It’s hard to say how long it had been held reined in. Certainly over the past four days, when a lifetime of training had forced a mind of many thoughts down a narrow channel.
Just the next shot; where’s the wind, how’s the slope, what’s the angle?
But when the last putt fell; when Tiger Woods became the first man in thirty years to win back-to-back British Opens, realization took over and the dam broke.
He fell sobbing, first into the arms of his long time caddy, and then into the arms of his fairly new wife.
It was the first major, one of the first golf tournaments ever that Tiger Woods had won but his father Earl Woods didn’t see, either in person or late in life on TV.
The steel had held for days and probably longer since his Dad lost his battle with cancer.
But enough is enough for anyone.
The ability to put it all aside, his father’s death, the questions after missing the cut at the U.S. Open, even his vaunted driver to grind out 72 holes at Royal Liverpool two strokes better than anyone else is a strong case that history may use to one day judge Tiger Woods as the greatest clutch player in American sports history.
When the championship was on the line, when Chris DeMarco found his stride and closed to within one stroke, in that moment when Ernie and Sergio and Phil and the others faded away, Woods found another gear, birdying three straight holes to claim in no uncertain terms that there would be no playoff, no late charge, no amazing collapse this day.
Earl Woods was a military man, a no-nonsense kind of guy. He built his champion by picking up his son’s down-the-middle drives and putting them behind the closest trees.
Fun rounds are for weekend warriors but it is mental toughness that defines champions, toughness that would be needed later to lock away distractions and keep the eyes focused on the prize.
A lot of questions have surrounded Tiger Woods, even before the death of his father.
Woods now has a beautiful new mansion, a beautiful new wife and more money than many emerging nations.
Does he still have the drive, the fire to chase Nicklaus and his record 18 major championships?
Woods’ 11th speaks for itself.
Anyone who watched on Sunday saw more than a golf tournament.
They saw the heart of a Tiger.