Product Description

Tom Callahan has written the seminal book on golfing great Tiger Woods. Woods, who has gone out of his way to protect his privacy, has never allowed himself to get close enough to a writer to be properly examined on the page. And, as a consequence, his fans know relatively little about him except what’s divulged in quick tournament interviews or the scarce information parsed out on occasion by one of his handlers. Which is to say, we know next to nothing about one of the most famous people in the world. Callahan, commonly regarded as one of the best all-round sports writers in the country, has followed Tiger around the world of golf for more than seven years, enjoying a certain access to the man and his family. He even went so far as to travel to Vietnam to learn the fate of the South Vietnamese soldier who was Earl Wood’s best friend during the war—and his son’s namesake.

Tiger is twenty years old when the book opens and twenty-seven when it closes. During those years, Callahan covered Woods at all the Majors, including the Masters, the U.S. Open, and the British Open, culminating in Tiger’s heart-stopping race to make history by clinching the string of Majors affectionately nicknamed the Tiger Slam. As the pulse of golf was measured by the curve of his swing, Tiger made everyone’s heart skip a beat as he attempted to win the Grand Slam a year later.

Along the way, Tom Callahan hears from everyone who is anyone in the world of Tiger Woods, including Phil Mickelson, Jack Nicklaus, David Duval, Butch Harmon, Ernie Els, and, of course, Tiger’s rather ubiquitous mother and father. As much as we learn about Tiger—how he sees himself in relation to the courses he plays on and the players he has learned from and competed with—we also enjoy a bird’s-eye view of golf as it is now with Tiger on the scene, and as it was for
centuries before.

In Search of Tiger catalogs and dissects moments and influences in Tiger’s guarded life and unprecedented career—moments that unveil him, his awesome drive, and his enormous talent. Tom Callahan has written a classic of its kind, a book to rank with the best in its genre. He has done what few have even attempted—
he has found the real Tiger Woods.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1436020 in Books
• Published on: 2003-03-25
• Released on: 2003-03-25
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 256 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Golf Digest columnist Callahan draws on seven years of interviews with Tiger, his family, friends, coaches and fellow golfers to unmask the man behind the growing legend. This well-written narrative examines Tiger's early years, how he got to the top of his game and his vision for the future. Anecdotes and insider insights highlight portraits of major Tiger victories. For example, when 15-year-old Tiger first met Jack Nicklaus, the old pro said, "Tiger, when I grow up I want to have a swing as beautiful as yours." Tiger thought, "I'm taller." Callahan discusses the differences between Tiger and his competitors with chapters on Ernie Els, David Duval, Sergio Garcia and more. Tiger's thoughts about race, endorsements, psyching out other players (he gives all competitors a nickname) and the infamous Fuzzy Zoeller affair at the 1997 Masters Tournament lift this entry above the crowd of Tiger books. The author even journeys to Vietnam to discover the fate of South Vietnamese soldier Tiger Phong, father Earl Wood's friend and Tiger's namesake. This is a comprehensive examination of the man, his talent, his competition and the world of professional golf, a must-read for fans and players alike.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
Respected sports writer Tom Callahan traveled closely with the very private Tiger Woods for about seven years--beginning when the stellar golf pro was 20 years old. This story of a sports legend and his rise to the top provides plenty of insight into what makes Tiger tick. Schirner packs in loads of excitement as he describes Tiger's historic wins, one tournament after another. In addition, interviews with Tiger's parents, Jack Nicklaus, David Duval, Butch Harmon, Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson, and others provide bonus information on the young athlete. Schirner also delivers a golf history lesson to listeners, imparting an interesting comparison of the game then and now. B.J.P. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

From Booklist
A pastiche loosely organized around Tiger Woods' consecutive conquest of golf's four "majors" in 1999-2000, Callahan's assemblage of anecdote and conversation is more a sequence of digressions than an unfolding narrative. It certainly slakes the informational thirst of the duffing masses for all things Tiger, including the source of his nickname, but a biography this isn't. Perhaps one isn't possible, given Woods' guarded privacy and cautious public relations (a posture protective of his $100 million-plus endorsement contracts). More expansively, Callahan tracks what fading greats (Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino) and contemporary second-tier players (David Duval, Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson) think of Woods' game, mental and physical. When that peters out, Callahan is apt to toss in golf lore (e.g., the prejudice endured by black professional golfers), before boomeranging back to hole-by-hole commentary on Woods' de facto grand slam. (Technically, a grand slam must be achieved in the same calendar year.) In spring's annual bloom of golf books, Tiger titles are highly popular perennials. Gilbert Taylor
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