The Upshot OLD GOLD | Tiger Woods: Get in the hole!
Mar 30, 2026
A deep-dive into the rise and fall of a sports legend, from intense parental pressure and early fame to a lucrative public image. Scandals, secret affairs, and the shocking incidents that exposed them get recounted. Career-restoring comebacks, severe injuries, and recent legal fights are also explored.
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Earl Woods Built Tiger Into A Prodigy
- Jack Rivlin recounts Earl Woods grooming Tiger from age two and staging TV appearances to shape him into a golfing prodigy.
- Earl left a previous family by lawyered letter, drove Tiger's military-influenced upbringing, and imposed intense pressure to become an icon.
Ambition That Wins Can Also Corrupt Personal Life
- The hosts link Tiger's ruthless ambition and single-minded golf training to later personal dysfunction and unhappiness.
- They argue the same disciplined will that built his career arguably undermined his emotional life and relationships.
Early Fame Created A Secret Vegas Ecosystem
- Jack and Mickey describe Tiger's turning pro era: huge Nike deals, gambling, and a Vegas lifestyle that created a 'whale' ecosystem feeding him women and discretion.
- That early wealth-plus-image tension seeded secret womanizing while maintaining a spotless public brand.