Both will be cast in bronze in their respective Halls. Ochoa will exit an international wunderkind, and one of the linchpins of the LPGA Tour. Ochoa, exits gracefully...under her own acknowledgement. Retiring an ambassador to the whole game of golf.
Eldrick is exiting this weekend...now reduced to a "trunkslammer" as he continues to try to regroup from his dalliances that have cost him dearly. The exit comes at a very telling time: He is battling going solo...umm...that would be without his hoes. He is also battling remaking himself as a true-to-the-wife husband-slash-father-slash dog walker figure. And he is trying to remake his swing after Nike thrust those dinky-do deep-groove irons in his hands.
It's enough to make a grown man cry. But I believe the man can overcome all of these speed bumps...except one:
The man has the competitive nature to win at all costs: first up his marriage...I believe he will do whatever it takes to right this listing ship. This includes golf.
Here's your question: You're a billionaire...you only care about the Majors...your marriage is on the rocks and your kids are confused...what are you going to focus on? Exactly...the marriage and kids are going to win all the time (unless you study law in NY)...(then all bets are off).
His golf is not important now...his marriage is. That's why he is OK with having those deep-groove market-at-all-cost irons thrust in his hands. He knows better than to use those. Last year he would have told Nike to give them to Wie. Now he has no choice...he is being told what to do. he is suffering...and will continue to suffer...but it's all in a days work.
So golf is being dropped by 2 of the greatest to ever play the game; Lorena Ochoa...my vote for Sportsman of the Year (2 times running). She brings all that is good to sports.
Eldrick is the other, for sure...to be temporary. But this year and next...will see a man with laser focus...only it won't be on golf...it'll be a life challenge...greater than him...
...and maybe that is a good thing to see.
Thanks for reading. Keep it in the short-grass,
JFB
