On Your Birthday, GOAT

Almost thirty years later, I’m still searching for the right words to say what you’ve meant to golf. To all of us.

82 PGA Tour wins, 15 majors, and more weeks at number one than anyone else. But even those numbers don’t tell the whole story.

You changed everything, Tiger. Before you, golfers were athletes, but not in the way we see now. You brought real strength training, conditioning, and athletic prep to a sport that used to focus more on skill and touch than on power. Every player on tour today benefits from what you started.

You made golf important to people who never cared about it before. You became famous in a way most golfers never do. You went beyond the game and opened doors that had been closed for generations. As a longtime PGA Professional and Coach, I have nothing but respect and appreciation for that. You have helped the game stay healthy.

I’ve been coaching the game for nearly 20 years now and have been working in golf since 1996. The kids I teach, the diversity I see on driving ranges, the parents who bring their children to lessons, so much of that exists because you made golf look different. You made it accessible to people who never saw themselves in it before. I can tell you that with absolute certainty.

What stands out to me isn’t just what you did when things were good. It’s what you showed us when everything went wrong.

You faced personal struggles in 2009. You had injuries that could have ended your career many times — seven back surgeries, five knee surgeries, and the 2021 car accident that almost cost you your leg. Any of those could have made someone quit, but you never did.

Seeing you win the 2008 U.S. Open on a broken leg was amazing. But watching you win the 2019 Masters after spinal fusion surgery, after dropping out of the top 1,000, and after everyone said you were finished — that went beyond sports, Tiger. That showed absolute determination. That was about not giving up.

I was at Augusta that Sunday. The roar as you walked up 18 wasn’t just about golf. It was about everyone who’s faced their own struggles and moments when quitting seemed like the only choice. You showed us what’s possible when you keep going.

There’s also the work most people don’t see. The TGR Foundation has reached nearly 200,000 students. The Earl Woods Scholar Program has a 98.7 percent college graduation rate. Kids from overlooked neighborhoods are building solutions for the future at your Learning Labs. That legacy could last longer than any trophy.

So on your 50th birthday, I just want to say thank you. Thank you for inspiring us. Thank you for showing us what excellence is. Thank you for your comebacks that remind us our stories aren’t over until we decide. Thank you for making golf bigger, more diverse, and more meaningful.

You’re the GOAT, Tiger, not just because of what you won, but because of how you changed the game forever.

Happy birthday, Tiger. Here’s to the next chapter.