The newspaper guys predict a Grand Slam. Nobody thinks he'll chuck it all and pursue a career in marketing. We're all so focused on the impact of Woods that we hardly consider the impact on Woods. Woods, on the other hand, has mortgaged his career for millions. Byron Nelson, to cite another example, won 52 pro tournaments and five majors, but he retired at 34, when he felt he had enough money, and returned to his ranch in Texas.
Woods almost has enough money right now to buy the U.S. Virgin Islands.
But no one retires from professional golf anymore, not even the geezers. Too often those of us who worry about Woods limit our concerns to questions of focus and motivation. Winning won't seem so important. Actually, the greater danger is that Woods will lift his eyes from the immediate goal and see his destiny as clearly as most of us see the morning sun. Such knowledge would trouble a Faust.