Tiger Woods, the face of irregularity
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer who is, maybe, among the most successful of all time. He was the top-ranked in the world from August 1999 to September 2004 and again from June 2005 to October 2010 (281 weeks), an absolute record. He was ranked number one for a total of 683 weeks, more than any other player in history. Woods has broken numerous golf records. He has been World Number One for the most consecutive weeks and for the greatest total number of weeks of any golfer.
However, right now the North American is just a shadow of that incredible player that he used to be. In November 2009, the National Enquirer published a story claiming that Woods had an extramarital affair with nightclub manager Rachel Uchitel. From that moment on his marriage to former Swedish model Elin Nordegren, was over and several companies ended their endorsement deals with him. Also, there was a significant decrease in his game level and he lost his first place in the ranking on October 30, 2010.
Although he showed some signs of recovery, his free fall has not stopped, not only because he now occupies number 149 in the global ranking, but also for the series of scandals in which he continuously takes part. On May 29, 2017, Woods was arrested near his Jupiter, Florida home by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office at about 3:00 a.m. for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. He was asleep in his car that was stopped in a traffic lane with its engine running. He later stated that he was taking prescription drugs and did not realize how they might interact together. “He was asleep and had problems to get up, he was talking slowly and could not walk alone or walk in a straight line, he was balancing back and forth with his arms…”, said the police report, in which they also clarify the fact that his blood-alcohol level test was negative.
That episode, which reminded his collision with a fire hydrant, a tree, and several hedges while still on his street in 2009, ended not so badly for Woods, who was released without bail and expressed his apologies in a communication. “What happened was an unexpected reaction to some prescription drugs. I did not realize how they might interact together”, he said. Apparently, his use of these drugs was related to the fact he had undergone his fourth back surgery since 2014 to alleviate back and leg pain. In 2018, he finished tied for second at the Valspar Championship in Florida and now he is about to face the Arnold Palmer Tournament, in which he is looking to ascend, something complicated for a 42-year-old who probably won’t have the same resistance of some time ago.
