Tiger Woods Doesn’t Intimidate Random 12-year-old Boy

Tiger Woods' 2009 season will be remembered more for what he didn't do - win a major championship - than for what he did accomplish - win six tournaments and the FedEx Cup.

If you've watched Tiger from start to finish in each of the four major championships this year, you've probably caught and been left speechless by one or two phenomenally poor shots, the likes of which we've never witnessed from the architect of golf's most prosperous era. Tiger's also shown that he too can be lighthearted, interviewing himself after winning his own tournament, the AT&T National, at Congressional Country Club just outside of Washington, D.C.

Tiger failed to protect his 54-hole lead at the PGA Championship - losing his advantage to Y.E. Yang and soiling his previously unblemished record of 14-0 when holding a share of the lead heading into Sunday at a major. And speaking of soiled, Tiger was the object of extreme silliness when the blogosphere and a few well-respected daily newspapers suspected him of fairway flatulence on the way to victory in the last ever Buick Open in Grand Blanc, Michigan.

Basically, we've seen a lot of uncharacteristic occurences surrounding the Tiger Woods circus circa 2009. Now I'm told average golfers aren't even intimidated by his presence. 

Look no further than his exchange with 12-year-old Mark Benevento, Jr. of Somers Point, N.J. who eagerly stepped up to the tee box and pured two drives right down the center of an unfinished fairway at Tiger's first North American golf course design project in Asheville, N.C., with his hero so close that they'd be able to share the H1 N1 flu virus.

A chance to tee off with Tiger Woods standing at your side hasn't been greeted with such enthusiasm by his peers since Tiger first joined the PGA Tour.

This may be a stretch, but could it be possible that it's become such commonplace to see Tiger Woods on the golf course that he's lost his intimidation factor, at least when it comes to recreational/weekend golfers who don't collect giant checks on Tour every so often. We turn on Golf Channel, or CBS Sports on a Sunday and we expect to see Tiger striding down the fairway. I think I'd feel uncomfortable if I didn't see Tiger as I was about to tee off.

Instead of confiscating this video a la the Lebron James situation, Nike should make it required viewing for all of the company's athletes, such as Stewart Cink, Anthony Kim and Trevor Immelman, who might just learn something from it. Tiger isn't that scary after all. Just ask little Mark Benevento, Jr.

The PGA Tour should also rush a copy to Sean O'Hair and Phil Mickelson. But it's ok to lose the addresses of Bob May and Rich Beem. And only if he's pressed for time, Padraig Harrington might want a copy.

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