U.S. Presidents Cup captain Tiger Woods Photo: Ben Jared, PGA Tour/Getty Images
It wasn’t long ago that Tiger Woods was being condemned for, among other things, not caring sufficiently about playing golf for his country.
The son of a U.S. Army lieutenant colonel who did two tours of duty in Vietnam, Woods was cast as a reluctant – or worse, disinterested – member of the American golf elite.
He played for himself, the rap against him went, not for anyone or anything else, which wouldn’t make him unique among professional golfers whose vocation demands an inordinate amount of self-interest.
It was a bad rap, unfair and unjust.
Woods is unique for sure, his record and his presence both immense and, at least initially, intimidating. But Woods loves being one of the guys. He loves to needle his friends and he’s good at taking as much as he gives.
Critics cited his lousy Ryder Cup record (it fell to 13-21-3 after his 0-for-4 turn in Paris last fall),...
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