Tiger Woods Fails to Prove Himself a ‘Better Man’

April 13, 2013 By 5 Comments
'WHAT PROFIT IS IT TO MAN IF HE GAINS THE WHOLE WORLD AND LOSES HIS OWN SOUL?'

‘WHAT PROFIT IS IT TO A MAN IF HE GAINS THE WHOLE WORLD AND LOSES HIS OWN SOUL?’

I’m a huge Tiger Woods fan. That’s why it pains me that he continues to do damage to his once-nearly-pristine image.

Having recently reclaimed his sport’s ranking as World No. 1 – as the Euros put it – Tiger flew this week to Augusta, Georgia as the favorite to win the Masters.

He acquitted himself rather well the tourney’s first two days, save for a mishap yesterday on the 15th hole. He hit an approach shot to the green that, as bad luck would have it, ricocheted off the flag pole and careened into the creek.

After taking a “drop” – which entailed a one stroke penalty – Tiger hit his next shot on the green, sank the putt and rocked on to the next hole. As it turns out, the world’s most famous golfer made an improper drop, for which he should have been penalized another two strokes.

Tiger signed his scorecard without including the two penalty strokes and left the golf course. This morning he learned of his error, which meant he signed his Friday scorecard incorrectly.

In every case I’ve ever heard, a golfer who signs an incorrect scorecard in tournament play is disqualified. Yet, the green jacketed powers-that-be at Augusta National somehow found a way not to disqualify Tiger.

And even though I had looked forward this weekend to seeing whether my favorite golfer could win the fifth Master’s championship of his career, I think Augusta’s green jackets made the absolute wrong decision.

Nevertheless, the Bible advises “that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

I believe the Almighty, in His infinite grace, gave Tiger an opportunity to redeem himself in the eyes of many of those who have not gotten past his serial adultery with who knows how many harlots, which defiled his marriage and left a lasting scar upon his faithful wife, the mother of his two beautiful children.

Oh, how I hoped that Tiger would say that, even though Augusta’s powers-that-be had not disqualified him for his rule-breaking – had tempted him with preferential treatment – he had decided to disqualify himself. Even though doing so would cost him the Masters.

But Tiger did not enter today through the narrow gate, of which the Word of God speaks. He chose the wide gate, the broad way that leads to destruction.

In 2010, Tiger delivered a mea culpa in which he told a national television audience, “I am deeply sorry for my irresponsible and selfish behavior.” He promised “to be a better man.” And he confided he was returning to the Buddhist faith of his youth, which his Thai mother instilled in him.

Well, the events of today suggest that Tiger is not the better man he promised to be. And I am persuaded he will remain a lost soul until, hopefully, he comes to Jesus.

For when a man is in Christ, he is a new creature. The old things are passed away. All things become new.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: , , , , ,

U.S. Open Golfer Casey Martin Gives God the Glory

June 14, 2012 By 2 Comments

MARTIN IMPROBABLY QUALIFIED FOR THIS WEEK’S MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIP.

Casey Martin is highly unlikely to win the U.S. Open, which begins today at the Olympic Club in San Francisco. He’s not even likely to make the 36-hole cut, which would allow him to tee it up for this weekend’s for the tourney’s final two rounds.

But the 40-year-old linksman is already a winner in my book. Because hardly anyone in the Open field has had to overcome the adversity Martin has faced.

That’s because Martin, the men’s golf coach for the Oregon Ducks, suffers from a debilitating birth defect in his lower right leg, Klippel–Trénaunay–Weber Syndrome, which makes it difficult for him to walk.

“I don’t think people really have appreciation of how much pain he’s in,” said Tiger Woods,  Martin’s teammate back during their college days at Stanford. “He doesn’t show it, doesn’t talk about it, doesn’t complain about it. He just lives with it.”

Martin acknowledges that his right leg “is pretty fragile” and sometimes “quite painful.” But day by day he limps along with equanimity; with an inner peace that surpasses all understanding.

That’s a testament to Martin’s Christian faith.

It enabled him to be a three-time all-Pac 10 golfer while at Stanford, even as he struggled with his disability.

It enabled him to earn his PGA Tour card in 1999, and to prevail in a 2001 lawsuit against the Tour when it tried to ban him from use a golf cart during competition, despite his obvious disability.

And it enabled him to shoot a pair of 69s last week in sectional qualifying for the Open, earning him his spot in this year’s championship.

“For me to be here, is pretty surreal,” said Martin, between pre-tourney practice rounds at Olympic.

“Certainly,” he continued, “as a Christian, I trust that God has a purpose for me to be here, and I’m thankful for that. I don’t know what that is, but I’m grateful to be here and see what’s in store.”

Well, I, too, look forward to seeing what’s in store for the golfer today and tomorrow (and, hopefully, Saturday and Sunday).

But no matter whether he makes the Open leaderboard at some point during the proceedings, or even makes the cut, Casey Martin has proven himself more than a conqueror.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: , , , ,

Tiger Woods Needs to Get Right With God

May 5, 2012 By 1 Comment

FORMER TOP-RANKED GOLFER SEEKS REDEMPTION THROUGH BUDDHISM.

Tiger Woods failed to make the cut yesterday at the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte, N.C. – the second straight year he has done so.

It is the first time in his otherwise illustrious pro career he has missed the cut at the same event more than once.

Tiger attributed his failure to make the weekend in Charlotte to swing changes he has been working on with his coach Sean Foley.

But I don’t think it has anything to do with swing changes. I believe Tiger’s on-the-course struggles – not only this week, but the past two years – have everything to do with his faith life.

Indeed, for much of his golf career, Tiger was blessed on and off the course.

He won 71 times on the PGA Tour from 1996 to 2009, including 14 major championships. He married a loving, supportive woman who bore him two beautiful children. He amassed a net worth of more than $500 million between his golf earnings and commercial endorsements, according Forbes magazine.

Woods believed he did it all on his own. Not once did he give God glory for his extraordinary success.

I think it was no coincidence that God came calling on the prideful golfer on Thanksgiving Day 2009. First there was Tiger’s car accident. Then public exposure of his secret sin. Then his stunning fall from grace.

Tiger thought he could put it all behind with his February 2010 apology, which was broadcast live on national television.

“I am deeply sorry,” he said, “for my irresponsible and selfish behavior.” And he promised “to be a better man.”

Part of following that path, Tiger added, was returning to Buddhism, which his Thai mother taught him at a young age, but from which he had drifted in his adult life.

But Tiger has found no redemption in Buddhism. Because the redemption he longs for comes only from the one true God, not false deities like Buddha (or Vishnu or Ra or any other).

Until Tiger recognizes that, until he asks God’s forgiveness for his sins, until he acknowledges that every good and perfect gift with which we has been blessed comes from the Almighty, the fallen golfer will remain a lost soul – on and off the course.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: , , ,
%d bloggers like this: