Growing up, whenever my father invited my brother, and I to play golf with him, I followed for one reason: the thrill of driving the golf cart. I took lessons with my brother but never really developed a love for the game that I felt with other sports, mostly because I felt like there was no one in the sport one could relate to; a sports hero whose performance I could watch in amazement.

That all changed when I was watching the 2005 Masters and witnessed Tiger Woods execute one of the most memorable golf shots ever seen; a combination of creativity, ability, and experience. As Tiger approached the green, his facial expression mimicked that of a student who went into a test with all the answers but had to keep a straight face so not to throw off the teacher. He knew precisely what he was going to do, and he knew exactly how he was going to do it. In order to avoid doing the shot any kind of injustice, watch it here.

Kids who grow up around sports often have a sports hero. As golf was a sport dominated by white men in their 30s and 40s, I found it hard to find “that guy.” Kids who grow up playing sports like Basketball, go out to their driveway and practice shots like Jordan’s game-winner against the Jazz. In golf, no one inspired me to go out and copy. Tiger Woods became that person for me. He was that guy that I could watch on the weekend pulling off unheard of fear; the guy I could root for and support. The guy I would watch break course records, tournament records, and may currently be on his way to breaking a record that people said could never be broken. He began to revolutionize the game; an African-American dominating in a sport dominated by white, middle-aged men. He brought swagger, style, juice, and overall attention to a game that had been secretive and secluded. In tournaments he missed, TV ratings plummeted. He was everything I could dream of in a sports hero, exciting and dominant.

I began to watch Tiger carefully, studying his every move. I looked up Tiger’s driving range routine to make sure I was doing everything he did because obviously, that was working for him. When I approached shots, I began to place myself in his shoes, “It’s the Sunday at the Masters, where Matthew needs to birdie the final hole to win the green jacket.” I decked myself out in the latest Tiger Woods Nike gear, much to my father’s disapproval. I even downloaded an app where you upload a video of your swing, and it gives you directions on how to make your swing more like Tiger’s.

I remember driving to school one day and hearing the news that Tiger was involved in a car accident. As everyone knows, more details were released, and one of the biggest scandals in sports history was created. It felt like I was looking up to a guy who I began to feel was incredibly fake, preaching family values while doing the opposite behind closed doors. I was so ready to be done with him and the sport and began to look for other alternatives. My brother was always dominating me on the golf course (something he doesn’t do quite as often these days), and my feelings for the sport began to fade. Around this time, Tiger wasn’t playing much while he was dealing with either health or personal issues. I had wrist surgery freshman year and was away from golf for almost a year.

A couple of days after my surgery, I remember learning about John 8:7 in Religion class. One of the most famous Bible verses says “He straightened up and said to them, "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to cast a stone.” This verse resonated with me in a lot of ways but struck home when approaching the situation I was having with my sports icon, a man who has no idea who I am.

In golf, the most important shot is the recovery shot. The recovery shot is the one that you have to make after making a mistake on an approach, a drive, or a layup. This mindset can be applied to life; the most important thing is what you do after you’ve been knocked down. I realized that Tiger Woods was someone who had been down and got up and just kept going. He had come back from the lowest point of his life, something many people questioned he would do. The shot that got me hooked on him was his recovery shot on the 16th the 2005 Masters, the one I mentioned earlier. What brought me back to Tiger had nothing to do with his golf game, but the recovery he made as a person when everyone else doubted him and his future.

I went back to following and supporting Tiger and playing the game of golf. This time around, I didn’t focus on mimicking every aspect of his swing, his equipment, or his golf apparel. I was focused on copying his mental approach to life after his personal problems, the way he adapted and responded to obstacles.

In 2013, Tiger was playing in the WGC Cadillac Championship, an event that I attend almost every year as it is only a few miles from my house. I was watching the 18^th fairway when I realized that Tiger would be teeing off on the 1^st tee directly behind me. I rushed to stand on the 1^st fairway, and saw a man dressed in his traditional Sunday attire sticking out from a crowd of spectators. Tiger tee shot landed about 10 yards away from me, on the right side of the first cut. When he stood there, I remember just thinking about all the different ways this man had impacted me in both good and bad ways. He stood there, a man who had come back from the lowest of the lows due to his own wrongdoings, back doing what he loves. Tiger went on to win the tournament, and he was officially back.

Earlier this week, Woods announced that he would be playing his first event after a yearlong absence from the tour. Many people in the golf world think he’s done. They believe the game has moved on without him, the same game he revolutionized 18 years ago. I have one response to anyone believes his days are over, and it happens to be my senior quote in the high school yearbook: