Tiger Woods deserves his Presidential Medal of Freedom – so stop bashing Donald Trump for the sake of it
- Golfing legend’s award at White House gives Trump haters another excuse to vent their fury
- But people should put politics aside because Woods is a worthy recipient of the Medal of Freedom
Tiger Woods received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in the White House’s Rose Garden on Monday, earning the nation’s highest civilian honour, and as usual everyone turned it into an excuse to bash Donald Trump.
It shouldn’t be controversial. George W. Bush gave the same award to golfing legends Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, and Barack Obama likewise to Charlie Sifford. Woods is an icon and his epic Masters win last month was also one of sport’s best comeback tales and triumphs over adversity, after he had spent years out in the wilderness battling injury and personal crises.
Yet as with anything Trump does, people are criticising the US president for the sake of it. Can’t we just put the politics aside for a minute?
Of course, Trump is a diehard golf fan and long-time friend of Woods, who is even reportedly designing a Trump Organisation golf course in Dubai. But some of the commentary on social media has been way over the top, with many people disparaging Woods for even accepting the award.
What was he meant to do? You can see how much the honour meant to him – he had tears in his eyes as he thanked his mother, who was in the audience.
“It’s an incredible privilege to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom,” Woods wrote on Twitter. “Considering the recipients, history, and what this means to me and my family, it’s also very humbling. Thank you all for your support and I hope this inspires others to never give up on their dreams.”
Woods’ Masters win was his 15th major, coming 11 years after his last one. In the intervening time the former world No 1 had experienced a very public break-up of his marriage, had undergone four back surgeries and checked into rehab in 2017 for addiction to prescription painkillers after being arrested for driving while intoxicated.
“Your spectacular achievements on the golf course, your triumph over physical adversity and your relentless will to win, win, win. These qualities embody the American spirit,” Trump said.
The president also told guests in the Rose Garden they were in the presence of a “true legend and extraordinary athlete”, hailing him as a “global symbol of American excellence, devotion and drive”. And rightly so.
Yet that didn’t stop the haters – everyone had to get their shots in for those precious Twitter likes and retweets.
“I’m old enough to remember when Presidential Medals of Freedom were given for showing courage and making sacrifices on behalf of the nation and the world. Tiger Woods ... hits golf balls for money,” wrote New York Times columnist Paul Krugman.
Well, I’m old enough to remember when Tiger Woods inspired a large part of an entire nation by hitting golf balls. And I’m old enough to remember the incredible scenes of joy and emotion his Masters win sparked, just like each of his other major wins.
“I’ve tried to hang in there, and I’ve tried to come back and play the great game of golf again. I’ve been lucky enough to have had the opportunity to do it again,” Woods said in his remarks at the White House.
That’s clearly not enough for some.
“Tiger Woods ought to be ashamed of himself,” wrote one user on Twitter. “Cosying up to the likes of Trump and accepting a ‘presidential’ award for winning a golf tournament? Disgusting.”
“Huh. I didn’t think Tiger Woods could get any more pathetic, but he’s no quitter,” said another commenter.
Others criticised the sight of Trump giving Woods the medal as “slimy” and “repugnant” and commented that they needed to go take a shower after seeing it.
Yes, apparently it is shameful and pathetic for someone to accept an award after doing more than perhaps any other athlete to inspire young African-Americans to chase their dreams.
How are comments like these a fair reflection on Woods at all? By all means, direct your ire at Trump for giving out the same award to Republican donor Dr Miriam Adelson last year – but Woods has rightly earned this moment.
CNN reporter Jim Acosta also thought this was the right occasion to yell out a question at Trump about Paul Manafort, the president’s former personal lawyer who went to prison on Monday. I admire Acosta’s determination to pursue the truth and hold Trump accountable, but this was disrespectful to Woods and only fed Acosta’s detractors who believe he is an attention-seeker. Everyone just needs to chill out and let a sporting legend enjoy a deserved moment of recognition. Or have we fallen so far that we can’t even do that now?
