When reporting what Tiger said, we relied on statements he’s made—in press conferences, in interviews, or during competitions or other events that were videotaped—and on his writings, primarily those in his book The 1997 Masters: My Story. We also relied on interviews with scores of individuals who recounted direct conversations with him. Similarly, when reporting Tiger’s thoughts, we relied on statements and writings in which he discussed his thinking. We also conducted interviews with individuals with whom Tiger shared his thinking.
In instances where we’ve described scenes, we interviewed at least one source who was present or had firsthand knowledge of what took place. Where we’ve reconstructed dialogue, we always attempted to interview at least one person who was a party in the conversation, and when possible we also interviewed a witness to the conversation. Additionally, we pulled quotations and dialogue from press-conference transcripts, court records, sworn affidavits, police records, video footage, and previously published works.
Unless otherwise specified in these notes, direct quotations derive from interviews with the authors. Roughly half of those whom we interviewed asked not to be identified. While we seldom quoted anonymous sources, we found their input invaluable. We are particularly grateful to those who agreed to speak to us on the record: Al Abrams, Charles Barkley, Sharon Begley, Marian Bergeson, Neal Boulton, Craig Bowen, Dr. Jay Brunza, Ann Burger, Brandel Chamblee, Norm Clarke, Chris Coen, Victor Conte, Jerry Courville, Athan Crist, Don Crosby, Dr. Eri Crum, Tom Cunneff, Brad L. Dalton, Joe DeBock, Maureen Decker, Kel Devlin, Jaime Diaz, Peter DiBari, Ryan Donovan, Barclay Douglas Jr., Walt Douglas, Rudy Duran, Diane Euler, John Feinstein, Ari Fleischer, Barry Frank, Paul Fregia, Deborah Ganley, Deb Gelman, Wally Goodman, Tom Graham, Dina Gravell, Dr. Gary Gray, Brian H. Greenspan, Joe Grohman, Hank Haney, Bill Harmon, Butch Harmon, Don Harris, Jim Harris, Bruce Heppler, Jim Hill, Lori Hintelmann, Mike Holder, Tommy Hudson, Roy S. Johnson, Fred Khalilian, Laurence Kirshbaum, Bill Knowles, Magdalena Kochanek, Chip Lange, Amber Lauria, David Lee, Shari Lesser-Wenk, Peggy Lewis, Karl Lund, Robert Lusetich, Megan Mahoney, Bart Mandell, Corey Martin, Paul Mason, Ed Mauro, Bob May, John McCormick, Pete McDaniel, John Merchant, Dr. Monica Meyer, Chris Mike, Julie Milton, Mike Mohler, Kim Montes, Candace Norton, Jeffrey Olgin, Alicia O’Meara, Mark O’Meara, Dr. Barak Ozgur, Rod Personius, Charles Pierce, Curt Pringle, Dr. Keith Pyne, T. R. Reinman, Jim Riswold, Jimmy Roberts, Bill Romanowski, Rick Ryan, Tim Sargent, Rick Schloss, Matt Schneider, Kristi Scott, Steve Scott, Mark Seal, Scott Seymour, Michael Shapiro, Ed Sherman, Alan Shipnuck, Doc Sims, Gary Smith, Ruben Smith, Howard Sounes, Grant Spaeth, Lori Spaeth, Leslie Spaulding, Ruth Streeter, John Strege, Herb Sugden, Diane Sullivan, Gary Sykes, Tom Tait, Dr. Richard Taite, Wright Thompson, Don Transeth, Brian Tucker, Dr. David Vail, Tom Wilson, Roy Wininger, Rick Wolff, Royce Woods, William Wuliger, and Dennis Young.
PROLOGUE
Primary sources include research conducted by the authors in Manhattan, Kansas, and specifically at Sunrise Cemetery, as well as interviews with Mike Mohler, Royce Woods, Wright Thompson, and an individual at Manhattan Monuments. We also relied on the military records of Earl Woods obtained from the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri (the official repository for military records), and records obtained from Kansas State University and the PGA Tour.
died of a heart attack: Frank Litsky, “Golf: Earl Woods, Tiger’s Father, Dies,” New York Times, May 4, 2006.
“He is the Chosen One”: Gary Smith, “The Chosen One,” Sports Illustrated, December 1996, 33.
referred to as his “best friend”: Tiger Woods, press conference, Memorial Tournament, June 1, 1999.
and “hero”: Earl Woods, Playing Through: Straight Talk on Hard Work, Big Dreams, and Adventures with Tiger (New York: HarperCollins, 1998), 1.
“I love you, son”: CBS Sports broadcast of the Masters, April 13, 1997.
Earl’s burial lot: Sunset Cemetery Site Map, cityofmhk.maps.arcgis.com.
flying from Southern California: Wright Thompson, “The Secret History of Tiger Woods,” ESPN The Magazine, April 21, 2016.
ten-inch-by-ten-inch square wooden box: Authors’ interviews with Mike Mohler.
twelve inches long by twelve inches wide: Ibid.
he was an introvert: Tiger Woods, The 1997 Masters: My Story (New York: Grand Central Publishing, 2017), 179.
not allowed to look at them: Authors’ interview with an assistant librarian at Western High School.
CHAPTER ONE: THE END
Primary sources include research conducted by the authors in the community of Isleworth in Windermere, Florida, and at the Florida State Highway Patrol in Orlando; and interviews with Sgt. Kim Montes, Robert Lusetich, Steve Helling, sources at the National Enquirer, and residents of Isleworth. We also relied on police reports from the Florida Highway Patrol and the City of Windermere, as well as photographs and a DVD provided by the authorities.
Barefoot and groggy: Police report, Florida Highway Patrol, November 27, 2009.
a locked bathroom door: Maureen Callahan, “The Night Tiger Woods Was Exposed as a Serial Cheater,” New York Post, November 24, 2013.
It was around two a.m. on Friday: Police report, Florida Highway Patrol.
clouded by prescription drugs: Ibid.
National Enquirer, hot on his trail: Authors’ interviews with former employees of the National Enquirer.
Authors’ note: Rachel Uchitel declined requests for comment.
supermarket tabloid accused Tiger: National Enquirer, November 28, 2009.
after thirty excruciating minutes: Robert Lusetich, Unplayable: An Inside Account of Tiger’s Most Tumultuous Season (New York: Atria Books, 2010), Kindle version.
and started scrolling: Callahan, “The Night Tiger Woods Was Exposed as a Serial Cheater.”
“I miss you”: Ibid.
“I knew it”: Lusetich, Unplayable. Another variation, as reported in Callahan, “The Night Tiger Woods Was Exposed as a Serial Cheater,” has Elin saying: “I knew it was you. I know everything.”
“Oh, fuck”: Callahan, “The Night Tiger Woods Was Exposed as a Serial Cheater.”
“She knows,” he texted Uchitel: Ibid.
the only woman he had ever truly feared: Tiger Woods, press conference, Buick Open, August 7, 2002 (“It was my mom that I was always afraid of,” Woods said. “If I didn’t say please around my mom, I would be smacked”).
“I will beat you”: S. L. Price, “Tiger Rules,” Sports Illustrated, April 3, 2000.
golf club in hand: Gerald Posner, “Tiger’s Thanksgiving Mystery Solved,” Daily Beast, January 24, 2010.
sped out of the driveway . . . plowing into a tree: Florida Traffic Crash Report Narrative/Diagram, November 27, 2009.
Elin shattered . . . windows: Incident form, Windermere Police Department, November 27, 2009; and police report, Florida Highway Patrol.
Kimberly Harris woke: Police report, Florida Highway Patrol.
“find out what’s happening”: Florida Highway Patrol interview with Jarius Adams and Kimberly Harris, November 27, 2009.
“Tiger, are you okay?”: Police report, Florida Highway Patrol.
His teeth were bloodstained: Incident form, Windermere Police Department.
“Please help me”: Police report, Florida Highway Patrol.
“911, what’s your emergency?”: Steve Helling, Tiger: The Real Story (Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 2010).
“on the phone with the police”: Florida Highway Patrol interview with Jarius Adams, November 27, 2009.
the whites of his eyes: Helling, Tiger.
Primary sources include author visits to the Cerritos Elementary School and Tiger’s childhood home and neighborhood in Cypress, California; records from the Savanna School District, Kansas State University, and the United States Army; court records from New York, California, and Mexico; books by Earl Woods, Barbara Woods Gary, and Howard Sounes; and interviews with Maureen Decker, Ann Burger, and Royce Woods.
On September 14, 1981: Email to the authors from Dr. Sue Johnson, superintendent, Savanna School District, January 8, 2016.
his mother created a multiplication table for him: Woods, Playing Through, 75.
“Golf was my decision”: “Tiger’s Prowl: His Life,” disc 1, Tiger: The Authorized DVD Collection, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, 2004.
“old, fussy, cussy man”: Howard Sounes, The Wicked Game: Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and the Story of Modern Golf (New York: William Morrow, 2004).
“He could swear for thirty minutes”: Mickey Herskowitz, “For Earl Woods, a Loving Son Makes Every Day a Father’s Day,” reprinted in the Manhattan Mercury, June 17, 2001.
“ ‘Yeah, that’s about right’ ”: Ibid.
like “a little dictator”: Sounes, The Wicked Game.
pitch and play first base: Kansas State University records.
Harold Robinson and Veryl Switzer: Tim Bascom, “First on the Field,” K-Stater, December 1997.
first black player to make the American Legion: Sounes, The Wicked Game.
The team left: Jimmie Tramel, “Tiger Was Raised by a Wildcat,” Tulsa World, August 3, 2007.
lone black player would not be allowed: Ibid.
an attractive white girl: Larry Weigel, “Ray Wauthier and the ‘Tiger’ Connection,” TheMercury.com, February 1, 2013.
degree in sociology: Nineteenth Annual Commencement, Kansas State College of Agriculture and Applied Science, May 24, 1953.
Barbara Ann Hart, a local girl: Barbara Woods Gary, At All Costs: My Life with the Man behind the Tiger (self-published, 2000).
married . . . during a thunderstorm: Ibid.
Earl started to disappear: Ibid.
She felt abandoned: Ibid.
“who is that man?”: Woods, Playing Through, 48.
“I am to blame for that”: Ibid., 47.
an unaccompanied tour: Gary, At All Costs, 64.
“a stunningly attractive woman”: Woods, Playing Through, 55.
“this fine little thing”: Tom Callahan, His Father’s Son: Earl and Tiger Woods (New York: Gotham Books, 2011), 31.
“I had me a date”: Ibid.
Authors’ note: Kultida Woods did not respond to our request for comment.
“I felt abandoned”: Jaime Diaz, “Tida in Thailand,” Golf Digest, July 1, 2013.
first date . . . spent in church: Woods, Playing Through, 55.
“there are only two colors”: Ibid., 60.
assistant professor of military science: National Personnel Records Center, St. Louis, Missouri.
psychological warfare studies: Ibid.
“I don’t understand . . . You need help”: Gary, At All Costs, and Callahan, His Father’s Son, describe this dialogue in slightly different ways. We relied on both accounts for this exchange.
“Maybe I do need help”: Gary, At All Costs, 75.
up-and-coming New York attorney: Ibid.
“the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do”: Ibid., 76.
“the parties hereto are now Husband and Wife”: Agreement between Barbara Ann Woods and Earl Dennison Woods, May 29, 1968.
“Woody wants a legal separation”: Ibid.
“living separate and apart”: Ibid.
“as if sole and unmarried”: Ibid.
$200 per month “for her support”: Ibid.
“Why do we have to separate?”: Gary, At All Costs, 85.
with an Asian woman: Ibid., 92.
in 1968 at age twenty-five: Diaz, “Tida in Thailand.”
married in New York in 1969: “Declaration of Earl D. Woods,” October 2, 1995, Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara.
“temperaments between the spouses”: “Judicial Power of the State of Chihuahua Certified Copy of Judgment of Divorce,” August 23, 1969, docket 5420/969.
“Consulate assumes no responsibility”: Gori P. Bruno, Consul of the United States of America, to Earl Woods, letter, August 25, 1969.
“extreme cruelty” and “grievous mental suffering”: “Complaint for Divorce,” no. 226251, filed by Barbara A. Woods, August 25, 1969.
“the parties are still married”: Interlocutory Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage, Case Number 226251, February 28, 1972.
officially recognizing the divorce: Final Judgment (Marriage) of Dissolution, filed March 2, 1972, Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara.
“I question the LEGALITY of that marriage”: Barbara Woods Gary to the California Superior Court, letter, April 5, 1995.
“I remarried in 1969”: “Declaration of Earl D. Woods.”
“I do not consider myself a bigamist”: Sounes, The Wicked Game.
CHAPTER THREE: A STAR IS BORN
Primary sources include interviews with Jim Hill, Rudy Duran, Royce Woods, and Jaime Diaz; books by Tiger Woods and Earl Woods; and reporting by Jaime Diaz, Gary Smith, Tom Callahan, and John Strege.
unable to have more children: Jaime Diaz, “Raising Tiger Hardly Just a Father Affair,” GolfWorld, April 8, 2009.
E in Eldrick stood for Earl: Callahan, His Father’s Son, 41.
neglected by her parents: Diaz, “Tida in Thailand.”
nicknamed him “Tiger”: Woods, Playing Through, 32.
one-quarter Thai and one-quarter Chinese: John McCormick and Sharon Begley, “How to Raise a Tiger,” Newsweek, December 9, 1996.
“he ain’t white”: Bill Plaschke, “It’s a New Day for Golf’s Child Prodigy,” Los Angeles Times, February 22, 1993.
1,474-square-foot ranch: Property records, Orange County Assessor’s Office.
he retreated to the garage: Woods, Playing Through, 69.
Kultida feeding her baby: Callahan, His Father’s Son, 41.
“a genius on our hands”: USA Today Weekend, July 24–26, 1992. Over the years, Earl told various versions of this story.
sawed-off club: Smith, “The Chosen One”; McCormick and Begley, “How to Raise a Tiger.”
“Tida and I made a personal commitment”: Woods, Playing Through, 62.
“Daddy, can I play golf with you today?”: McCormick and Begley, “How to Raise a Tiger.”
“This was my fantasy”: Woods, Playing Through, 39.
Mike Douglas instructed his staff: Callahan, His Father’s Son, 42.
“How old are you, Tiger?”: Mike Douglas, The Mike Douglas Show, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o92UYBvBdMs.
a “glass cellar”: Alice Miller, The Drama of the Gifted Child: The Search for the True Self (New York: Basic Books, 1997).
“too many starry-eyed parents”: Callahan, His Father’s Son, 43.
“We can’t dictate to him”: That’s Incredible!, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfTY5xUFaJs.
an icy glare: Ibid.
“My son is very talented”: Rudy Duran, In Every Kid There Lurks a Tiger: Rudy Duran’s 5 Step Program to Teach You and Your Child the Fundamentals of Golf (New York: Hachette Books, 2002).
complimentary set of new clubs: Ibid.
motivational self-help tapes: John Strege, Tiger: A Biography of Tiger Woods (New York: Broadway Books, 1997), 21.
“I do it with all my heart”: Ibid.
“teachers wouldn’t call on me”: Woods, The 1997 Masters: My Story, 74.
“stuttered so badly that I gave up”: Ibid.
two years in an after-school program: Ibid., 75.
“Subconsciously, I learned that in the garage”: Ibid., 18.
“until I fell asleep”: Ibid., 75.
CHAPTER FOUR: THE PRODIGY
Primary sources include interviews with Dr. Jay Brunza, Meg Mahoney, Tom Sargent, John Strege, and Wally Goodman; books by Tiger Woods, Earl Woods, and Howard Sounes; reporting by Jaime Diaz; and footage from CBS Sports.
Woods stared intently at the television: Woods, The 1997 Masters, 13.
Earlier that day . . . Tiger had played: Ibid.
“The Bear has come out of hibernation”: CBS Sports broadcast, April 13, 1986.
“I wanted to be where he was”: Woods, The 1997 Masters, 14.
PGA . . . amended its constitution: Encyclopedia of African-American History (Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2009), 310. Other sources, such as Alan Shipnuck’s book The Battle for Augusta National: Hootie, Martha, and the Masters of the Universe (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004), indicate the change was made in 1943, not 1934.
finally been expunged in 1961: Ibid.
“I was constantly fighting racism”: Woods, Playing Through, 25.
Golf Digest published a list: Strege, Tiger, 26.
“I’d never seen”: “Tiger’s Prowl: His Life,” Tiger: The Authorized DVD Collection.
“have that feel-sense”: Sounes, The Wicked Game, 130.
Anselmo didn’t ask for payment: Ibid., 144.
Kultida . . . shuttled Tiger: Diaz, “Raising Tiger Hardly Just a Father Affair.”
Tiger went all the way to Thailand: Ibid.
“he be a four-star general”: Strege, Tiger, 25. A slightly different version of this story appeared in Smith, “The Chosen One.”
“Rak jak Mea”: Diaz, “Tida in Thailand.”
“Mom will never lie to you”: Diaz, “Raising Tiger Hardly Just a Father Affair.”
“go for the throat”: Ibid. In Strege, Tiger, Tida is quoted as saying “Kill them” on p. 37.
“There’s no feeling”: “Tiger’s Prowl: His Life,” Tiger: The Authorized DVD Collection.
favorite thing to do: Woods, The 1997 Masters, 21.
Jay Brunza, PhD: Dr. Jay Brunza, professional résumé.
When Cameron was a boy: Jason Sobel, “Why Any Ol’ Putter Just Won’t Do for Tiger,” ESPN.com, April 23, 2017.
Tiger started using Cameron putters: Ibid.
saw himself as small and scrawny: Woods, The 1997 Masters, 98.
“psychological training that my father used”: Ibid., 102.
Earl would later brag to golf writers: Bill Fields, “Ahead of His Time,” Golf Magazine, February 1992.
“It was psychological warfare”: Woods, Playing Through, 83.
“ ‘Fuck off, Tiger’ ”: Woods, The 1997 Masters, 100.
“I needed him to push me”: Woods, The 1997 Masters, 98.
code word . . . was enough: Smith, “The Chosen One.”
“a ‘cold-blooded assassin’ ”: Woods, The 1997 Masters, 98.
letter from Wally Goodman: Stanford recruiting letter to Tiger Woods, March 28, 1989.
Tiger wrote back to Goodman: Tiger Woods to Wally Goodman, letter, published in Golf Digest, October 9, 2014.
playing with . . . John Daly: “A Young Lion Named Tiger Will Play Open,” Los Angeles Times, January 26, 1992.
CHAPTER FIVE: WHO IS TIGER WOODS?
Primary sources include research conducted at Isleworth in Windermere, Florida; court records from California and Ohio; interviews with Don Crosby, Dina Gravell, Joe Grohman, Jaime Diaz, Alicia O’Meara, Mark O’Meara, William Wuliger, Tom Cunneff, and IMG executives; transcripts of Tiger Woods’s interviews and press conferences; books by Tiger Woods and Earl Woods; and reporting by John Garrity, Tim Rosaforte, Jaime Diaz, and Tom Cunneff.
They had met in 1989: Grohman Golf Gazette 1, no. 1 (April 28, 1998).
“ ‘Practice, practice, practice’ ”: Woods, Playing Through, 74.
“the 10,000-hour rule”: Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers: The Story of Success (Boston: Little, Brown & Company, 2008).
Grohman nicknamed him Champ: Grohman Golf Gazette 4, no. 1 (June 2002).
“I couldn’t fit her in”: Tiger Woods, interview with Tom Cunneff, People, August 11, 1991.
“This is better than childhood”: Ibid.
to watch Jack Nicklaus: Tim Rosaforte, Raising the Bar: The Championship Years of Tiger Woods (New York: Thomas Dunne Books, 2000), xi.
first black golfer been admitted: Lance Pugmire, “Private Investigation,” Los Angeles Times, April 10, 2003.
golf’s great black hope”: Larry Dorman, “A Way Out,” New York Times, June 7, 1994.
walking into a prison: Woods, The 1997 Masters, 101.
Rodney King . . . beaten: Chelsea Matiash and Lily Rothman, “The Beating That Changed America,” Time, March 3, 2016.
“a swing as pretty as yours”: Strege, Tiger, 40.
“Son . . . you will forever be a part of history”: Tim Rosaforte, “The Comeback Kid,” Sports Illustrated, September 5, 1994. (“When Tiger won his first US Junior in 1991,” said Earl, “I said to him, ‘Son, you have done something no black person in the United States has ever done, and you will forever be a part of history.’ But this is ungodly in its ramifications.”)
“I’d like to be the best ever”: Jaime Diaz, “Fore! Nicklaus Beware of Teen-Ager,” New York Times, August 1, 1991.
playing on the varsity tennis and soccer teams: Western High yearbooks, 1992 and 1993.
profiled in People magazine: “Tiger on the Tee,” People, September 27, 1991.
Both men had been courting Tiger: Sounes, The Wicked Game, 159.
McCormack . . . fiercely competitive golfer: Matthew Futterman, Players: How Sports Became a Business (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2016).
he could be a bully: Complaint for Divorce, Custody, Restraining Order and Other Equitable Relief, Candace B. Norton vs. John Hughes Norton III, Court of Common Pleas, Division of Domestic Relations, Cuyahoga County, January 7, 1985; authors’ interview with attorney William T. Wuliger.
“I believe that the first black man”: Callahan, His Father’s Son, 43.
“That’s why I’m here”: Ibid.
“with Tiger and his family”: Email from Hughes Norton to the authors, September 23, 2015.
Earl’s annual income . . . $45,000: Earl Woods, Income and Expense Declaration, Superior Court of California, October 2, 1995 (the exact figure was $45,233.72).
monthly expenses . . . $5,800: Ibid.
“revolving home equity loan”: Woods, Playing Through, 100.
paying Earl Woods $50,000 per year: Authors’ interview with a senior IMG executive. In a 2003 interview, Earl Woods denied receiving any salary: “You cannot buy me for the money that I got as expenses. You can’t buy me for that. I’m too high-principled for that” (Sounes, The Wicked Game, 177).
$50,000 a year on Tiger’s amateur career: “Tiger’s Tale,” transcript, Primetime Live, July 15, 1993.
“IMG did provide compensation to Earl Woods”: Alastair J. Johnston to the authors, email, September 27, 2017.
Isleworth, a 606-acre gated community: Authors’ research at Isleworth.
private police force: Ibid.
“There’s no rush”: John Garrity, “You the Kid!” Sports Illustrated, March 9, 1992.
He always felt nervous: Tiger Woods, press conference, US Amateur Championship, August 18, 1996: “I’m always nervous. When I tee it up on the first tee, I’ll be nervous, and then it will go away.”
case of rigor mortis: Garrity, “You the Kid!”
Tiger should have been sitting in his geometry class: Ibid.
six deep around the tee: Ibid.
an exemption to a “nigger”: Sounes, The Wicked Game, 161.
Tiger also received a death threat: Plaschke, “It’s a New Day for Golf’s Child Prodigy.”
“He’s the next Jack Nicklaus”: Garrity, “You the Kid!”
“when I hit a bad shot”: Ibid.
“one of our deals of being a Woods”: Tiger Woods, press conference, British Open, July 14, 2005.
CHAPTER SIX: THE NEXT LEVEL
Primary sources include interviews with John Merchant, Jeffrey Olgin, Dina Gravell, Butch Harmon, Grant Spaeth, Wally Goodman, Jaime Diaz, and Joe Grohman; court records from Connecticut; books by Tiger Woods, Earl Woods, John Merchant, and John Strege; PGA Tour videos; CBS Sports footage; Western High School yearbooks; USGA research; the Stanford Daily; and reporting by Tom Cunneff.
“We don’t discriminate”: Bill Pennington, “Hall Thompson, Who Stirred Golf Controversy, Dies at 87,” New York Times, October 28, 2010.
“however distressing one finds this firestorm”: Jaime Diaz, “Racism Issue Shakes World of Golf,” New York Times, July 29, 1990.
S. Giles Payne, a Connecticut lawyer: John F. Merchant, A Journey Worth Taking: An Unpredictable Adventure (Xlibris, 2012), 335.
first black to graduate: Ibid.
first black . . . Connecticut’s largest bank: Ibid.
Anselmo had been diagnosed with colon cancer: John Strege, “John Anselmo Has Died,” GolfWorld, July 15, 2017.
Harmon Sr., won the Masters: John McCormick, “Even Tiger Needs a Trainer,” Newsweek, December 9, 1996.
Norman’s swing coach: Ibid.
visit to Lochinvar: Woods, The 1997 Masters, 41.
raw spots on his forearm: David Kindred, “Tiger Woods Grows Up,” Golf Digest, April 2000.
“What’s your go-to shot”: Authors’ interview with Butch Harmon; Woods, The 1997 Masters, 55 (“Butchie asked during our first session together after the ’93 Amateur if I had a go-to automatic shot when I wasn’t swinging well. . . . I told Butchie that my go-to shot was what I did just about every time: swing as fast as I could, unleashing everything I had through the ball”).
“Swing as fast as I can”: Ibid.
$300-an-hour fee: McCormick, “Even Tiger Needs a Trainer.”
Tiger made it official: Rob Rose, “Men’s Golf Team Signs Top Recruit,” Stanford Daily, November 11, 1993.
“Most Likely to Succeed”: Western High School yearbook, 1994, 60.
a 3.8 GPA: Peter de Jonge, “Tiger Woods,” New York Times Magazine, February 5, 1995. De Jonge reported Tiger’s GPA as 3.79. Various other reports indicate that his GPA was 3.86. We went with 3.8.
an ethics complaint: Jeffrey Olgin, Letter of Complaint, June 15, 1994.
launched an investigation: Memorandum of Decision, John F. Merchant vs. State Ethics Commission, no. CV960330176, September 2, 1997.
his name had surfaced: Alan Levin, “Rowland Ousts Counsel for Golfing on State Time,” Hartford Courant, March 7, 1996.
“I’d have shot him”: Callahan, His Father’s Son, 96.
a player, not a cheater: Ibid.
“from the shower naked”: Ibid., 97.
misconception by the media: Lorne Rubenstein, “Tiger’s Private Struggles,” http://time.com/tiger/.
greatest comeback in US Amateur history: Rosaforte, “The Comeback Kid.”
transferring to Oklahoma State: Ibid.
Earl had stayed with Kuehne: Hank Haney, The Big Miss: My Years Coaching Tiger Woods (New York: Three Rivers Press, 2012), 8.
prominent attorney who owned two banks: Joe Drape, “A Prodigy Finds Skeptics in the Crowd,” New York Times, April 20, 1997.
the highest-risk shot: Rosaforte, “The Comeback Kid.”
Initially frozen still: http://www.usga.org/videos/2013/03/04/woods-mounts-comeback-at-1994-u-s—amateur-2203223061001.html.
“ ‘you’ll never be shit’ ”: Earl Woods interview with Tom Cunneff (transcript provided to the authors by Cunneff).
Clinton sent him a congratulatory letter: Bill Clinton to Tiger Woods, letter, September 8, 1994.
“tonight is unbelievable”: Strege, Tiger, 78.
Tiger and Earl to golf for free: Joe Grohman, “Inside Team Tiger,” Grohman Golf Gazette VI, no. 2 (March 2004); authors’ interviews with Joe Grohman.
Tiger received a letter: Ibid.
“Have you seen any guys?”: Ibid.
kicked Tiger off the course: Ibid.
“ ‘A black kid is hitting’ ”: Ibid.
“That won’t be necessary”: Ibid.
“Fuck the navy”: Ibid.
CHAPTER SEVEN: THE AMATEUR
Primary sources include interviews with Royce Woods, Dina Gravell, Grant Spaeth, Lori Spaeth, Wally Goodman, John Merchant, Jaime Diaz, John Strege, Don Crosby, members of the San Francisco 49ers organization, and the Stanford Police Department; records from Stanford University; information from PGATour.com; books by Tiger Woods, Earl Woods, and John Strege; personal correspondence between Tiger Woods and Dina Gravell; transcripts of Tiger Woods’s press conferences; the Stanford Daily; and reporting by Jaime Diaz and Peter de Jonge.
economics as his major: “Woods to Stanford,” New York Times, November 11, 1993.
roommate, Bjorn Johnson: Heather Knight, “Living with Summer and Tiger,” Stanford Daily, January 11, 1995.
his class schedule: Paul Newberry, “Tiger Still on Course of History,” Associated Press, October 26, 1994.
Championship in Versailles: Allyson Mizoguchi, “Tiger Woods: Just Another Frosh?” Stanford Daily, September 22, 1994.
called him “Tiger la Terreur”: Jaime Diaz, “Tale of a Tiger,” Sports Illustrated, October 17, 1994.
celebrity since Jerry Lewis: Ibid.
trouble making friends: Authors’ interviews with former members of the San Francisco 49ers organization.
no appointment necessary: Tiger Woods, press conference, Dubai Desert Classic, February 5, 2006 (“I had numerous conversations with the great football coach, Bill Walsh, my freshman year”).
wouldn’t even say her name: De Jonge, “Tiger Woods.”
full-blooded Native American: Ibid.
nicknamed Tiger “Urkel”: Ibid.
slap in the face: Ibid.
“It provides drive”: Ibid.
Louis, who enlisted: “Joe Louis Departs to Finish Training,” New York Times, June 23, 1942.
“things are wrong with America”: Ira Berkow, “Joe Louis Was There Earlier,” New York Times, April 22, 1997.
“only time I think about race”: Smith, “The Chosen One.”
“You’re a great player”: Newberry, “Tiger Still on Course of History.”
“It’s absolutely awesome”: Ibid.
“our team won”: Ibid.
Tiger called 911: Felony Incident Report, Office of the Sheriff, County of Santa Clara, December 1, 1994. The Stanford Police Department told the authors that the 911 cassette was destroyed after three years, per department policy.
dinner with Jerry Rice: Ibid. Through a spokesperson, Jerry Rice said he had met Tiger while he was a student at Stanford, but he did not “know about this specific event.” When asked, then San Francisco 49ers team president Carmen Policy could not recall a dinner event at which he met Tiger Woods in 1994.
“Tiger, give me all you got”: Supplement to Incident Report, December 2, 1994.
“I was not beaten”: “Golfer Woods Issues Statement on Robbery,” Stanford News Service, December 2, 1994.
“at the wrong time”: Mike DiGiovanna, “Woods Not Seriously Injured,” Los Angeles Times, December 3, 1994.
“Golfer Woods Is Mugged”: New York Times, December 4, 1994.
surgery to remove two cysts: Woods, The 1997 Masters, 60.
“Wiping out on skateboards”: Jaime Diaz, “The Truth about Tiger,” Golf Digest, December 20, 2009.
left a long scar: Woods, The 1997 Masters, 60.
“the heck with it”: Ibid.
“pain was excruciating”: Ibid.
The mind, he told himself: Ibid.
longest in the field: Jaime Diaz, “Out of Sight,” Sports Illustrated, April 17, 1995.
Davis Love III was second: Ibid.
The longest hitter: Ibid. (283.8 yards, according to PGATour.com).
“Should I try?”: Ibid.
“a commercial publication”: Strege, Tiger, 158.
used Maxfli golf balls: Ibid.
Stanford suspended Tiger: Jaime Diaz, “Out of the Woods,” Sports Illustrated, July 17, 1995.
Privately, Tiger was furious: John Strege, “Tracking Tiger,” Sports Illustrated, June 19, 1995.
“Tiger might leave”: Ibid.
168 people were killed: USA Today, June 20, 2001.
Tiger abruptly quit playing: Brian Lee, “Four Golfers Enough to Take a Title at Home,” Stanford Daily, April 25, 1995.
“My shoulder is O.K.”: Tiger Woods to Dina Gravell, letter.
MRI had revealed scarring: Lee, “Four Golfers Enough to Take a Title at Home.”
high school baseball injury: Ibid.
“I played baseball”: Tiger Woods, press conference, Deutsche Bank Championship, September 1, 2006.
“I had to choose one sport”: Woods, The 1997 Masters, 22.
“I am truly sorry”: Tiger Woods to Dina Gravell, letter.
CHAPTER EIGHT: RICH FRIENDS
Primary sources include interviews with John Merchant, Rick Ryan, Athan Crist, Tom Graham, Ed Morrow, Corey Martin, Ed Mauro, Butch Harmon, Peter DiBari, Barclay Douglas, Bill Harmon, members of the Newport Country Club, and Tommy Hudson; Connecticut Ethics File, Letters; court records from Connecticut; records from Connecticut Attorney General’s office, Ethics Commission, and Governor’s Office; research provided by the Newport Country Club and Brooklawn Country Club; Country Club of Fairfield; the Stanford Daily; correspondence with David Fay and Bev Norwood; and reporting by Tim Rosaforte and Rick Lipsey.
found probable cause: Connecticut Office of State Ethics, press release, April 17, 1995.
Merchant had also acknowledged: John F. Merchant v. Office of State Ethics, no. CV960330176, September 2, 1997.
“My recollection is”: Alastair Johnston, email to authors, September 27, 2017.
Norton came up with the idea: Rosaforte, Raising the Bar, 51 (“Earl Woods was already on the IMG payroll, hired in a scheme devised by super agent Hughes Norton to be a ‘talent scout’ at AJGA events”).
Authors’ note: David Fay did not respond to an email request to comment.
“purpose of this statement”: Strege, Tiger, 115.
he spotted Earl: “Wounded Tiger,” Sports Illustrated, June 26, 1995.
Founded in 1895: Brooklawncc.com/clubhouse/history.
bout of food poisoning: Brian Lee, “Men’s Golf Qualifies for NCAAs,” Stanford Daily, May 22, 1995.
slammed his club: Rick Lipsey, “Down to the Wire Oklahoma State Beat Stanford in the First Playoff for the NCAA Championship,” Sports Illustrated, June 12, 1995.
His outburst drew: Ibid.
first sudden-death round: Ibid.
“Hey, what’s going on?”: Authors’ interview with Corey Martin.
“They don’t break”: Authors’ interview with Bill Harmon.
Spectators packed the second-story: USGA, Annual Report, 1995.
Mercedes-Benz dealer: Dan Gillette, “Marucci Happy to Gain a Spot in Walker Cup,” Newport Daily News, August 28, 1995.
thirty-sixth and final hole: Jim Donaldson, “Woods Is Still No. 1 in U.S.,” Providence Journal-Bulletin, August 28, 1995.
within eighteen inches: Brett Avery, “The Young and the Restless,” Golf Journal, October 1995.
“This one’s for you, Jay”: Pete McDaniel, “Twice as Nice,” Golf World, September 1, 1995.
father had passed away: Ibid.
wandered into the country-club bar: Authors’ interviews with Newport Country Club members.
“How do you like this, Bobby Jones?”: Authors’ interviews with three individuals who were present.
“kiss my son’s black ass”: Ibid.
“I’m going to make a prediction”: Tim Rosaforte, “Encore! Encore!” Sports Illustrated, September 4, 1995.
“Pop, c’mon”: Authors’ interview with a source who witnessed the exchange.
CHAPTER NINE: RAMPING UP
Primary sources include interviews with Butch Harmon, Jaime Diaz, John Merchant, Jim Riswold, Steve Scott, Kristi Scott, Wally Goodman, Dr. Eri Crum, and John Strege; court records from Connecticut; personal correspondence between Earl Woods and John Merchant; footage from NBC Sports, ABC News, and Golf Films; transcripts of Tiger Woods’s press conferences; and reporting by Jaime Diaz.
Stanford was a utopia: Jaime Diaz, “A Fast Study,” Sports Illustrated, April 8, 1996 (“Stanford is like utopia. It’s not the real world, which I guess is why I want to spend more time there”).
mentally engaged: Ibid.
$25 check went to Palmer: Ibid.
“ ‘Kiss my yin yang’ ”: Pat Sullivan, “My Dinner with Arnie—Woods Pays His Tab,” San Francisco Chronicle, October 21, 1995.
he formed two columns: Earl Woods to John Merchant, “1996 EXPENSE BUDGET,” letter, January 28, 1996.
“no financial pressure”: “A Young Lion Named Tiger Will Play Open.”
violated state law: Memorandum of Understanding, John F. Merchant v. Office of State Ethics, September 2, 1997.
violating the code of ethics: Ibid.
a criminal investigation: Ibid.
John Rowland had weighed in: Levin, “Rowland Ousts Counsel for Golfing on State Time.”
IMG agreed to take: New York Post, April 1997.
cigar-smoking players: William F. Reed, “In His Sights,” Sports Illustrated, June 10, 1996.
record fifteen thousand tickets: Ibid.
225 press credentials: Ibid.
“I know it sells newspapers”: Ibid.
he would be back at Stanford: Authors’ interview with Wally Goodman.
assist from Kevin Costner: Janet Maslin, “When Golf Is Life and Life a Game,” New York Times, August 16, 1996.
“Time to Go Pro?”: Larry Dorman, “The Question for Woods: Is It Time to Go Pro?” New York Times, August 18, 1996.
“I like being in school”: Tiger Woods interview with Carol Lin, ABC World News Tonight.
kept in a ponytail: NBC Sports broadcast.
thirty consecutive matches: Jeff Ritter, “Golf Films Presents ‘All Square’: Tiger Woods, Steve Scott, and the 1996 US Amateur,” Golf, August 16, 2016.
down to a single stroke: NBC Sports broadcast.
“Hey, Tiger, did you”: “Golf Films Presents ‘All Square’ ”; authors’ interview with Steve Scott.
Tiger didn’t acknowledge: Authors’ interview with Steve Scott.
cold and heartless: Authors’ interviews with Steve and Kristi Scott.
“why you’re calling me”: Authors’ interview with Wally Goodman.
“one thing I don’t love”: Authors’ interview with Dr. Eri Crum.
“I am a loner”: Diaz, “Raising Tiger Hardly Just a Father Affair.”
“kill them”: Ibid.
“take their heart”: Ibid.
suffered by Kuehne: Ryan Lavner, “The Amateur: Trip Kuehne’s Life Without Pro Golf,” GolfChannel.com, September 14, 2016.
MBA at Oklahoma State: Ibid.
never watched the video clips: Ibid.
a “wuss”: Tiger Woods, press conference, Memorial Tournament, May 30, 2011 (“Growing up as a kid, we were looked at as wusses. Guys who didn’t, shouldn’t be called athletes, shouldn’t be considered athletes”).
Primary sources include interviews with Jim Riswold, John Merchant, Jaime Diaz, John McCormick, John Feinstein, Craig Bowen, Sharon Begley, Gary Smith, Larry Kirshbaum, Rick Wolff, Charles Pierce, and Mark Seal; books by Tiger Woods and John Feinstein; footage from the PGA Tour, Golf Channel, ABC News, and NBC Sports; court records from Connecticut; real estate records from Ohio and Florida; and reporting by Gary Smith, Charles Pierce, Tom Cunneff, and Jaime Diaz.
bags of Nike gear: Leigh Montville, “On the Job Training in Milwaukee: The Professional Debut of Amateur Champ Tiger Woods Was a Qualified Success,” Sports Illustrated, September 9, 1996.
changed Tiger’s official residence: Tiger Woods, Declaration of Domicile, August 26, 1996.
9.3 percent income tax: lao.ca.gov/1996.
9724 Green Island Cove: Declaration of Domicile.
“see Claude Monet paint”: Pete McDaniel, “Rare Air,” Golf World, August 30, 1996.
“three times what Norman gets”: Smith, “The Chosen One.”
“Guess that’s pretty amazing”: Ibid.
thought it wasn’t enough: Authors’ interview with a source close to the family.
“You bet your ass”: Jaime Diaz, “Roaring Ahead,” Sports Illustrated, September 2, 1996.
“only hero on earth”: Smith, “The Chosen One.”
drink or rent a car: Montville, “On the Job Training in Milwaukee.”
“I guess, hello, world”: Tiger Woods, press conference, Greater Milwaukee Open, August 28, 1996.
“In my life”: Ibid.
“You’ll learn”: Woods, The 1997 Masters, 2.
Strange’s skepticism: Ibid.
straight down the middle: Ibid.
most publicized debut: Montville, “On the Job Training in Milwaukee.”
at Shea Stadium: Ibid.
earning just $2,544: Ibid.
put that question to Nike: James K. Glassman, “A Dishonest Ad Campaign,” Washington Post, September 17, 1996.
fueled the controversy: L. Jon Wertheim, “The Ad That Launched a Thousand Hits,” Sports Illustrated, April 14, 2003.
nominated for an Emmy: Stuart Elliott, “Disputed Commercial Wins a TV Award,” New York Times, September 9, 1997.
“You have to think for yourself”: Tiger Woods, Nightline, August 27, 1996.
“That’s very private”: Ibid.
say very little: Smith, “The Chosen One.”
“There is no comprehension”: Rosaforte, Raising the Bar, 64.
“black gunslinger”: Ibid.
“cut your heart out”: Ibid.
“difficult for Tiger to make”: McDaniel, “Rare Air.”
“a pushy father”: John Feinstein, One on One: Behind the Scenes with the Greats in the Game (New York: Little, Brown & Company, 2011), 331.
“every dollar possible”: Ibid.
“Like Stefano . . . Earl hasn’t had”: Rosaforte, Raising the Bar, 73.
good-bye to Earl: Jaime Diaz, “Crowd Pleaser,” Sports Illustrated, September 21, 1996.
at the Regency: Ibid.
“should do a book”: Authors’ interview with Jaime Diaz.
“who would write it?”: Ibid.
a bidding war: Authors’ interview with Rick Wolff.
$2.2 million for a two-book deal: Authors’ interview with Larry Kirshbaum.
Earl wasn’t happy: Authors’ interview with a source close to Earl.
“should show up”: Feinstein, One on One, 332.
tired when he was twenty: Smith, “The Chosen One.”
no longer appropriate to compare: Ibid.
“Tiger should have played”: Strege, Tiger, 204.
were my friends, Tiger thought: Smith, “The Chosen One.”
suddenly missed Stanford: Ibid.
tasked with finding: Authors’ interview with John Merchant.
4,500-square-foot house: Assessor’s records, Orange County, California, Parcel Number 501-181-26. According to public records, the home was purchased for $700,000 on November 4, 1996. Other published reports list the sale price of the house as $804,000.
won his first PGA Tour event: Gary Van Sickle, “Jackpot,” Sports Illustrated, October 14, 1996.
“I kind of did”: Smith, “The Chosen One.”
assigned to ghostwrite: Authors’ interview with Pete McDaniel.
“Please forgive me”: Smith, “The Chosen One.”
arms around his father: Ibid.
$216,000 purse: Larry Dorman, “Tiger Woods Adds a Chapter to His Legend,” New York Times, October 21, 1996.
qualifying him: Ibid.
told security to open: Feinstein, One on One, 333.
“the fifth Beatle”: Ibid.
Bill Cosby was willing: Smith, “The Chosen One.”
“Tell them to kiss my ass”: Ibid.
phone call from his mother: Earl Woods interview with Tom Cunneff.
arteriosclerosis: Ibid.
administered an EKG: Ibid.
“It’ll be okay”: Ibid.
to concentrate on golf: Woods, The 1997 Masters, 8. Writing about the night his father was taken to the hospital in 1996, Woods said: “I couldn’t concentrate after spending the night in the hospital with my father, worrying about him, and I shot 78 in the second round.”
worst round since turning pro: Larry Dorman, “Lehman in Control, But Woods Loses His,” New York Times, October 26, 1996.
“I love my dad to death”: Ibid.
Tiger wearing Nike gear: McCormick and Begley, “How to Raise a Tiger.”
a “fine young man”: Ibid.
“king of endorsement money”: Smith, “The Chosen One.”
group arrived at Bay Hill: Fritz Ober, email to the authors, April 27, 2015.
downed five martinis: Authors’ interview with John Merchant.
both were hammered: Authors’ interview with Craig Bowen.
helped execute a deed: Warranty Deed, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, December 13, 1996.
Tiger Woods Revocable Trust: Conformity Deed, Orange County, Florida, February 14, 2002.
CHAPTER ELEVEN: MASTERFUL
Primary sources include interviews with Butch Harmon, Charles Pierce, Gary Smith, Jaime Diaz, Alicia O’Meara, and Mark O’Meara; book by Tiger Woods; the PGA Tour; CBS Sports; and reporting by Tom Cunneff, Charles Pierce, Gary Smith, Jaime Diaz, and Rick Reilly.
shiny new Mercedes: Charles P. Pierce, “The Man. Amen,” GQ, April 1997.
Tiger had won it: Ibid.
his first seven tournaments: Rick Reilly, “Top Cat,” Sports Illustrated, October 28, 1996.
every fifty-seven holes: PGATour.com.
twenty-fourth . . . money list: Ibid.
ready for Tiger: Reilly, “Top Cat.”
his perception of Tiger: Authors’ interview with Gary Smith.
“Tiger will do more”: Smith, “The Chosen One.”
never worked a day: Authors’ interviews with sources close to the family.
“Earl is getting out of control”: Pierce, “The Man. Amen.”
None of this is scary: Smith, “The Chosen One” (“I don’t see any of this as scary or a burden”).
“I am the toughest golfer”: Ibid.
climbed into the back of a limousine: Pierce, “The Man. Amen.”
“Thomas Aquinas leading the way”: Ibid.
“little too deep”: Ibid.
“The key to it”: Ibid.
touched down in Bangkok: Jaime Diaz, “Thais That Bind,” Sports Illustrated, February 17, 1997.
Tiger received $448,000: Ibid.
doctors performed an angiogram: Earl Woods interview with Tom Cunneff.
cigarettes and alcohol: Ibid.
at UCLA Medical Center: Woods, The 1997 Masters, 8.
Earl flat-lined: Ibid.
“walking into the light”: Ibid.
“We just touch, and it’s all said”: Earl Woods interview with Tom Cunneff.
first saw himself on the cover: Jaime Diaz, “One for the Ages,” Sports Illustrated, April 7, 1997.
How could I have been so stupid?: Diaz, “One for the Ages.”
It also wounded Tiger: Ibid.
Tiger asked him why: Woods, The 1997 Masters, 84.
O’Meara said he wasn’t sure: Ibid.
Tiger . . . what O’Meara already had: Authors’ interviews with sources close to Tiger.
ten under par: Woods, The 1997 Masters, 5.
a massive white plume: Ibid.
never witnessed a launch: Ibid.
What an accomplishment: Ibid.
“caddies will be black”: Rick Reilly, “The New Master,” Sports Illustrated, April 21, 1997.
black man to join the club: Ibid.
looking into the sky: Woods, The 1997 Masters, 5.
fascinated by space travel: Ibid.
Exhilarated, Tiger stepped: Ibid.
weeks since his triple bypass: Woods, The 1997 Masters, 8.
“Your hands are too low”: Woods, The 1997 Masters, 8.
actor Wilford Brimley: Rick Reilly, “What a Trip,” Sports Illustrated, May 26, 1997.
Fluff worshipped: Ibid.
so amped up: Ibid.
What is going on?: Ibid.
“only played nine holes”: Ibid.
great black hope: Dorman, “A Way Out.”
I’ll be fine: Woods, The 1997 Masters.
“The mental training”: Ibid.
Cowan and Butch Harmon watched: Authors’ interview with Butch Harmon.
It would be a nightmare: Woods, The 1997 Masters.
went to Earl’s bedroom: Ibid.
don’t get lackadaisical: Ibid.
I need to be that cold-blooded assassin: Ibid.
Could this really happen?: Ibid.
forty-four million Americans: Michael Starr and Richard Wilner, “CBS Breaks Record, Too,” New York Post, April 1997.
65 percent increase: Ibid.
allowed his mind to go: Woods, The 1997 Masters.
Nicklaus was now elbowing his way: Reilly, “The New Master.”
“We made it”: CBS Sports broadcast.
“I love you”: Woods, The 1997 Masters, 160. “The words kept coming back to me for years, and they still do,” Tiger wrote years later. “I will always cherish and never forget the embraces I shared with Pop and Mom behind the eighteenth green.”
CHAPTER TWELVE: MANIA
Primary sources include interviews with Mike Shapiro, Chip Lange, Butch Harmon, John Feinstein, PGA Tour sources, and confidential sources; book by Tiger Woods; ABC News; and the Oprah Winfrey Show.
sheer number of records: PGA Tour.
Lee Elder . . . first black man: Reilly, “The New Master.”
“Thanks for making this possible”: Ibid.
“I’ve always dreamt of winning”: CBS Sports broadcast.
Bill Clinton had called: Woods, The 1997 Masters.
Clinton even offered: Maureen Dowd, “Tiger’s Double Bogey,” New York Times, April 19, 1997.
the black staff: Reilly, “The New Master.”
Cadillac courtesy car: Woods, The 1997 Masters.
cranked up: Ibid., 165.
woke up with a headache: Woods, The 1997 Masters, 167.
Café in Myrtle Beach: Larry Dorman, “With Woods, a Grand Slam Is No Longer a Dream,” New York Times, April 15, 1997.
signed with Planet Hollywood: Ibid.
Letterman and Jay Leno: Ibid.
Tiger said no: Ibid.
Tiger took it as a slight: Authors’ interview with a source close to Tiger. Also, Joe Drape, “Woods Has Empathy for Zoeller and a Rebuke for the President,” New York Times, May 14, 1997.
plane for Mexico: Woods, The 1997 Masters, 168.
eating and drinking: Ibid.
“Are you kidding me?”: Feinstein, One on One, 336.
“Can’t have everything”: Feinstein, One on One, 334.
“these two assholes”: Ibid., 335.
offices in Beaverton: Woods, The 1997 Masters, 168.
“It is perplexing”: Dowd, “Tiger’s Double Bogey.”
made a mistake: Woods, The 1997 Masters, 171.
letter of apology: Ibid., 172.
“He’s doing quite well”: CNN, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ufpU3X-t4w.
“some of the necessities”: Ted Koppel interview with Al Campanis, Nightline, April 6, 1987.
couldn’t have meant: Woods, The 1997 Masters, 169.
a racist tinge: Ibid.
chose to say nothing: Ibid., 179.
“It’s too bad”: “Zoeller Apologizes for Woods Comment,” New York Times, April 22, 1997.
“ ‘Dear Tiger’ ”: The Oprah Winfrey Show, April 24, 1997.
“I’m a Cablinasian”: Ibid.
dropped Fuzzy Zoeller: Richard Sandomir, “Zoeller Learns Race Remarks Carry a Price,” New York Times, April 24, 1997.
“out of bounds”: Woods, The 1997 Masters, 170.
“Needs to Apologize”: Dave Anderson, “Tiger Woods Also Needs to Apologize for Distateful Jokes,” New York Times, April 27, 1997.
“planned my vacation already”: Harry Blauvelt, “Time to Return to Work,” USA Today, May 14, 1997.
“Only Robert E. Lee”: Albert R. Hunt, “Tiger Joins with Michael in Some Very Rare Air,” Wall Street Journal, May 2, 1997.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: CHANGES
Primary sources include interviews with Butch Harmon, Mark O’Meara, Chris Mike, Sharon Begley, Ed Sherman, and Jimmy Roberts; books by Tiger Woods and Steve Williams; and reporting by Gary Van Sickle and Alan Shipnuck.
cut off ticket sales: Gary Van Sickle, “The Beat Goes On,” Sports Illustrated, May 20, 1997.
slightly off-kilter: Woods, The 1997 Masters, 175.
drove up from Houston: Ibid.
158 percent jump: Van Sickle, “The Beat Goes On.”
eighty-five thousand fans: Ibid.
the Duchess of York: Ibid.
youngest player in history: Ibid.
watched the tapes: Woods, The 1997 Masters, 174.
God almighty, he thought: Gary Van Sickle, “On a Roll,” Sports Illustrated, July 12, 1999.
Harmon . . . wasn’t concerned: Ibid.
“I want to change this”: Ibid.
“He couldn’t relax”: Smith, “The Chosen One.”
“How good can I be?”: Woods, The 1997 Masters, 177.
A typical practice day: Ibid., 176.
short game and putting: Ibid., 175.
“The life I wanted”: Ibid., 176.
“Compulsions come from”: Sharon Begley, Just Can’t Stop: An Investigation of Compulsion (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2017), 2.
“I feel like shit”: Ibid.
“I didn’t care”: Woods, The 1997 Masters, 176.
“tighten my swing”: Ibid.
dinner and a movie: Alan Shipnuck, “Charge!” Sports Illustrated, July 14, 1997.
fifty-five thousand people packed: Ibid.
broke through the ropes: Ed Sherman, “The One and Only Tiger Woods Delivers,” Chicago Tribune, July 7, 1997.
“They can’t hold us back”: Ibid.
Tiger walked carefree: Ibid.
“my creative mind”: Steve Williams and Hugh de Lacy, Golf at the Top with Steve Williams: Tips and Techniques from the Caddy to Raymond Floyd, Greg Norman & Tiger Woods (Berkeley, CA: Ulysses Press, 2006), 52.
“If Tiger shows up”: Shipnuck, “Charge!”
favorite word was compete: Woods, The 1997 Masters, 227.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: EXPLOITED
Primary sources include interviews with John Strege, Jaime Diaz, EA Sports, Nike, American Express, Deb Gelman, John Feinstein, Don Transeth, Mike Shapiro, and Shari Lesser Wenk; transcripts from Tiger Woods’s press conferences; reporting by Tom Cunneff; court records in Ohio and California; and footage from PBS.
paying Woods $13 million: Richard Sandomir, “Tiger Woods Signs Pact with American Express,” New York Times, May 20, 1997.
youngest person in the world: Authors’ interview with an American Express senior executive.
ideal global personality: Stephen E. Frank, “Can Tiger Woods Sell Financial Services?” Wall Street Journal, May 20, 1997.
“we have a representative”: Sandomir, “Tiger Woods Signs Pact with American Express.”
Rolex announced: Stuart Elliott, “Tiger Woods Signs Contract with Rolex,” New York Times, May 28, 1997.
“shoulder to lean on”: Earl Woods, Charlie Rose, May 7, 1997, https://charlierose.com/videos/10188.
233,000 copies in hardback: Sales figures provided by HarperCollins in an email to the authors, June 15, 2015.
“I don’t have time”: Authors’ interview with Jaime Diaz.
“something to gain”: Tiger Woods, press conference, Doral-Ryder Open, March 3, 1998.
“Fuck John Strege!”: Authors’ interview with John Strege.
“It occurred to me”: Ibid.
Tiger played Mortal Kombat: Notes from Tom Cunneff’s interview with Jaime Diaz.
“I don’t play”: Authors’ interview with Don Transeth.
Tiger’s answers: Ibid.
“Read the contract”: Authors’ interview with Mike Shapiro.
ex-wife in divorce court: Complaint for Divorce, Custody, Restraining Order and Other Equitable Relief, Candace B. Norton v. John Hughes Norton III, January 27, 1985.
“What’s going on?”: Authors’ interview with Mike Shapiro.
“I can hit it 340”: Authors’ interview with Don Transeth.
weary and aloof: Authors’ interview with Deb Gelman.
cut under the eye: Tiger Woods, press conference, Memorial Tournament, May 26, 1998 (“They were so aggressive last year, I would come home with pen marks all over me, on my shirts, my hat; a couple of times I got cut under the eyes with pens—stray pens. People are so aggressive”).
too much to drink: Authors’ interview with Deb Gelman.
any breath mints: Ibid.
“Meet me on every tee”: Ibid.
“Couldn’t wait to see me”: Authors’ interview with John Feinstein.
“Makes it tougher”: Ibid.
interview was scheduled: Ibid.
“The comparisons are legitimate”: John Feinstein, The First Coming: Tiger Woods: Master or Martyr? (New York: Ballantine, 1998).
CHAPTER FIFTEEN: INSTINCTS
Primary sources include interviews with Mark O’Meara, Alicia O’Meara, Peggy Lewis, Butch Harmon, John Feinstein, and Jaime Diaz; transcripts of Tiger Woods’s press conferences; and reporting by Jaime Diaz.
the exotic beast: Bill Colson, “Cover Shoot: A Tale of the Tigers,” Sports Illustrated, April 13, 1998.
serious reservations: Jaime Diaz, “Masters Plan,” Sports Illustrated, April 13, 1998.
“That young man”: Ibid.
dealing with death threats: Authors’ interviews with Alicia O’Meara.
twenty-pound increase: Diaz, “Masters Plan.”
Bench-pressing 225 pounds: Ibid.
Tiger was tired: Ibid.
“What’s wrong with Tiger?”: Jaime Diaz, “Spelling It Out,” Sports Illustrated, March 23, 1998.
grip-it-and-rip-it: Gary Van Sickle, “Training a Tiger,” Sports Illustrated, July 27, 1998.
graphite-shafted driver: Ibid.
“a lot of good friends”: Tiger Woods, press conference, Doral-Ryder Open, March 3, 1998.
Ken Griffey Jr.: Diaz, “Masters Plan.”
“who you can trust?”: Authors’ interview with Alicia O’Meara.
student named Joanna: Peter Sheridan, “She’s the Tiger’s Meow,” New York Post, August 2, 2000.
cheerleader in high school: Ibid.
discreetly avoided the press: Ibid.
moved into his Isleworth home: Ibid.
“just plain ghost”: Thomas Bonk, “Being Fired Is Norton’s Reward for Making Woods Rich,” Los Angeles Times, October 16, 1998.
“It’s hard to understand”: Ibid.
“Hughes was a hard-driven guy”: Authors’ interview with Mark O’Meara.
had “overcommitted” Tiger: Bonk, “Being Fired Is Norton’s Reward for Making Woods Rich.”
had it on tape: Tiger Woods, press conference, US Open, June 17, 1999.
“My dad didn’t mean”: Ibid.
“I’m sorry about this”: Authors’ interview with John Feinstein.
“She’s his secret weapon”: Sheridan, “She’s the Tiger’s Meow.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN: I GOT IT
Primary sources include interviews with Tom Wilson, Rick Schloss, Mark O’Meara, Butch Harmon, Hank Haney, Barry Frank, and Al Abrams; transcripts of Tiger Woods’s press conferences; books by Steve Williams; and reporting by Jaime Diaz, John Garrity, Gary Van Sickle, and David Kindred.
broke down Duval’s play: Tiger Woods, press conference, the US Open, June 15, 1999.
Duval emerged: Jaime Diaz, “It Takes Two to Tango,” Sports Illustrated, March 15, 1999.
Bell, to caddie: Jaime Diaz, “Blast from the Past,” Sports Illustrated, February 22, 1999.
introducing Tiger to Joanna: Sheridan, “She’s the Tiger’s Meow.”
“You are so talented”: Ibid.
played for the hardware: Tiger Woods, press conference, US Open, June 16, 2002.
the biggest trophy available: Plaschke, “It’s a New Day for Golf’s Child Prodigy.”
“Deadhead with a yardage book”: “Tiger to Fluff: Bag It,” Golf World, March 5, 1999.
“Nah . . . It’s fine”: Authors’ interview with a Tour source.
Williams hung up: Steve Williams, Out of the Rough: Inside the Ropes with the World’s Greatest Golfers (Auckland, NZ: Penguin Random House, 2015).
“I’ve parted ways”: Ibid.
Floyd watched in silence: Ibid.
“Come on in”: Ibid.
“I appreciate the support”: Associated Press, “The Split Is Official: Tiger Fires Fluff,” March 9, 1999.
“To Butch, Thanks”: Harry Blauvelt, “Woods: No Rest,” USA Today, December 30, 1999.
Tiger had slipped to number two: http://www.owgr.com/ranking.
thirteen people to Germany: Alan Shipnuck, “Ich Bin ein Winner,” Sports Illustrated, May 31, 1999.
billionaire Dietmar Hopp: Ibid.
“The great thing”: Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus, press conference, Memorial Tournament, June 6, 1999.
“I’ve never seen this”: Ibid.
“I don’t know if anybody”: Ibid.
“you’re a superhuman golfer”: Kindred, “Tiger Woods Grows Up.”
Liman grabbed a camera: Cork Gaines, “The Amazing Story Behind Tiger Woods’ Iconic Nike Juggling Commercial,” Business Insider, December 5, 2015.
Nike decided to air: Ibid.
record-setting television rights: Tripp Mickle, “Champions: Barry Frank, the Dealmaker,” SportsBusiness Journal, April 4, 2011.
$2 million in additional advertising: Richard Wilner, “ABC Put a Tiger in Its Tank to Break Par,” New York Post, August 4, 1999.
“Showdown at Sherwood”: Ibid.
practicing together in Las Vegas: Kindred, “Tiger Woods Grows Up.”
television of rating of 6.9: Clifton Brown, “Woods-Duval Rates a Solid Par,” New York Times, August 4, 1999.
“What Crybaby shoot today?”: Authors’ interview with Hank Haney.
“Did you see that?”: Williams, Out of the Rough.
García scissor-kicked: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShDwNijsLww.
“Sergio, great playing”: Ibid.
a 344-yard bomb: Jaime Diaz, “A Year Beyond His Years,” Sports Illustrated, November 15, 1999.
Ben Hogan in 1953: Harry Blauvelt, “Eye of Tiger,” USA Today, November 8, 1999.
greatest golf seasons in history: Ibid.
Nicklaus said it was superior: Ibid.
eating yogurt and fruit: John Garrity, Sports Illustrated, January 17, 2000.
Levi’s jeans for Armani slacks: Kindred, “Tiger Woods Grows Up.”
favorite word . . . became balance: Ibid.
smiled more, frowned less: Rick Reilly, “The Promise Keeper,” Sports Illustrated, February 21, 2000.
“Whatever you may think”: Kindred, “Tiger Woods Grows Up.”
Jagoda had graduated: Sheridan, “She’s the Tiger’s Meow.”
deal with General Motors: Gary Strauss and Bruce Horovitz, “Can Tiger Make Buick Roar?” USA Today, December 15, 1999; authors’ interview with Al Abrams.
sell its coffee drinks: Ibid.
hugged Steve Williams: CBS broadcast.
Pacino and Billy Crystal: Ibid.
Payne Stewart died: Gary Van Sickle, “Playing with Payne,” Sports Illustrated, November 11, 1999.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: ANY QUESTIONS?
Primary sources include interviews with Jimmy Roberts, Butch Harmon, Kel Devlin, PGA Tour sources, and Mark Rolfing; transcripts of Tiger Woods’s press conferences; book by Tiger Woods; court records; and footage from NBC Sports.
“I got something”: Authors’ interview with Butch Harmon.
an inconceivable comeback: Clifton Brown, “Woods Fashions an Unforgettable Comeback,” New York Times, February 8, 2000.
six straight victories: Ibid.
golf was still in its infancy: John Garrity, “Mean Streak,” Sports Illustrated, February 21, 2000.
Nelson earned . . . $30,250: Harry Blauvelt, “Nelson Rooting for Woods,” USA Today, February 3, 2000.
“Hey, nice playing today”: Authors’ interview with Kel Devlin.
Acushnet Company, sued Nike: “Nike Is Sued Over Tiger Woods Golf Ads,” New York Times, July 9, 1999.
Steinberg renegotiated: Ivan Maisel, “A Herr Off,” Sports Illustrated, May 29, 2000.
he called . . . Wally Uihlein: Ibid.
Tiger was backstage: Authors’ interview with Kel Devlin.
“What . . . are you doing here?”: Ibid.
“Before we get started”: Michael Bamberger, “Witnessing History,” Sports Illustrated, December 18, 2000.
partying until dawn: Authors’ interview with Kel Devlin.
NBC deployed forty-seven cameras: “He’s the Man,” Sports Illustrated, July 27, 2000.
twenty-one-gun salute: CNN, transcript, June 14, 2000.
No one else stands a chance: Authors’ interview with Butch Harmon.
alone in a dimly lit room: Ibid.
“Goddamn you fucking prick”: NBC Sports broadcast.
Upset viewers: Maggie Haberman, “Tiger’s Lost Green Shot Sparks Blue Blast on TV,” New York Post, June 18, 2000.
“How’s your wife?”: Authors’ interview with Jimmy Roberts.
“I’ve got to ask”: Ibid.
“shoved up their ass”: Authors’ interview Butch Harmon.
“Yeah, I got a little angry”: NBC Sports broadcast.
“let my clubs do the talking”: Woods, The 1997 Masters, 22.
“trying to prove?”: Authors’ interview with Jimmy Roberts.
Authors’ note: Butch Harmon disputes the “why the fuck” confrontation scene, saying something similar occurred two years earlier but with another reporter.
“big par putts”: Tiger Woods, press conference, PGA Championship, June 18, 2000.
“records are great”: Ibid.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: TRANSCENDENCE
Primary sources include interviews with Butch Harmon, Alicia O’Meara, Herb Sugden, Amber Lauria, Bob May, sources close to the Woods family, and Tom Sargent; reporting by Michael Bamberger, Steve Rushin, Rick Reilly, Tom Cunneff, and S. L. Price; property records from Florida; administrative records from ETW Corp.; and books by Steve Williams.
quiet celebratory dinner: Authors’ interview with Butch Harmon.
nodded and smiled: Ibid.
record 230,000 fans: Steve Rushin, “Grand,” Sports Illustrated, July 31, 2000.
“He has raised the bar”: Rosaforte, Raising the Bar, 31.
112 bunkers: Bamberger, “Witnessing History.”
Tida cried with joy: Diaz, “Raising Tiger Hardly Just a Father Affair.”
“Bye, Mom . . . I love you”: Rushin, “Grand.”
Royal Air Force base: Ibid.
$2.475 million: Orange County Property Appraiser, Property Record Card, Orange County, Florida.
off for the Bahamas: Dan Goodgame, “The Game of Risk,” Time, August 14, 2000.
simultaneously appeared: “Tiger’s Tale,” Time, August 14, 2000; “The Chosen One,” New Yorker, August 21 & 28, 2000.
American Express aired: Joe Pytka, director, “Tiger Woods in Manhattan,” June 30, 2000.
never won a major: The Louisville Slugger!, DVD, PGA Valhalla, 2000.
“won’t back down”: Williams, Out of the Rough.
Play the course: Authors’ interview with Bob May.
“Cut the Corner”: Masters.com.
“Stevie, my mom”: Williams, Out of the Rough.
Off the cart . . . He had: Authors’ interview with a source close to Tiger Woods.
Woods joined Ben Hogan: The Louisville Slugger!
Venus . . . winning Wimbledon: Selena Roberts, “Venus Williams Wins Wimbledon,” New York Times, July 9, 2000.
“I’ve never met him”: Rick Reilly, “An Audience with the Earl,” Sports Illustrated, July 24, 2000.
“I raised Tiger to leave me”: S. L. Price, “Tunnel Vision,” Sports Illustrated, April 3, 2000.
“I get mobbed”: Reilly, “An Audience with the Earl.”
“Knock this stuff off”: Earl Woods interview with Tom Cunneff.
a bevy of women: Employment records of ETW Corp.; authors’ interviews with sources close to Earl Woods.
women were employed by: Ibid.
brought a younger woman: Authors’ interview with a PGA Tour insider who was on the flight to Australia.
changed his cell phone: Authors’ interview with a source close to Earl Woods.
“dad and I don’t talk as much”: Goodgame, “The Game of Risk.”
food and pre-cut fruit: Authors’ interview with a source close to Earl Woods.
“I’ll be all right, Pop”: Bamberger, “Witnessing History.”
Primary sources include interviews with Kel Devlin, Barry Frank, Jimmy Roberts, Mark O’Meara, Alicia O’Meara, Dina Gravell, Nike, Butch Harmon, and Amber Lauria; transcripts of Tiger Woods’s press conferences; footage from CBS Sports and the PGA Tour; and reporting by Michael Bamberger.
Woods had to crouch down: Tiger Woods, press conference, NEC Invitational, August 27, 2000.
shot in the dark: Bamberger, “Witnessing History.”
twilight with his dad: Tiger Woods, press conference, NEC Invitational, August 27, 2000 (“This is how it used to be. This is how I grew up playing. My dad and I . . . we used to have probably two holes in pitch black or dark”).
flickering lighters: PGATour.com.
“You can’t do that”: Ibid.
a fan shouted, “Tiger”: Bamberger, “Witnessing History.”
No one else in the world: Ibid.
“He’s limitless”: “Tiger Woods on His Way,” GOLFonline.
the halo effect: Authors’ interview with a Nike source.
“compared Tiger to Michael”: Clifton Brown, “Nike Deal for Woods Said to Be the Richest,” New York Times, September 15, 2000.
limited foothold: Scorecard, “Mining Woods for Gold,” Sports Illustrated, September 25, 2000.
about $130 million in sales: Authors’ interview with Kel Devlin.
$68 million per year: PGATour.com.
Nielsen rating of 7.6: Doug Ferguson, “Prime Time Golf Turns into Big Hit,” Associated Press, July 31, 2001.
“it’s not your fault”: Authors’ interview with Barry Frank.
“just another Jew”: Ibid.
Sportsman of the Year: Frank Deford, “Better Than Imagined,” Sports Illustrated, December 18, 2000.
“Deford with a pen”: Authors’ interview with a colleague of Frank Deford.
“It’s not true”: Tiger Woods, press conference, WGC Andersen Consulting Match Play Championship, February 22, 2000.
“Does it bug you”: Tiger Woods, press conference, Bay Hill Invitational, March 13, 2001.
“Well, it’s annoying”: Ibid.
defending Woods: Authors’ interview with Jimmy Roberts.
not even listening: Ibid.
“Don’t worry, dude”: Ibid.
“just started thinking”: Tiger Woods, press conference, Masters, April 8, 2001.
CHAPTER TWENTY: IN THE BUBBLE
Primary sources include interviews with Butch Harmon, Charles Barkley, Kel Devlin, Ed Sherman, Larry Kirshbaum, Rick Wolff, Peggy Lewis, Alicia O’Meara, Norm Clarke, Las Vegas sources, Mark O’Meara, and MGM sources; author visits to Las Vegas and Keith Kleven Institute; transcripts of Tiger Woods’s press conferences; reporting by Mark Seal, Sandra Sobieraj Westfall, Michael Bamberger, Jaime Diaz, and Alan Shipnuck; and books by Howard Sounes and Tim Rosaforte.
Kleven, an acquaintance from his Stanford days: Teri Thompson, “Keith Kleven . . . Goes Quiet,” New York Daily News, December 28, 2009.
ultraexclusive Italian-themed: MGMgrand.com.
“beyond attentive”: Ibid.
routinely play $20,000 per hand: Authors’ interviews with Mansion sources.
“a sharp”: Ibid.
twenty-first birthday at the MGM: Jaime Diaz, “Off Like a Shot,” Sports Illustrated, September 20, 1997.
“you have to enjoy it”: Authors’ interview with Charles Barkley.
“I’ve still got the handprints”: Mark Seal, “The Temptation of Tiger Woods: Part II: Losing Control,” Vanity Fair, May 2, 2010.
Woods sped off with Jordan: Allison Samuels, “Tiger’s ‘Brothers,’ ” Newsweek, June 17, 2001.
“Michael is like the big brother”: Rosaforte, Raising the Bar, 151.
wasn’t universally shared: Authors’ interviews with Las Vegas sources.
leaving $100 tips: Authors’ interview with PGA Tour source.
lap dancer stripped naked: Andy Farrell, “Streaker and Steward Taint Tiger’s Special Moment,” Independent, July 24, 2000.
“Tiger did not respond”: Bamberger, “Witnessing History.”
born in Stockholm: Alan Shipnuck, “Who Is This Woman?” Sports Illustrated, September 14, 2004.
identical twin, Josefin: Ibid.
Thomas Nordegren . . . accomplished journalists: Ibid.
Barbro Holmberg . . . highly educated: Ibid.
her parents divorced: Ibid.
work for Scandinavian Playboy: Ibid.
magazine Café Sport: Ibid.
no real interest in modeling: Elin Nordegren interview with Sandra Sobieraj Westfall, People, May 30, 2017.
Mia Parnevik went shopping: Shipnuck, “Who Is This Woman?”
three-thousand-square-foot guest house: Ibid.
odd and off-putting: Ibid.
with a famous athlete: Ibid.
“I was not an easy catch”: Sounes, The Wicked Game, 238.
sounding nervous whenever Jesper: Shipnuck, “Who Is This Woman?”
She felt safe around him: Elin Nordegren interview with Sandra Sobieraj Westfall.
“She became like Greta Garbo”: Shipnuck, “Who Is This Woman?”
lost a heartbreaker to Michigan: sports-reference.com/cbb/postseason/1989-ncaa.
moving almost one million copies: Bookscan.
went to see Bingo Rimér: Shipnuck, “Who Is This Woman?”
she personally approved: Ibid.
Tiger’s go-to guy at the Mansion: Authors’ interview with Las Vegas source.
all-expenses-paid comp: Authors viewed Tiger’s comp ticket.
places like Drink: Authors’ interviews with Las Vegas sources.
“Woods would like you at his table”: Authors’ interview with a source who witnessed the exchange.
into a hot tub: Ibid.
straight into a closet: Authors’ interview with a source familiar with the incident.
Tiger woke up at four thirty a.m.: Rick Reilly, “Killer Instinct,” Sports Illustrated, April 22, 2002.
his closest rivals: Ibid.
intimidated by Tiger: Ibid.
“Can you please share with us”: Tiger Woods, press conference, Masters, April 14, 2002.
“I will celebrate”: Ibid.
“hope to see you when I come back”: Handwritten note from Joanna Jagoda to Peggy Lewis.
Elin stood behind Tiger: Josh Elliott, “Tiger Woods in Tiger Jam,” Sports Illustrated, May 6, 2002.
“Black Jesus scares them”: Ibid.
internet was flooded with risqué images: Shipnuck, “Who Is This Woman?”
“sexy Swede”: Bridget Harrison and Bill Hoffmann, “Sexy Swede Is Tee-Rific For Tiger,” New York Post, May 6, 2002.
“Pamela Anderson and Cindy Margolis”: Ibid.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: CHANGES II
Primary sources include interviews with Charles Barkley, Butch Harmon, Hank Haney, Kel Devlin, Mark O’Meara, Chris Mike, Mike Shapiro, Don Transeth, Chip Lange, Herb Sugden, Karl Lund, Peggy Lewis, residents of Isleworth, and PGA Tour sources; transcripts of press conferences by Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and Mark O’Meara; unpublished interviews with Tiger Woods; books by Steve Williams and Hank Haney; court records from Florida; and reporting by Wright Thompson.
“Let’s go Mick-el-son”: Michael Silver, “Halfway Home,” Sports Illustrated, June 24, 2002.
“Has any pro golfer”: Ibid.
slow-forming rift: Authors’ interview with Butch Harmon.
Maintenance . . . a word Tiger hated: Haney, The Big Miss.
undergo arthroscopic surgery: Lee Benson, “About Utah: Dr. Vern Cooley Had Tiger of a Tale before He Met Tiger Woods,” Deseret News, January 29, 2012.
20 percent of his ACL: Unpublished Tiger Woods interview, obtained from a confidential source.
“How long will that last?”: Ibid.
“change my swing”: Haney, The Big Miss, 35.
“Pull your head out”: Williams, Out of the Rough.
point guard at Maryland: Don Markus, “Nared Doing Better Job for Maryland,” Baltimore Sun, February 4, 1989.
“I’m as happy for you”: Mark O’Meara, press conference, Dubai Desert Classic, March 7, 2004.
“got to get someone”: Haney, The Big Miss, 36.
“Who should I get?”: Ibid.
Haney first met Tiger: Authors’ interview with Hank Haney.
I’ve won the lottery: Haney, The Big Miss, 36.
“intended to be a respite”: ELDRICK “TIGER” WOODS and PRIVACY, LTD v. CHRISTENSEN SHIPYARDS LTD, Southern District of Florida, Case no. 04-61432.
“working with you”: Haney, The Big Miss, 42.
$50,000 per year: Ibid., 54.
“Hank, good luck”: Ibid., 53.
“inferior equipment”: Golf, March 2003.
“Phil trying to be funny”: Tiger Woods, press conference, Buick Invitational, February 12, 2003.
“I had a different feeling”: Phil Mickelson, press conference, Masters, April 11, 2004.
disappeared with his father: Thompson, “The Secret History of Tiger Woods.”
tandem-jumping: Haney, The Big Miss, 138.
“you understand my world”: Thompson, “The Secret History of Tiger Woods.”
“Woods is not playing well”: ESPN.com.
Williams kicked a camera: Associated Press, “Williams Blames Repeated Camera Clicks,” July 1, 2004.
“I’ve had enough of golf”: Williams, Out of the Rough.
video game called SOCOM: Haney, The Big Miss, 78.
“You were in New York?”: Authors’ interview with an Isleworth resident who witnessed the conversation.
smoking cigars: Authors’ interview with Charles Barkley.
wearing a bulky knee brace: Authors’ interviews with four individuals who were present.
“I’ll be fine”: Ibid.
“This fuckin’ ski”: Ibid.
“We have to celebrate”: Haney, The Big Miss, 86.
“Tiger never allowed”: Ibid.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: UNPLAYABLE LIE
Primary sources include interviews with Maureen Decker, Jim Harris, Mike Shapiro, Kel Devlin, Jim Riswold, Bart Mandell, and Fred Khalilian; author visits to Cerritos Elementary School; transcripts of Tiger Woods’s press conferences; footage from CBS Sports and the Howard Stern Show; books by Hank Haney and John Strege; and reporting by Gary Smith and Mark Seal.
“I became aware”: Charles Barkley, Who’s Afraid of a Large Black Man? (New York: Penguin, 2005).
the story resurfaced: Plaschke, “It’s a New Day for Golf’s Child Prodigy.”
the story grew: Smith, “The Chosen One.”
“shocking introduction to racism”: Strege, Tiger, 18.
“bleeding all over the place”: Tiger Woods interview with Barbara Walters, May 11, 1997.
“I have never heard of that”: Sounes, The Wicked Game, 128.
“There are no reports”: Email to the authors from Dr. Sue Johnson, superintendent, Savanna School District, January 8, 2016.
“Let the legend grow”: Smith, “The Chosen One.”
“Tiger would love to meet you”: Mark Seal, “The Temptation of Tiger Woods,” Vanity Fair, March 20, 2010.
Authors’ note: In an email Jerry Chang declined to be interviewed.
“it turned very wild”: Ibid.
“had a great time”: Ibid.
“my little coffee cup”: Howard Stern Show, March 10, 2010.
Bell checked in with Jungers: Seal, “The Temptation of Tiger Woods.”
“always go through Bryon”: Ibid.
Authors’ note: Bryon Bell did not respond to request for comment on his relationship with Woods.
“I’m with Tiger”: Ibid.
narcissists build a brick wall: Authors’ interviews with Bart Mandell, CitiTherapy Counseling Services, New York.
conditional worth: Authors’ interview with Dr. Monica Meyer, Gentle Path, The Meadows.
could never rage: Ibid.
Primary sources include interviews with Royce Woods, Hank Haney, Brandel Chamblee, Ruth Streeter, Joe Grohman, Charles Barkley, Jaime Diaz, Mike Mohler, John Merchant, sources close to the Woods family, Mark Seal, sources close to President Bill Clinton and Casey Wasserman, and Tiger Woods Foundation sources; books by Tiger Woods and Hank Haney; transcripts of Tiger Woods’s press conferences; CBS News transcripts; footage from ESPN; and reporting by Wright Thompson.
an urgent telephone call: Authors’ interviews with Royce Woods and sources close to the Woods family.
hired a full-time assistant: Ibid.
shepherded Earl through: Ibid.
Tiger was well aware: Ibid.
Kultida always resented: Ibid.
visiting with SEAL: Thompson, “The Secret History of Tiger Woods.”
“It’s a life”: Ibid.
driving toward Orlando: Woods, The 1997 Masters, 222.
call to his father: Ibid.
change the focus: Ibid.
a circus act: Tiger Woods, press conference, Buick Invitational, January 25, 2006.
thirty-five-thousand-square-foot: Tiger Woods Foundation website.
approached California governor: Authors’ interview with a source close to the Tiger Woods Foundation.
hated him: Ibid.
under certain conditions: Ibid.
make the request: Ibid.
moments of whining: Ibid.
“that was easy”: Ibid.
Tellum and Wasserman approached: Authors’ interviews with sources with knowledge of what transpired that day.
“talk about pussy”: Ibid.
“How do you remember”: Ibid.
completely indifferent . . . exit: Ibid.
“ ‘I’m Tiger Woods’ ”: Ibid.
Bradley had profiled: Jacqueline Alemany, “Remembering Ed Bradley,” CBSNews.com, November 9, 2009.
“kind of a private person”: “Son, Hero, Champion,” 60 Minutes, March 26, 2006.
“they tied me to a tree”: Ibid.
“His best quality”: Jeff Fager, Fifty Years of 60 Minutes: The Inside Story of Television’s Most Influential News Broadcast (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2017).
“found a life partner”: “Son, Hero, Champion.”
“Family always comes first”: Ibid.
luxury condo in Newport Beach: Jeff Collins, “Tiger Woods’ Newport ‘Love Lair’ For Sale,” Orange County Register, May 4, 2012. Woods reportedly purchased the two-story condo on Ocean Boulevard for $3 million in April 2004.
“he was preoccupied”: Katie Nelson, “Accenture Drops Tiger Woods,” New York Daily News, December 13, 2009.
a pair of panties: Ibid.
didn’t shed a tear: Ibid.
Earl took his final breaths: Authors’ interview with Royce Woods.
“Old Man is soft”: David Brooks, “The Frozen Gaze,” New York Times, June 17, 2008.
The headline read: Litsky, “Golf: Earl Woods, Tiger’s Father, Dies.”
handling guns: Thompson, “The Secret History of Tiger Woods.”
“Why are you here?”: Ibid.
“They use real bullets”: Haney, The Big Miss, 139.
“Tiger would like to meet you”: Seal, “The Temptation of Tiger Woods: Part II.”
“He was very jealous”: Ibid.
single fairway bunker: Michael Bamberger, Sports Illustrated, July 31, 2006.
“just came pouring out”: Ibid.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: TICK, TICK, TICK
Primary sources include interviews with Neal Boulton, Hank Haney, Roy S. Johnson, Dr. Monica Meyer, National Enquirer sources, Fred Khalilian, and sources close to Tiger Woods; books by Tiger Woods and Hank Haney; court records in New York; and reporting by Jeffrey Toobin, Mark Seal, and Larry Dorman.
tripped the radar: Authors’ interviews with sources at the National Enquirer.
employed a loose network: Ibid.
Enquirer was founded: Jeffrey Toobin, “The National Enquirer’s Fervor for Trump,” New Yorker, July 3, 2017.
6.7 million copies: Ibid.
“predictive human behavior”: Authors’ interviews with sources at the National Enquirer.
call came . . . tip line: Toobin, “The National Enquirer’s Fervor for Trump.”
“Hi, this is Ti”: Seal, “The Temptation of Tiger Woods.”
Authors’ note: Mindy Lawton could not be reached for comment.
a “hijacked brain”: Authors’ interview with Dr. Monica Meyers.
“What are you doing after?”: Seal, “The Temptation of Tiger Woods.”
He spanked her: Ibid.
the brief sexual encounter: Authors’ interviews with sources at the National Enquirer.
“We’ve got our Elvis”: Authors’ interviews with Neal Boulton.
Perel placed a call: Authors’ interviews with sources at the National Enquirer.
“We’ll take care of it”: Seal, “The Temptation of Tiger Woods.”
$100 million in endorsement: https://www.statista.com/statistics/411993/earnings-of-tiger-woods/.
Perel running point: Authors’ interviews with sources at the National Enquirer.
by Lawton’s mother: Toobin, “The National Enquirer’s Fervor for Trump” (“The tipster was Lawton’s mother”).
April 2007, Jaimee Grubbs: Seal, “The Temptation of Tiger Woods: Part II.”
“No offense”: Ibid.
“Wake up, Sleeping Beauty”: Ibid.
Nici’s Girls: “Hollywood Madam Michelle Braun Cozies Up to Federal Agents,” New York Daily News, May 9, 2009.
at least $8.5 million: Ibid.
Authors’ note: Michelle Braun did not respond to requests for comment.
“Hey, it’s Tiger”: Seal, “The Temptation of Tiger Woods: Part II.”
Hawaiian Tropic model: Ibid.
Woods paid $15,000: Ibid.
financed shopping sprees: Ibid.
to the Bahamas: Ibid.
directly to the hospital: Haney, The Big Miss, 157.
“he called out ‘Sam’ ”: Woods, The 1997 Masters, 150.
“ ‘stupid flip phone’ ”: Authors’ interview with Hank Haney.
raided by the FBI: Terrence McCoy, “Michelle Braun: Notorious L.A. Madam’s South Florida Adventure,” Miami New Times, May 23, 2013.
She later surrendered: Email to the authors from Thom Mrozek, a US Department of Justice spokesman, on November 17, 2017.
“with intent”: United States of America v. Michelle Louise Braun, Case no. SACR09:0068, US District Court for the Central District of California, Southern Division.
she pled guilty: Email to the authors from Thom Mrozek, November 14, 2017.
“I will wear you out”: “Text Messages Between Tiger Woods and Jaimee Grubbs,” New York Post, December 9, 2009.
“Send me something very naughty”: Ibid.
“SEALs unit” in Coronado: Haney, The Big Miss, 140.
“There’s no way”: Ibid.
“In a real mission”: Ibid.
“career ended right now”: Ibid.
Steinberg hosted a dinner: Ibid.
“if Tiger stays healthy”: Larry Dorman, “As Woods Enters Prime, Time Is on His Side,” New York Times, December 13, 2007.
“so far away from that”: Ibid.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: IT’S JUST PAIN
Primary sources include interviews with Joe DeBock, Deborah Ganley, Hank Haney, and PGA Tour sources; unpublished interviews with Tiger Woods; transcripts of Tiger Woods’s press conferences; books by Tiger Woods, Steve Williams, and Hank Haney; and footage from CBS Sports and NBC Sports.
the thick ligament: Haney, The Big Miss, 168.
There’s a difference: Unpublished Tiger Woods interview, obtained from a confidential source.
“Nothing that some drugs”: Haney, The Big Miss, 165.
Tiger using painkillers . . . 2002: Diaz, “The Truth about Tiger.”
Woods used Vicodin: Haney, The Big Miss, 165.
“I made the decision”: Associated Press, “Woods Has Surgery on Left Knee,” April 16, 2008.
damaged cartilage: Benson, “About Utah.”
ligament replacement surgery: Ibid.
Rosenberg’s instinct: Haney, The Big Miss, 169–70.
felt a crack: Ibid.
“I’m playing in the US Open”: Ibid., 171.
a “true athlete”: Ibid., 153.
“That’s just what we do”: Unpublished Tiger Woods interview, obtained from a confidential source.
new drug-testing policy: “A Timeline of the PGA Tour’s Drug-Testing Policy,” PGA.com, January 31, 2013.
“the way he framed it”: Authors’ interview with Hank Haney.
fractured in two places: Woods, The 1997 Masters, 220.
“absolutely trust me”: Williams, Out of the Rough.
putt was a lot tougher: Authors’ interview with Joe DeBock, head PGA professional, Torrey Pines Golf Course.
one of the worst parts: Ibid.
Two and a half balls: Tiger Woods, press conference, US Open, June 15, 2008.
“greatest tournament I’ve ever had”: Tiger Woods, press conference, US Open, June 16, 2008.
“exemplar of mental discipline”: Brooks, “The Frozen Gaze.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: MIRACLE WORKERS
Primary sources include interviews with Hank Haney, Dr. Keith Pyne, Bill Knowles, Bill Romanowski, Brian H. Greenspan, and Victor Conte; unpublished interviews with Tiger Woods; transcripts of Tiger Woods’s press conferences; books by Tiger Woods and Hank Haney; court records in New York; Florida Department of Health investigation records; and reporting by Tim Elfrink, Gus Garcia-Roberts, and Don Van Natta Jr.
“Can I do push-ups?”: Unpublished interview with Tiger Woods, obtained from a confidential source.
“magic hands”: Bob McKenzie, Hockey Confidential: Inside Stories from People Inside the Game (New York: HarperCollins, 2014), 18.
introduced to Lindsay: Authors’ interview with Bill Romanowski. Confirmed by a source close to Dr. Mark Lindsay.
cleared to start swinging: Haney, The Big Miss, 182.
injured his right Achilles: Associated Press, “Complete List of Tiger Woods’ Injuries,” April 1, 2014.
platelet-rich plasma: Arraignment and Plea, United States of America v. Anthony Galea, Case no. 10-CR-307A, US District Court, Western District of New York, 17.
“It’s very effective”: McKenzie, Hockey Confidential, 25.
a dramatic figure: Tim Elfrink and Gus Garcia-Roberts, Blood Sport: A-Rod and the Quest to End Baseball’s Steroid Era (New York: Plume, 2014), 125.
at forty, he divorced: Ibid., 126.
Galea’s hobby: Arraignment and Plea, United States of America v. Anthony Galea, 36.
“tell him to get lost”: Elfrink and Garcia-Roberts, Blood Sport, 125.
access to Viagra: Indictment, United States of America v. Anthony Galea, Case no. 10-cr-00307-RJA-HBS, US District Court, Western District of New York.
“Viagra was the hook”: Authors’ interview with a confidential source.
on a massage table: Authors’ interview with Hank Haney.
“injections containing a mixture”: Indictment, United States of America v. Anthony Galea, 10.
his preferred treatment: Don Van Natta Jr., “Doctor Sought by Elite Athletes Is the Subject of a Doping Inquiry,” New York Times, December 15, 2009.
made fourteen trips: Department of Health Investigative Report, State of Florida, January 7, 2011.
charging $3,500: Ibid.
more than $76,000: Ibid.
crossing the Peace Bridge: Indictment, United States of America v. Anthony Galea, 19.
CBP officers discovered: Criminal Complaint, United States of America v. Anthony Galea, Case no. 10-cr-00307-RJA-HBS, US District Court, Western District of New York, 11.
Galea’s “medical kit”: Ibid., 3.
raided Galea’s office: Van Natta Jr., “Doctor Sought by Elite Athletes Is the Subject of a Doping Inquiry.”
introducing misbranded drugs: Indictment, United States of America v. Anthony Galea.
more than one hundred times: Ibid., 20.
athletes, including Woods: Arraignment and Plea, United States of America v. Anthony Galea.
about $800,000: Ibid.
She told the government . . . “cocktail containing HGH”: Affidavit, Justin Burnham, special agent, Immigration and Customs Enforcement; David Epstein and Melissa Segura, “The Elusive Dr. Galea,” Sports Illustrated, Sept. 27, 2010.
Checks were written: Ibid.
no question has hovered: Tiger Woods, press conference, Masters, April 5, 2010.
a 2010 survey: “Almost a Quarter of PGA Tour Pros Surveyed by Sports Illustrated Think Woods Took PEDs,” Golf.com, May 12, 2010.
Those suspecting he used: David Paisie, “Tiger Woods and Steroids or HGH: Could It Be True?” Bleacher Report, January 1, 2010.
Conte . . . suspects Woods: Authors’ interview with Victor Conte.
“I’ve never taken”: Tiger Woods, press conference, Masters, April 5, 2010.
“Dr. Galea at no time”: Authors’ interview with attorney Brian H. Greenspan.
“positive regulatory obligation”: Email from Brian H. Greenspan to the authors, October 9, 2017.
treated Woods forty-nine times: Invoices, Lindsay Sports Therapy, Inc., Department of Health Investigative Report, State of Florida.
therapeutic table to the range: Authors’ interview with a source close to Tiger.
Primary sources include interviews with Amber Lauria, Wright Thompson, Hank Haney, and Las Vegas sources; transcripts of Tiger Woods’s press conferences; books by Tiger Woods, Steve Williams, Hank Haney, Robert Lusetich, and Steve Helling; footage from NBC Sports and the PGA Tour; reporting by Mark Seal and Maureen Callahan; and police records from the Florida State Highway Patrol.
“What did I say”: NBC Sports broadcast.
first in birdie average: PGATour.com.
in New York City: Helling, Tiger, xii.
“My dad passed away”: Ibid.
started taking Ambien: Tiger Woods, press conference, Masters, April 5, 2010.
child of privilege: Lusetich, Unplayable.
earning high praise: Authors’ interviews with Las Vegas sources.
Woods was taken with Uchitel: Seal, “The Temptation of Tiger Woods: Part II.”
code name Bear: Callahan, “The Night Tiger Woods Was Exposed as a Serial Cheater.”
“makes me so happy”: Authors’ interview with Wright Thompson.
“he was lying”: Authors’ interview with Hank Haney.
“never saw him with anybody”: Ibid.
“fought my swing all day”: Ibid., 187.
“make any friends”: Ibid.
“Be creative”: Tiger Woods, press conference, PGA Championship, August 14, 2009.
hadn’t picked up a club: Ian O’Connor, “After Yang Took Down Tiger,” ESPN.com, August 8, 2015.
sink a seven-foot putt: Ibid.
players . . . jumping up: Ibid.
the Snowball Effect: Williams and Hugh de Lacy, Golf at the Top with Steve Williams, 57.
a troubled guy: Haney, The Big Miss.
denigrating texts: Josh Levin, “That’s What She Said,” Slate.com, March 18, 2010.
“Hold you down”: Ibid.
“I am totally free”: Radaronline.com, December 10, 2009.
“It’s under the name Bell”: Seal, “The Temptation of Tiger Woods: Part II.”
“Here are the details”: “Concrete Proof of Tiger’s Secret Rendezvous,” TMZ Sports, December 4, 2009.
“a tricky golf course”: “Tiger Woods Wins Australian Masters,” Sunday Morning Herald, November 15, 2009.
“wrong side . . . big media story”: Lusetich, Unplayable.
“Hank . . . a heads-up”: Haney, The Big Miss, 193.
“Don’t speak to anybody”: Williams, Out of the Rough.
“We’re in love”: Seal, “The Temptation of Tiger Woods: Part II.”
extraordinary step: Lusetich, Unplayable.
urgent voice mail: Helling, Tiger.
“World Exclusive”: National Enquirer, November 28, 2009.
“u too love”: Seal, “The Temptation of Tiger Woods: Part II.” (This text has also been published in other publications.)
“only one I’ve ever loved”: Callahan, “The Night Tiger Woods Was Exposed as a Serial Cheater.”
“I miss you”: Ibid.
“Few events in the life”: Esther Perel, The State of Affairs: Rethinking Infidelity (New York: HarperCollins, 2010).
blood on his teeth and lips: Police report, Florida Highway Patrol, November 27, 2009.
“What happened?”: Florida Highway Patrol interview with Jarius Adams and Kimberly Harris, November 27, 2009.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: FIRESTORM
Primary sources include interviews with Chip Lange, Charles Barkley, Sgt. Kim Montes, Mark O’Meara, Hank Haney, and Las Vegas sources; police reports from the Florida Highway Patrol and the Windermere Police Department; Elin Nordegren’s interview with People; and reporting by Mark Seal.
two police officers assigned: Police report, Florida Highway Patrol, November 27, 2009.
two bottles of pills: Florida Highway Patrol narrative, November 27, 2009.
out-of-print science book: Police photographs, Florida Highway Patrol.
“We don’t believe”: “Tiger Woods Injured in Crash,” ESPN.com, November 30, 2009.
he was in “good” condition: Larry Dorman, “Tiger Woods Out of Hospital after Car Accident,” New York Times, November 27, 2009.
“Can we help”: Authors’ interview with a source close to Josefin Nordegren.
Cullen had worked: McGuireWoods.com.
officers knocked: Florida Highway Patrol narrative, November 27, 2009.
1,600 emails: Authors’ interview with Sgt. Kim Montes.
news conference . . . canceled: Joseph Berger and Larry Dorman, “Woods, Not Talking to Police, to Skip Tournament,” New York Times, November 30, 2009.
reschedule the interview: Florida Highway Patrol narrative, November 27, 2009.
NeJame notified: Ibid.
motor vehicle documents: Ibid.
surveillance video: Ibid.
“there is curiosity”: Berger and Dorman, “Woods, Not Talking to Police, to Skip Tournament.”
an investigative subpoena: Florida Highway Patrol narrative, November 27, 2009.
“Yes, He Cheated”: “Yes, He Cheated,” Us Weekly, December 1, 2009.
“let my family down”: TMZ Sports, December 2, 2009.
Nike . . . full support: Larry Dorman, “Gillette to Limit Role of Tiger Woods in Marketing,” New York Times, December 12, 2009.
hired . . . Gloria Allred: Seal, “The Temptation of Tiger Woods: Part II.”
$10 million to Uchitel: Seal, “The Temptation of Tiger Woods: Part II.”
“I felt so stupid”: Elin Nordegren, “My Own Story,” interview, People, September 6, 2000.
been so deceived: Ibid.
“betrayal isn’t strong enough”: Ibid.
stepping away from professional golf: Larry Dorman, “Woods Says He’ll Take ‘Indefinite Break’ From Golf,” New York Times, December 11, 2009.
“I am deeply aware”: Tiger Woods, statement, New York Daily News, December 11, 2009.
Accenture became the first: Brian Stelter, “Accenture, as if Tiger Woods Were Never There,” New York Times, December 16, 2009.
“a powerful device”: Ibid.
Galea had dispensed: Van Natta Jr., “Doctor Sought by Elite Athletes Is the Subject of a Doping Inquiry.”
deal among American Media: Reed Albergotti, “How Tiger Protected His Image,” Wall Street Journal, December 18, 2009.
“let me ask you a question”: Authors’ interview with Charles Barkley.
losing weight: Elin Nordegren, “My Own Story.”
Insomnia: Ibid.
“Mommy, where is your boo-boo?”: Ibid.
“just wanted you to know”: Haney, The Big Miss, 195.
“I’m going to be gone”: Ibid., 196.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE: THE RECKONING
Primary sources include interviews with Dr. Monica Meyer, Bart Mandell, Ari Fleischer, a former Gratitude patient, and Hank Haney; and transcripts of Tiger Woods’s press conferences.
surrendered his cell phone: Authors’ interview with a former Gratitude patient.
Carnes wrote: Patrick Carnes, PhD, Out of the Shadows: Understanding Sexual Addiction (CompCare Publishers, 1983).
“sex addicts grow up”: Patrick Carnes, PhD, Facing the Shadow: Starting Sexual and Relationship Recovery (Wickenburg, AZ: Gentle Path Press, 2000), 1–2.
little sharing or intimacy: Ibid.
an illness of escape: Ibid.
comprehensive diagnostic assessment: Authors’ interview with Dr. Monica Meyer.
wrote extensively in her journal: Elin Nordegren, “My Own Story.”
adversity made her stronger: Ibid.
attended several lectures: Authors’ interview with Dr. Monica Meyer.
“I betrayed her”: Woods, The 1997 Masters, 217.
“I missed my son’s first birthday”: Tiger Woods, press conference, Masters, April 5, 2010.
people he loved most: Ibid.
Enquirer quickly launched: Authors’ interview with a source at the National Enquirer.
worst experience he’d ever had: Haney, The Big Miss, 196.
stop playing golf for two years: Ibid., 197.
admitted his use of performance-enhancing drugs: Mark McGwire, statement to Associated Press, January 10, 2010.
“I had to fight”: Authors’ interview with Ari Fleischer.
mood was somber: Harvey Araton, “Apologizing, Woods Sets No Date for Return to Golf,” New York Times, February 19, 2010.
“Good morning”: Tiger Woods, statement, CNN.com.
thirteen mesmerizing minutes: Donald G. McNeil Jr., “An Apology With Echoes of 12 Steps,” New York Times, February 22, 2010.
roughly thirty million: Helling, Tiger, 225.
“I am so proud”: Doug Ferguson, Associated Press, February 13, 2010.
“As she pointed out”: Woods, statement, CNN.com.
“I learned one thing”: Haney, The Big Miss, 197.
CHAPTER THIRTY: CONSTANT STATE OF SHAME
Primary sources include interviews with Hank Haney and Kel Devlin; transcripts of Tiger Woods’s press conferences; official statements by Tiger Woods; Elin Nordegren’s interview with People; and books by Tiger Woods, Steve Williams, and Hank Haney.
Butcher paper covered the windows: Haney, The Big Miss, 201.
receiving outpatient treatment: Tiger Woods, press conference, Masters, April 5, 2010.
lying to others: Ibid.
lying to himself: Ibid.
“personal sins”: Tiger Woods, statement, December 2, 2009 (“Personal sins should not require press releases”).
Tiger was confronted: Chris Wilson, “Tiger Bedded Neighbor’s 21-year-old Daughter,” New York Post, April 8, 2010.
had sex with her: Ibid.
“I just wanted to dig”: Ibid.
said he was sorry: Ibid.
he hadn’t told Elin: “Tiger Woods Sex Romp with Neighbor’s Young Daughter,” National Enquirer, April 7, 2010.
an intact family: Nordegren, “My Own Story.”
Haney was surprised: Haney, The Big Miss, 205.
single biggest media event: Jonathan Mahler, “The Tiger Bubble,” New York Times Magazine, March 22, 2010.
Williams had repeatedly asked: Williams, Out of the Rough.
apologizing for his actions: Ibid.
assured by Steinberg: Haney, The Big Miss, 209.
“I don’t even know”: Ibid.
The key . . . perform well: Ibid., 211.
“What I’ve done”: Tiger Woods, press conference, Masters, April 5, 2010.
“That’s personal”: Ibid.
“He forgot”: Billy Payne, press conference, Masters, April 5, 2010.
“Is there a way”: Ibid.
“I disappointed myself”: Haney, The Big Miss, 212.
“Tiger’s sexual advances”: “Tiger Woods Sex Romp with Neighbor’s Young Daughter.”
“Motherfucker”: Woods, The 1997 Masters, 100.
“You little piece of shit”: Ibid.
“Little nigger”: Ibid.
DID YOU MEAN BOOTYISM?: Haney, The Big Miss, 213.
Woods’s sins were on full display: Tiger Woods, statement, December 2, 2009.
“My regret will last a lifetime”: Woods, The 1997 Masters, 217.
“stop being a nice guy”: Williams, Out of the Rough.
“couldn’t believe my ears”: Ibid.
This will be the last time: Haney, The Big Miss, 216.
“Good luck”: Ibid., 218.
“You understand him”: Ibid., 220.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE: SEPARATION
Primary sources include interviews with Hank Haney and Brandel Chamblee; transcripts of Tiger Woods’s press conferences; books by Hank Haney and Steve Williams; Elin Nordegren’s interview with People; and court records from Florida.
ninety-three PGA tournaments: PGA Tour.
34 of the 127 PGA tournaments: Ibid.
five-page email: Authors’ interview with Hank Haney.
another woman’s child: Haney, The Big Miss, 222.
“Say so long”: Karen Crouse, “Woods Withdraws from Players Championship,” New York Times, May 9, 2010.
You’re not blowing me off: Authors’ interview with Hank Haney.
“I have informed Tiger”: Haney, The Big Miss, 223.
never took PEDs: Ibid., 227.
“in sex-addiction treatment”: Ibid., 227.
Tiger had earned . . . $1 billion: Kurt Badenhausen, “Sports’ First Billion-Dollar Man,” Forbes, September 29, 2009.
he and Elin signed: Marital Settlement Agreement, July 3, 2010.
over $100 million: Published reports, none of which have been confirmed, identify the amount of the divorce settlement at figures that range from $100 million to $750 million. Sources with knowledge of the settlement figure told the authors that the figure was over $100 million but not as high as $750 million.
nine-thousand-square-foot home: Sheree R. Curry, “Tiger’s Jupiter Island Estate Revealed,” AOL Real Estate.
home of their own: Ashley Reich, “Elin Nordegren’s New Home: $12.2 Million Florida Mansion,” Huffington Post, March 18, 2011.
maiden name restored: PETITIONER/WIFE’S PETITION FOR DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE, Elin Maria Pernilla Woods and Eldrick Tont Woods, Case no. 10-1709.
“Forgiveness takes time”: Elin Nordegren, “My Own Story.”
Fans were heckling: Crouse, “Woods Withdraws from Players Championship.”
new wave of instructors: Authors’ interview with Brandel Chamblee.
“fascial chains”: Williams, Out of the Rough.
“No problem”: Ibid.
send Williams a text: Ibid.
Steinberg left IMG: Mark DeCambre, “Tiger Woods’ Agent Sent Packing by IMG,” New York Post, May 31, 2011.
“Then we’re done”: Williams, Out of the Rough.
feet up on the table: Ibid.
“time for a change”: “Tiger Woods Gets Rid of Steve Williams,” ESPN.com, July 20, 2011.
“years of loyal service”: Ibid.
Tiger’s “slave”: Williams, Out of the Rough.
“greatest win of my career”: “Steve Williams Triumphs at Masters Again,” Golf.com, April 15, 2013.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO: ONLY HUMAN
Primary sources include interviews with Brandel Chamblee and Hank Haney; an unpublished interview with Tiger Woods; transcripts of Tiger Woods’s press conferences; the book by Hank Haney; a transcript of Lindsay Vonn’s interview with 60 Minutes Sports; and reporting by Michael Bamberger and Alan Shipnuck.
suggesting radical changes: Authors’ interview with Brandel Chamblee.
“the worst experience”: Haney, The Big Miss, 196.
randomly have sex: Ibid., 205.
“straight through the boundaries”: Tiger Woods, apology, February 19, 2010.
“Especially the wild ones”: Haney, The Big Miss, 205.
“a Cinderella story”: Shipnuck, “Who Is This Woman?”
“I didn’t inform them”: Authors’ interview with Hank Haney.
act of betrayal: “Coaching, and Betraying, Tiger Woods,” New Yorker, April 5, 2012.
Tiger never once called: Authors’ interview with Hank Haney.
“armchair psychology”: Doug Ferguson, Associated Press, February 29, 2012.
“Because of his father”: Ibid.
“I’ve already talked”: Tiger Woods, press conference, Honda Classic, February 29, 2012.
foundation introduced them: Unpublished Tiger Woods interview, obtained from a confidential source.
self-conscious about her body: Lindsey Vonn interview with 60 Minutes Sports.
totally confident: Ibid.
divorce was messy: Bill Pennington, “Fearlessly Forging Ahead,” New York Times, November 15, 2015.
hurtling over the tips: Ibid.
take Sam out of the room: Unpublished Tiger Woods interview, obtained from a confidential source.
anterior cruciate ligament: Pennington, “Fearlessly Forging Ahead.”
ligament were torn: Ibid.
“It’s going to hurt”: Unpublished Tiger Woods interview, obtained from a confidential source.
announce their relationship on Facebook: Doug Ferguson, “Woods Made Relationship with Vonn Public to Devalue Paparazzi Photos,” Associated Press, March 20, 2013.
the rules of golf: The primary sources for the account of Tiger’s controversial drop shot at the 2012 Masters are Michael Bamberger, “The Story Behind Tiger’s Ruling at the Masters,” Golf.com, March 19, 2014; and Alan Shipnuck, “Tiger Woods and the Drop: An Inside Look at Golf’s Most Controversial Pardon,” Golf.com, April 24, 2014.
Tough shot: Ibid.
take some yardage off: Ibid.
Jim Nantz telephoned: Ibid.
penalizing Guan Tianlang: Nancy Armour, “Guan Receives One-stroke Penalty,” Associated Press, April 12, 2013.
“rules are rules”: Tiger Woods, press conference, Masters, April 12, 2013.
wagging his finger: Authors’ interview with Brandel Chamblee.
“A penalty of disqualification”: Bamberger, “The Story Behind Tiger’s Ruling at the Masters”; Shipnuck, “Tiger Woods and the Drop.”
penalized again: “Tiger Woods Hit with 2-shot Penalty at BMW,” Associated Press, September 14, 2013.
captured by a videographer: Ibid.
“How’s that?”: Ibid.
“After seeing the video”: “A Meditation on Oscillation: Woods Risks Respect of Peers by Protesting Penalty,” Associated Press, September 17, 2013.
“He lost the Tour wives”: Authors’ interview with Brandel Chamblee.
gave Tiger an F: “Woods Responds to Chamblee Criticism, Apology,” Associated Press, October 28, 2013.
thought to legal action: Ibid.
“gone too far”: Ibid.
“All I’m going to say”: “Woods Responds to Chamblee Criticism, Apology.”
The mental exercise: Unpublished Tiger Woods interview, obtained from a confidential source.
He hated treatment: Ibid.
Experience the pain: Ibid.
she retore . . . knee: Pennington, “Fearlessly Forging Ahead.”
“Daddy, what are you”: Rubenstein, “Tiger’s Private Struggles.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE: POINT OF NO RETURN
Primary sources include interviews with Mark O’Meara, Brandel Chamblee, and Deborah Ganley; transcripts of Tiger Woods’s press conferences; and PGATour.com.
disc was pressing on a nerve: Associated Press, “Complete List of Tiger Woods’ Injuries.”
twenty-three strokes behind the winner: Ibid.
just seven official events: Ibid.
“the right time”: Ryan Lavner, “Woods Announces Split with Swing Coach Foley,” Golfchannel.com, August 25, 2014.
Under Hank Haney: PGATour.com.
“Sean is one”: Lavner, “Woods Announces Split with Swing Coach Foley.”
master’s degree in biomechanics: Tony Manfred, “Tiger Woods Hired an Unknown Graduate Student,” Business Insider, November 24, 2014.
old VHS tapes: Ibid.
“No way”: Josh Gardner and Lydia Warren, “Tiger Woods’ Tooth Was Not Knocked Out by Photographer,” DailyMail.com, January 20, 2015.
throwing a cell phone: Nathaniel Vinton, “Tiger Woods’ Story about Cameraman Knocking Out Tooth Starting to Fall Apart,” New York Daily News, January 21, 2015.
“a crush of photographers”: Fred Barbash, “The Mystery of Tiger Woods’s Missing Tooth,” Washington Post, January 21, 2015.
“I was among”: Ibid.
questioning Tiger’s version: Ibid.
“The dude with . . . video cameras”: Tiger Woods, press conference, Phoenix Open, January 27, 2015.
“I couldn’t eat”: Ibid.
“Who is this guy”: Will Gray, “Woods’ Flaws on Full Display,” Golfchan nel.com, January 30, 2015.
eleven-over-par 82: Ibid.
“It’s golf”: Tiger Woods, press conference, Phoenix Open, January 30, 2015.
single worst round: Gray, “Woods’ Flaws on Full Display.”
“not an issue anymore”: Tiger Woods, press conference, Phoenix Open, January 30, 2015.
“I’m okay”: Authors’ interview with Deborah Ganley.
“just my glutes”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXR1SCZ0t7g.
“a ‘Deactivated’ Butt”: Brendan Porath, “Tiger Woods Blames a ‘Deactivated’ Butt,” SBNation.com, February 5, 2013.
Sam caddied for him: Nancy Armour, “Family Fun at Augusta,” USA Today, April 9, 2015.
“They’re great kids”: “Lindsey Vonn Enjoys Hanging Out with Tiger Woods and His Kids,” Golf.com, April 21, 2015.
“your boy’s going in”: Authors’ interview with Mark O’Meara.
“I worked my ass off”: Tiger Woods, press conference, Masters, April 7, 2015.
“Jumping into a relationship”: Pennington, “Fearlessly Forging Ahead.”
“We can be loners”: Rubenstein, “Tiger’s Private Struggles.”
he didn’t sleep: Tiger Woods, press conference, Players Championship, May 5, 2015.
thirteen-over-par 85: PGATour.com.
to remind Woods: Authors’ interview with Mark O’Meara.
“changing my life”: https://www.pgatour.com/video/2015/07/13/mark-o-meara-s-2015-world-golf-hall-of-fame-acceptance-speech.html.
“Sooner or later”: Authors’ interview with Mark O’Meara.
“some of you guys think”: Tiger Woods, press conference, British Open, July 14, 2015.
golf-course design business: TigerWoods.com.
removed a disc fragment: Steve DiMeglio, “Tiger Woods Has Second Back Surgery,” USA Today, September 19, 2015.
“complete success”: Ibid.
to relieve the discomfort: Associated Press, “Complete List of Tiger Woods’ Injuries.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR: INTO THE ROUGH
Primary sources include interviews with Mark O’Meara, Hillcrest Country Club member, and a family friend of Glenn Frey. Also, writings by Tiger Woods, Charlie Rose’s interview with Tiger Woods in 2016, Lorne Rubenstein’s interview with Tiger Woods in 2016, TigerWoods.com, Tiger Woods Foundation source, 60 Minutes Sports, PGA Tour source, Jupiter Police Department reports and dashcam video, and the New York Times.
ten minutes on the beach: Lorne Rubenstein, “Tiger’s Private Struggles,” Time, December 2015.
“not going to change”: John Strege, “Tiger Woods’ Comeback Attempt Begins with Expectations that in a Marked Departure Do Not Include Winning,” Golf Digest, January 24, 2018.
I’ve had a good run: Lorne Rubenstein, “Tiger’s Private Struggles,” Time, December 2015.
“There’s no timetable”: Ibid.
“Daddy, let’s go play”: Charlie Rose, PBS, October 20, 2016.
“The most important thing”: Lorne Rubenstein, “Tiger’s Private Struggles,” Time, December 2015.
Tiger didn’t contact the family: Authors’ interview with a family friend.
Tiger didn’t reach out to her either: Lindsey Vonn interview with Sharyn Alfonsi, 60 Minutes Sports, December 8, 2016.
100 million Americans suffer: Sam Quinones, “A New Kind of Jail for the Opiate Age,” New York Times, June 18, 2017.
“lives were devoid of meaning”: Rachel Noble, “Chronic Pain Not Only Hurts, It also Causes Isolation and Depression,” Washington Post, January 12, 2015.
“completely a locker-room guy”: Authors’ interview with PGA Tour source.
“you’re not on the team”: Ibid.
even lying down hurt: Tiger Woods, “Updates on Tiger Jam and My Recovery,” Tiger’s Blog, May 24, 2017.
“the way he was shuffling”: Authors’ interview with a member of Hillcrest Country Club.
“way, way overmedicated”: Authors’ interview with a person who attended the luncheon at Hillcrest Country Club.
“I love you”: Authors’ interview with Mark O’Meara.
the end of his rope: Tiger Woods, “Updates on Tiger Jam and My Recovery,” Tiger’s Blog, May 24, 2017.
tried every nonsurgical route: Ibid.
“the best place for it to occur”: “Tiger Undergoes Successful Back Surgery to Alleviate Pain,” TigerWoods.com, April 20, 2017.
“it feels to be pain-free”: Tiger Woods, “Updates on Tiger Jam and My Recovery,” Tiger’s Blog, May 24, 2017.
lethal cocktail of drugs: Toxicology Report, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, June 8, 2017.
“Where were you coming from?”: Jupiter Police Department Incident/Investigative Report/Supplemental Report, May 29, 2017.
his speech was slurred: Ibid.
“hands behind your back”: Ibid.
“Watch the Birdie”: New York Post, May 30, 2017.
“Master of His Own Demise”: Mike Lupica, Daily News, May 30, 2017.
“I understand the severity”: Yaron Steinbuch, “New Scandal as golfer is busted on DUI rap in Fla.,” New York Post, May 30, 2017.
overdoses . . . leading cause of death: American Society of Addiction Medicine, “Opioid Addiction 2016 Facts & Figures.”
“I’m also a human”: Karen Crouse, “Michael Phelps, Counselor to the Stars,” New York Times, September 24, 2017.
“massive scream for help”: Ibid.
“salvage someone’s life and future”: Ibid.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE: MAKING THE CUT
Primary sources for this chapter include the authors’ reporting and observations from the Farmers Insurance Open, PGATour.com, CBS Sports Public Relations, and the New York Times.
“meet a living legend”: Chris Wright, “Tiger Woods Dubbed ‘the Lionel Messi of Golf’ by His Daughter,” ESPN.com, November 29, 2017.
“I’m proud of him”: Associated Press, “Tiger Woods Seeks Help for Dealing With Pain Medication,” New York Times, June 20, 2017.
entered a DUI first-offender program: Marc Freeman, “Tiger Woods DUI Case: Golfer Enters First-Time Offender Program,” South Florida Sun Sentinel, October 27, 2017.
fifty hours of community service: Ibid.
“tempered a little bit because I haven’t played”: Tiger Woods, PGA Tour press conference, January 24, 2018.