Tiger Woods

By: Jeff Benedict, Armen Keteyian

Narrated by: Roger Casey

Length: 15 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

The number one New York Times best seller based on years of reporting and interviews with more than 250 people from every corner of Tiger Woods’s life - this “comprehensive, propulsive...and unsparing” (The New Yorker) biography is “an ambitious 360-degree portrait of golf’s most scrutinized figure...brimming with revealing details” (Golf Digest).

In 2009, Tiger Woods was the most famous athlete on the planet, a transcendent star of almost unfathomable fame and fortune living what appeared to be the perfect life. But it turned out he had been living a double life for years - one that exploded in the aftermath of a Thanksgiving-night crash that exposed his serial infidelity and sent his personal and professional lives over a cliff. In this “searing biography of golf’s most blazing talent” (GOLF magazine), Jeff Benedict and Armen Keteyian dig deep behind the headlines to produce a richly reported answer to the question that has mystified millions of sports fans for nearly a decade: who is Tiger Woods, really?

Drawing on more than 400 interviews with people from every corner of Woods’s life - many of whom have never spoken about him on the record before - Benedict and Keteyian construct a captivating psychological profile of a mixed-race child programmed by an attention-grabbing father and the original Tiger Mom to be the “chosen one”, to change not just the game of golf, but the world as well. But at what cost? Benedict and Keteyian provide the starling answers in this definitive biography that is destined to linger in the minds of listeners for years to come.

“Irresistible.... Immensely readable.... Benedict and Keteyian bring us along for the ride in a whirlwind of a biography that reads honest and true.” (The Wall Street Journal)

Ultimately, Tiger Woods is “a big American story...exhilarating, depressing, tawdry, and moving in almost equal measure” (The New York Times).

©2018 Jeff Benedict, Armen Keteyian (P)2018 Simon & Schuster Audio

A Balanced Look at One of Golf's Greatest

For this major biography of Tiger Woods, the authors completed more than 400 interviews over a three-year period. Woods declined to participate with the project after the authors refused the conditions Woods and his team imposed on them. Still, fans of Woods will find this to be an interesting, and I believe fair, look at his life thus far.
Everyone knows Woods’ golf accomplishments, so I will focus on what readers may hope to gain from reading this book that they can’t get in previously published books about Woods. We have to start with Wood’s family, and primarily his father Earl. His parents were the only people Tiger could trust, for him, family was everything. Unfortunately, it was a dysfunctional family that he grew up in. Earl cheated on his first wife with Tiger’s mother, actually marrying her a few years before he was divorced from his first wife. In addition, Earl is portrayed as a father who took advantage of his son’s talent to benefit financially, and at least bent the rules on how to finance his travels to amateur tournaments. In addition to infidelity, Earl had vices of alcohol and porn. Unfortunately, some of those vices were passed on to Tiger. Earl would often interject race into interviews, while Tiger tended to avoid the subject. We are told that Earl is buried in an unmarked grave.
We read about a four-year relationship (in high school and college) that Tiger had with Deana, which was abruptly broken off, and another relationship he had prior to marriage. He had his first knee surgery while in college at Stanford.
We hear about Tiger’s conflict with members of the media, primarily John Feinstein and Jimmy Roberts, and his friendship with golfer and neighbor Mark O’Meara and his family.
Especially after he turned professional, Tiger was always under a microscope. Everyone wanted a piece of him and he made millions in endorsements. We hear about his increasing rudeness, failure to tip in restaurants and gambling in Las Vegas with Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan. The book addresses his obsession with working out and becoming a member of the Navy Seals.
Woods was married to Elin Nordegren for six years. The book spends a lot of time on his well-documented fall from grace, detailing his cheating on her, often times with multiple women at the same time while she was caring for their two young children at home. Woods was living a lie as a sex addict. The authors point out that he interestingly played some of his best golf when his personal life was out of control.
The authors state that Woods was in a dark place after Earl’s death. He became surlier with the media and would eventually become addicted to sleeping pills and pain medication. They address rumors whether he took PEDs (performance enhancing drugs), offering testimony from those close to him.
The book details his work with swing coaches such as Butch Harmon and Hank Haney, and in more recent years his injuries, surgeries and missed cuts. It ends with his return to competitive golf in early 2018 and his desire to be a good father to his two children.
The book contains a significant amount of adult language, much of it quotes from Woods. Golf fans, particularly fans of Woods will be interested in this well-researched and written book.

For tiger fans or admirers this is a must read

I thought I would Iike this book, but I ended up loving it. Regardless of the way you feel about tiger, his life has been fascinating. Most of the book isnt New information, but it is put together well to form an excellent narrative.

Interesting read even for the non-fan

Very interesting and detailed recap of Tiger's story including some stuff I never knew about

Amazing book!

Extremely in depth story about arguably the most revolutionary sports figure in one sport. Great read! definitely buying the physical book as well!

the narrator was great!

While I really enjoyed the in-depth biography, I can't help but rave about the narrator. sometimes the narration can make or break a book, and here, he definitely brings the book to life!

great story

Great book and I liked the narrator. never knew the complete story of Tiger.

If you are a Tiger fan...must read

Having watch Tiger since he debuted there was a lot I knew, but even more I didn't. The behind the scene information was enlightening. Definitely worth the time.

Great listen

Very in depth and honest depiction of both the good & bad of the man myth & legend

Good

Good read about one of the iconic figures in sports history. A sad commentary on the life of a man s was go never grew up th as bud to his fathers influence

Another great sports documentary by Armen K!

I have read several documentaries by Armen. He is a great journalists and write such page Turners that I always read his books. I encourage you to get this Audible because I enjoyed it even though I am not a golf fan. The story about Tiger Woods is rise fall and recovery is very interesting and exciting I was able to listen to it from beginning to end as it was written and narrated so well.