I found myself watching the final round of the Memorial yesterday with mixed emotions. Does Tiger raise the excitement level of any tournament when he plays well? Yes, he's a dynamic player capable of amazing feats on the golf course. Was I rooting for him down the stretch? Well, that's more complicated. He was head-to-head with Rory Sabbatini, one of the biggest a$$hats on tour, so I guess from that perspective I wanted Tiger to win. But, if he had been in contention with Mickelson or one of the young up-and-coming players, then I wouldn't have been pulling for him.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I've never been a huge fan of Tiger. He's always struck me as the model for Don Johnson's character in Tin Cup, "Whatever you think of me, you should know he hates old people, children, and dogs." I also have always disliked Steve Williams and since Tiger employed him for so long.... well... that told me everything I needed to know about the player. So, when Tiger's indiscretions surfaced, I wasn't all that surprised. It just confirmed what I had suspected about the man off the course.
Anyway, I'm interested to hear if many of you feel the same way. Tiger's rise from the ashes is good for golf. Does that mean we have to root for him or is it ok to dislike the player even to the point of rooting against him but still have admiration for what he brings to the game?