For years after Tiger Woods exploded into the sporting consciousness, he was idolized for one thing: Winning. Glorious, emphatic winning.
It was a 12-stroke win in 1997 at the Masters that announced his arrival as a phenomenon unlike anyone golf had seen before. It was the legendary 2008 US Open when he fought through a broken leg to win a dramatic tournament that seemed to prove him immune to vulnerability. All through the years in between, his willful yet easy-looking dominance carried his game to new heights of public enthusiasm, the sight of a charming, unmatchable demigod inspiring millions of ordinary Americans to hit the links.
He was too human to be true.
Then came a 2:30…