It is, after all, one thing to win the Masters by 12 strokes and an entirely richer thing to win the Masters by 12 and then hug your father. Here at Poppy, during their first day together, the old man gave the kid a helpful putting tip. On the final hole, as dusk neared, Tiger Woods nearly made a 60-foot eagle putt, then draped his arm around his dad. That exchange probably is meaningful to any father who has played golf with his son. And there are many.
Some men live to play golf with their sons.
The game's growth is built on this generational passing. Jack Nicklaus played with two of his sons. Brad Faxon played with his father. Mark O'Meara said of his five Pebble titles, the best was when he played with his dad. But it wasn't, not by a 17-mile drive.