"God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast and when I run, I feel his pleasure."
His father’s son, Earl and Tiger Woods
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Tom Callahan, Gotham Books New York and Mainstream, Edinburgh, 2010
The main publicity when this book was first published centred around the interpretation of the title in relation of father and son’s sexual indiscretions. In truth the book has much more to offer.
The story of Tiger’s childhood is reminiscent of Andre Agassi’s. In some ways more obsessive! Having discovered golf by chance while in the US Army, Earl Woods becomes obsessed by the game –first in mastering it himself and then in getting Tiger involved.
Tom Callahan is clearly close to Earl and to a lesser degree to Tiger so the book in some sense tells an inside story. Ch2 documents Earl’s experience of racism in American college sport. Three times the writer challenges Earl’s account of events in his life:
1 When his mother died;
2 That he had a sports scholarship;
3 That he was the first black player.
There is an interesting insight into Tiger from Den his (half) brother who said, “Tiger’s whole world revolved around Tiger. I’m sorry he didn’t learn to value family.”
The womanising of Earl is not the theme of the book, but it is not omitted. When the writer asked Earl’s sister Mae if she knew, she replied: “If he had been my husband I would have shot him”. Callahan asks a fascinating question: “Were the women what made Earl and Tiger tick, or were they just what made them human?”
There are two interesting insights into Earl’s influence on Tiger’s golf. Firstly through all his coaches, Earl remained his putting coach. Secondly Earl taught Tiger to play golf holes backwards in his mind (ie where do I want to putt from, where to I want to hit my second from to have the easiest approach to where I want to putt from? So where do I want to drive to?)
The chapters are numbered (1-10 on Earl; 11-31 on Eldrick) not named. There is a chapter on each of Tiger’s major wins.
Well worth reading