Evan Rossman | staff writer

This week, 29 years ago, golf icon Tiger Woods won his first major in the 1997 Masters. A young Woods dominated the field, winning the tournament by 12 strokes, the largest margin` in the storied history of Augusta National Golf Club.

Over the better part of the next three decades, Woods would remain in the spotlight, being revered as the face of golf for a generation of young athletes. But his most recent DUI arrest begs the question of whether or not our youth should idolize him or other athletes.

Woods’ arrest on March 27 marks the second time he has been arrested on suspicion of DUI, as a similar incident in 2017 found that he had been impaired by prescription painkillers while driving.

According to a report from the Martin County Police Department, Woods appeared “lethargic” during his most recent arrest, and his eyes were described as “bloodshot and glassy.” He refused to take a urine test and failed the field sobriety tests performed at the scene of the accident. Police also discovered hydrocodone pills in his pocket, a drug Woods has used to treat chronic pain endured due to the 20-odd surgeries he’s had over the course of his career.

Woods has since announced that he is stepping away from golf to take steps toward rehabilitation for his addiction to painkillers. He will not play in the Masters this weekend, a tournament he has won five times, good for second all-time. Woods’ absence at Augusta has lingered on the minds of his fellow PGA professionals, as many golfers gave their input on his situation.

“He was my hero growing up. The reason why I play golf is because of this tournament and Tiger,” said 20-year PGA Tour veteran Jason Day after a practice round at Augusta. “He’s human, and we all make mistakes. That’s just part of learning and getting better, and I’m hoping that he gets the help that he needs and that he comes out stronger and better on the other side, because golf misses him.”

Ultimately, sports fans must remember that the athletes they idolize are no different than anyone else. After all, addiction affects millions of Americans, why would our greatest sportsmen be any different? Day feels that the golf world must prioritize Tiger’s mental health, and hope that he returns in a safe, healthy manner.

However, the issue is much deeper than just Tiger’s mental health and battle with opioids, rather it is the way the public views athletes in our society. Imagine one of your colleagues had multiple DUIs, a public scandal that involved alleged affairs with several different women, and an addiction to prescription drugs. That is more than likely someone who you wouldn’t look up to, and much less someone you would want your kids looking up to. So why is it different because he swings a golf club instead of sitting in an office building?

“Compare it to other sports or businesses and what have you. If you were done for DUI a couple of times in your business, what would happen to you?” said multi-time Green Jacket winner Nick Faldo. “I think something should be done a little bit more serious than waving him off to a tropical island [for his rehab] and saying ‘welcome back’ in three or four months, whatever it might be.”

Faldo understands that Woods faces a problem that is much more serious than the PGA Tour makes it out to be. Woods is very fortunate that his reckless behavior behind the wheel has not resulted in the death of himself or others, and that it is harmful for the PGA to continue to keep him in a position in which people look up to him.

The negative aspects of “Sport Celebrity Idolatry” were studied by Dr. Michael Hyman of New Mexico State University and Dr. Jeremy Sierra of Texas State University. They found that the media’s portrayal of athletes as “larger than life” was ultimately harmful for sports fans as they can develop parasocial relationships with athletes that lead to a loss of self. It is important to remember that star athletes are still human, and they can lack characteristics that make great role models.

This is not to say that star athletes cannot be role models. There are countless examples of sportsmen with great character who should be looked up to. I think of Roberto Clemente’s humanitarian efforts and LeBron James’ “I Promise” school that has educated hundreds of children in the Akron area as work that should be celebrated and looked up to. However, people must take off the rose-tinted glasses when viewing athletes as role models and should keep in mind that they are people just like you.

Evan Rossman can be reached at rossmane@duq.edu