Despite revelations of affairs so numerous that the words "sex addiction" have been used to describe it, Tiger Woods is, no doubt, the greatest pro golfer playing right now. According to AP members, Tiger Woods is also the athlete of the decade.
More than half of the ballots were returned after the events of Nov. 27th, when Tiger Woods crashed his car into a fire hydrant and then a tree, beginning a period of insights into his private life he likely thought would remain hidden forever.
Since then, sordid details of multiple affairs, including mistresses and prostitutes as well, have graced the front pages of mainstream media as well as tabloids. With so much negative publicity, small wonder that his popularity has crashed and sponsors have begun dropping him.
There is no denying his dominance in golf, however. In this decade, he won 64 times (globally), including 12 majors. He now trails all-time majors leader Jack Nicklaus by a scant 18 - 14. In that entire period, when leading going into the final round, he lost only one time. During the decade, he won 56 PGA Tour events. That number surpasses the career numbers of all but four of golf's greatest players.
The AP vote, like many of his tournament victories, was a runaway. He received 56 of the 142 votes cast by AP member editors. Second place was Lance Armstrong, six-time Tour de France winner in the decade, with with 33 votes. Third place was tennis' Roger Federer, who has won more Grand Slam singles titles than any other man, with 25 votes.
Although Woods personal life has been tarnished, clearly golf tourney attendance (and TV ratings) sinks precipitously when Woods is not involved. It is unclear what will occur when Tiger plays again, however.
During the decade, Tiger Woods won the career Grand Slam (The Masters, PGA, British Open, U.S. Open) three times, including one U.S. Open on a gimpy leg in a playoff at Torrey Pines in 2008. He was forced to take time off for surgery after that.
His 56 PGA tour wins amount to an unprecedented winning percentage of 30 percent. Woods was ranked No. 1 in the world for all but 32 weeks in the decade. For those counting, that would be a total of 52 x 10 - 32 or 488 out of 520 weeks. Finally, in addition to his 12 majors, Woods was the runner-up in six other majors. Tiger Woods finished the decade with $81,547,410 in earnings from his PGA Tour events, an average of $482,529 per tournament.
All greatness aside, it is in his personal life that people have seen his feet of clay, so to speak. Events have become so out of control that Woods has declared he will take a leave from pro golf for an indefinite period of time.
Written by Michael Santo
HULIQ.com
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