An open letter to Tiger Woods

Dear Tiger-

I felt like I needed to write this letter to tell you how I feel and I imagine many millions of your fans as well.

You’ve disappointed us.

You’ve let us down.

You’ve crushed us.

Like Lance Armstrong’s book’s title says, “It’s Not About the Bike.” For us Tiger, your book should be titled, “It’s Not About Golf.”

For me, I saw you as more than just a great golfer, you were a great role model for kids and adults in an otherwise society that is STARVING for strong role models!

I saw you more than the average fan did, and I watched you. I watched how you acted and how you talked. Because I am a golf fitness professional who trains PGA tour players and who has met you on multiple occasions, I have been able to form a personal opinion of you that was one that is positive.

You have not only been the best at your sport, but you have single handedly been one of the few sports professionals to do the most to help kids by being a strong, positive role model for them all across this world, especially those you’ve affected through your foundation.

Unfortunately, your actions have knocked you off your pedestal of being the world’s greatest golfer and possibly athlete.

For now, and maybe it’s temporary, you are no better than any other athlete or person who has cheated on his wife and kids!

Like all the rest…your credibility, integrity and character are damaged, and the only way to “un-damage” them is to come clean, repent and become even more of the person that you were before.

Because you, Tiger, are at a cross roads in your life and career. You can either give up on your family, fans and God, or you can rise to the occasion, take the heat (and it’s going to get REALLY hot!) and make even a bigger difference than you did before!

If you choose the latter, and we hope you do, you must do three things:

First, you MUST restore yourself to God,
Second you MUST restore yourself to your wife, and
Third, you MUST restore yourself to your fans (especially the kids).

Now some may “poo-poo” the importance of the first choice, but for me and millions of other fans, I believe the only way the you can regain the public’s trust and admiration (especially of the kids and fans), is to come clean before God with a repentant heart and allow him to “re-shape” you in His image.

Because, you see, you’ve blown it. You were in charge of your life, and you couldn’t do it.

We all thought you had it together, but now we know that what we saw was really a sham!

Honestly, I don’t care that you are as great an athlete that you are! You can play golf better than anyone in the world, ever! BUT WHO CARES!

Now you have an obligation to show your family and the world what kind of person you REALLY are! Are you going to take the many lessons and strengths that you’ve developed by becoming the worlds greatest and apply them to your LIFE now?

We all know you are the best at coming from behind in a tournament, or recovering from a mistake on the course, but now what?

Really, Tiger, WHAT KIND OF A MAN ARE YOU?

This is a test of your manhood, and I think your world has crashed in around you…so that you have to hit rock bottom so you can “find yourself.”

This is your chance to show your wife and kids, the world, and most importantly God, that you are a man that rises to the occasion in LIFE, not just in golf!

So Tiger, I pray for you and your family.

I pray that you see how much you have created pain, not just in your wife’s heart, your kids’s hearts and the public’s hearts, but most importantly in God’s heart.

But, maybe unlike with your wife and the public, Jesus Christ still loves you. He knew this was your path. He knew before you were even born that this would happen to you!

The other great thing is that all he wants of you is to come to him, ask for forgiveness, recognize that he is your Lord and Savior and repent. THAT’S IT!

You see if you don’t get right with God, you’ll never get right in life! And as one who has lived the way the world celebrates, it got me nothing but pain and suffering!

Now though, I am blessed, happy and unlike you at this point Tiger, my integrity, honesty, and character are stronger than ever! Not to mention my heart and mind are pure and restored!

BUT, it doesn’t mean that I am perfect! Far from it! Very far from it!

These days, a person who walks the line of one who follows Jesus, is hard. We are ridiculed, and made fun of. We are labeled by the world (especially the media) as ignorant, xeno-phobic, homo-phobic, stupid, close-minded, hypocrites and everything else in the book!

But what they don’t know is the freedom. The freedom of our hearts and minds to live a life that is pure, honorable, and character filled!

Do the right thing Tiger. Now’s the chance to turn the world on its head!

Come out, share your weaknesses, ask for forgiveness and repent. Not only will God celebrate, but the world will have compassion on you instead of the contempt, disappointment and anger like we do now.

Tiger, you need to make it right for the children…they need to see how real men deal with adversity and mistakes in life.

What they don’t need to see is another sad athlete act as if he is better than everyone else. They also don’t need to see another athlete act as if he is above the law and his inherent responsibility to be a good role model to the youth of this world.

They just can’t take it.

Now’s your chance Tiger, we pray you make the right choice.