary doing jumping jacks, in his drawers, at 2am, in the morning.
My mother and I watched, with bated breath, as Tiger Woods sank his incredible 15-foot, 11-inch putt, on the 18th green, at Bay Hill, to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational Sunday, March 29th, 2009, on NBC. Woods won the Invitational by overcoming a five-shot deficit and birdying the final hole. It was his sixth time winning the tournament. As writer, Brian Whacker stated: “no matter how many times we see Woods do what he does, it never gets old. It only gets better.”
I remember watching Woods, for the first time, turning in a sterling performance, as he won his first Masters, in 1997, with a nine-shot lead. Since winning that contest, the first major tournament of his career, Tiger has continued to perform with grace and poise and unmatched concentration and accuracy.
One of the most exciting moments I’ve witnessed in sports, or anywhere else, for that matter, was when Woods putted on a green, where the ball had to take a wide path, of at least 20-feet, to the left, to roll back, about 30-feet, to get into the hole. Miraculously, the ball stopped on the lip of the cup. Woods, and members of the gallery, stood, in disbelief, as the immobile object suddenly, amazingly, and astoundingly, moved another, almost immeasurable distance, to, quiveringly, drop into the hole. Leaving everyone at the green, and viewers, at home, in a state of wonderment and amazement.
Every now and then, God blesses us with individuals, with awe-inspiring talent. Talent of such magnitude that it seems to be a gift of divine providence. Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Shakespeare, Picasso, Mozart, Bach, George Gershwin, the Beatles, Irving Berlin, Babe Ruth, and Michael Jordan come to mind. Tiger Woods is one of that small, special, blessed, gifted elite, who entertain and inspire us all.
My mother, Frances Ball, plagued by chronic nausea, stood at the foot of her bed, right hand on her bed post, watching as Tiger Woods sank the final ball at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, on that Sunday afternoon. Excited, she thrust her left hand upwards in a gesture, that seemed to say: You go, man! [She loved to watch Michael Jordan play as well]. My mother will be 82-years old, on May 14th, of this year.
Great talent is transcendent. It is appealing to, and appreciated by, people of all ages and all walks of life. Great talent is a unifying force, as well. It brings people together, in a special way, in the sharing of its appreciation.
I keep thinking of the wonderful visual moment of Tiger dropping the victory ball into the cup, at the Arnold Palmer Invitational--his excited reaction and the thunderous roar of excitement, from the gallery.
Viewing a wonderful, brief, special moment in time, like that, to me, is akin to watching the beautiful, fleeting, fiery glow of a falling meteorite, as it ignites in the earth’s atmosphere. Or gazing at Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, for a very brief moment. Or watching the full eclipse of the sun, by the moon, at noon-time.
After watching Tiger Woods’ comeback victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, I thought to myself: Can Tiger Woods be more inspiring?

Written by Allen Ball
Monday & Tuesday, March 30 & 31, 2009
© Copyright 2009 ~ Allen Ball Enterprises