There's been a fair bit in the papers the last two days about Tiger Woods' marriage to Swedish beauty Elin Nordegren. The event was a posh affair somewhere in the Caribbean, costing an apparent $1.5-million! (Woods reserved the entire hotel.) The press was kept fairly out of the loop, although some minor details were leaked: stars such as Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley were in attendance, for example.
This story interests me only marginally. I don't really care who Tiger Woods marries, but it will be interesting to watch how it effects his golf game and career.
Lorne Rubenstein's Globe column (subscription required) discussed this issue yesterday. Jack Nicklaus married Barbara at 20, she was an essential element in keeping him grounded and his good play for his entire life. Of course, they were married before Jack won any professional majors, and Tiger already has a good deal of success under his belt.
But where will Tiger go now? He's struggling, having slipped from 1st to 3rd in the world rankings.
Vijay Singh says he needs to make swing changes to adapt to his body as he ages. Perhaps. I think its probably more about focus. Tiger might improve as he ages and has kids -- that's what happened to Nicklaus, who had 5. That type of life change can increase your focus because it forces you to prioritize and to not waste any time. But I'd wager it can also have the reverse effect, as some become totally consumed by life off the course. We'll see what happens to Tiger.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 9:04 AM
