Sophia Michaels
Tiger Woods faced two major obstacles in his prime: the death of his father, Earl Woods, in 2006 and the public backlash from an affair he had while married to Elin Nordegren in 2009. The scandal caused him to crash his SUV into a fire hydrant outside of his home, resulting in a damaged public image. His ambition to remain the best in golf, combined with these events, led to a period of decline.
In order to protect his friends from the trouble, Woods distanced himself from them. Charles Barkley commented on this, saying he had no idea what happened and that Woods just stopped talking to them. Despite this, Woods’ friendship with Michael Jordan remained strong. Jordan even commented on Woods’ struggles in 2016, saying he wished he could retire but didn’t know how. Jordan also expressed his love for Woods, saying he couldn’t tell him he wouldn’t be great again.
