Book Review: Drive – The Lasting Legacy of Tiger Woods

May 12, 2024

The 2024 Masters tournament is now complete with Scottie Scheffler becoming the eighteenth golfer to have won multiple Masters championships, but yet another significant milestone was achieved this year as Tiger Woods made the cut for the 24th consecutive time, eclipsing the previous record of 23 held by Fred Couples and Gary Player.

The debate may still be open as to who is golf’s G.O.A.T. – Sam Snead with 82 PGA victories; Jack Nicklaus with 18 major championships; or, Tiger Woods with 82 PGA victories (all individual) and 15 major championships.

Golf writer, Bob Harig, who has covered the journey of Tiger Woods for over 30 years, has assembled a captivating and emotional portrait of one of the most famous figures in all of sports. Bob brings readers the true story of the grit and perseverance of Tiger Woods in the recent years of his long career. “Drive – The Lasting Legacy of Tiger Woods” takes a deep dive into Woods’ true legacy, one of resolve and redemption.

Drive – The Lasting Legacy of Tiger Woods

While being complimentary, Harig remains truthful about Tiger Woods, whom he describes as a complicated figure.

On the positive side, Harig notes that following his breakthrough victory at the 1997 Masters tournament, from 1998 to 2005 Woods did not miss a single 36-hole cut – a record 142 consecutive tournaments on the PGA Tour, surpassing the previous record of 113 held by Byron Nelson. Also noted, is the fact that Woods has spent the most consecutive weeks (281) and most total weeks (683) at the top of the world rankings.

With his phenomenal skill as a golfer Woods has amassed over $110 million in tour winnings along with over a billion dollars in endorsement money. In addition to his financial winnings out on the golf course, Tiger Woods was winning over fans like no one in golf had ever done before; he turned casual golfers into ardent fans.

While all his golf successes were progressing, notorious moments also entered into the life and career of Tiger Woods. Harig points out that Woods’ mysterious accident just yards from his driveway in November of 2009 would lead to reports of extramarital affairs.

In May 2017, Woods was arrested after he was found by police asleep in his car on the side of the road. In February 2021, just after the Genesis Invitational, Woods was badly injured when the car he was driving rolled over in Los Angeles, nearly costing him his right leg, and which could have possibly taken his life.

Despite the many difficult health and personal issues he’s had to endure and overcome, Woods’ enormous drive and determination led him to a comeback for all ages — Tiger winning his 15th major title on the hallowed grounds of Augusta National Golf Club in 2019, coming 22 years after his 1997 monumental victory at The Masters, when he became the tournament’s youngest champion ever.

Tiger Woods (USA) on the 2nd fairway during round 4 of The Masters, Augusta National, Augusta, Georgia, USA. 10/04/2022.
Picture Fran Caffrey / Golffile.ie
All photo usage must carry mandatory copyright credit (© Golffile | Fran Caffrey)

In the final portion of this work, Bob Harig lists his personal ranking of Tiger Woods’ fifteen major victories, with The Masters victory in 2019 topping the list. These four days in April of 2019 marked the 81st title in his career, the 15th major title, and just his second tournament win since 2013. Harig contends that no one would have ever thought Tiger Woods would rise again to the top after all that he had endured.

In authoring “Drive – The Lasting Legacy of Tiger Woods”, Bob Harig puts words on paper showing that Tiger Woods’ drive to be the best was achieved in a way summoning more than just skill.

About the Author: Bob Harig, formerly of ESPN and The Tampa Bay Times, currently writes for Sports Illustrated. He has covered Tiger Woods since the very beginning of his career and has had dozens of one-on-one interviews with him. Harig holds degrees in journalism and history from Indiana University and is an active member of the Golf Writers Association of America.

“Drive – The Lasting Legacy of Tiger Woods” is published by St. Martin’s Press, New York, New York; Hardcover ISBN 9781250288752; 309 pages plus 8 pages of color photo inserts; measures 6.375” x 9.5” x 1.187” and easily fits standard bookshelves, business attache cases, and backpacks.

“Drive – The Lasting Legacy of Tiger Woods” is available at amazon.com in hardcover and kindle formats. Also available at https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250288752/drive/.
(All photos courtesy of St. Martin’s Publishing Group)