The story of Tiger Woods is one of the wildest in the world of sport. The American burst onto the scene as a teenager and would soon establish himself as the premier talent in golf.
World domination followed, as Woods became the most dominant force the sport had ever seen. By the time he was 32-years old, he had accumulated 14 major title wins, with him breaking Jack Nicholas' record of 18 majors seeming like a foregone conclusion at that stage.
Then suddenly, things all went a bit pear shaped. It started with problems in his personal life, as news of his numerous extramarital affairs came to light. Woods would announced he would take a break from golf as a result, and his career nose dived.
He would suffer numerous injuries over the following few years, with each promise of a return to top form soon shattered by his various issues on and off the course.
Of course, he would shock the world by winning The Masters earlier this year, bringing full circle what has been a remarkable story.
Many books and articles have been written about Woods over the past decade or so. The bestseller Tiger Woods by Jeff Benedict and Armen Keteyian is the most well-known, detailing some less than favourable details about the golfer's personal life and behaviour towards those who came in contact with him.
Now, it has been announced that Woods is ready to tell this story himself. He took to his Twitter page this afternoon to announce the upcoming release of BACK, his personal memoirs.
I’ve been in the spotlight for a long time, and because of that, there have been books and articles and TV shows about me, most filled with errors, speculative and wrong. This book is my definitive story.https://t.co/t2vs8YusEG pic.twitter.com/HOHjtH5dxx
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) October 15, 2019
In a statement released on the publisher HarperCollins' website, he explained the reasoning behind his decision:
I’ve been in the spotlight for a long time, and because of that, there have been books and articles and TV shows about me, most filled with errors, speculative and wrong.
This book is my definitive story. It’s in my words and expresses my thoughts. It describes how I feel and what’s happened in my life. I’ve been working at it steadily, and I’m looking forward to continuing the process and creating a book that people will want to read.
The book is described as a 'candid and intimate narrative of an outsize American life: from growing up a celebrated golfing prodigy to shattering centuries-old racial barriers as a young pro; from rising to unprecedented fame and global icon status to battling devastating injuries and personal issues; from enduring years of physical anguish to mounting an astonishing comeback at 43 years old, culminating with the 2019 Masters, where his thrillingly impossible victory captured the imagination and hearts of people around the world'.
This will certainly be a must read. All we can hope for is that we don't get the type of sanitised books that sportspeople so often release, and that Woods delves deep into his experiences, especially over the past ten years or so.
