Opinion
GAJTKA: No Pride, Only Shame After Tiger Woods’ Latest Stumble
Remember shame? Embarrassment? Sheepishness?
I realize those concepts have fallen out of favor for various reasons, and I’ll concede some of that movement is actually noble.
After all, how many dumb things has been done — or productive things not done — because a person or group of people was afraid of how they would look? No doubt there is something to be said for having the courage of one’s convictions and going for it, whatever ‘it’ is, regardless of how it appears to a peer group, or even the world at large.
Evolutionary psychology says shame is a protective mechanism from back in the days when being ostracized from our tribe could’ve meant death. While getting flamed in modern times still doesn’t feel very good, our physical well-being is no longer at risk when we get tsk-tsked in the public square.
But there are times in which our basic, primal brain wiring is still totally appropriate. In fact, it might be a gift.
As I prepared to write this column, I fully expected Tiger Woods to entrench himself in a prideful position, committing to try to play the Masters and a handful of other competitive events in 2026, despite getting arrested for DUI last week near his Florida home.
Instead, after a couple of days to think about the state of his life, the 15-time major champion showed more humility than we’re used to seeing from him in his 50 years on Earth — almost all of which have been spent in the public eye.
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) March 31, 2026
This is speculation, but it seems that shame finally got Woods over the line as it pertains to admitting his “situation.” Of course, he’s been through addiction treatment before — the first time for sex, the second time for medication — but this statement he released strikes a new tone, especially that first line …
“I know and understand the seriousness of the situation I find myself in today.”
(Before you say anything, I realize that Woods likely didn’t draft the statement himself, but I’m operating under the assumption that he approved the language.)
While I’ve seen some criticism in his request for privacy, I think the words that precede that are convincing that he’s actually tackling his problems soberly, if you can pardon the phrase.
At times during the many travails of Tiger, I’ve wondered if he was immune to the very concept of embarrassment. How could you fear death if you already ‘died,’ multiple times over, and all of those ordeals of your own creation? In the case of his gruesome crash in 2021, maybe he felt like there’s no problem he couldn’t bluster his way through.
Thankfully, it appears that desensitization hasn’t happened, at least not completely. We can presume Tiger can still feel shame about his behavior. More to the point, he’s not pridefully trying to push through this like nothing happened, which I halfway expected to happen.
We can’t be privy to the discussions behind the scenes, but I have to imagine Woods’ involvement in shaping the future of the PGA Tour — and thus, all of pro golf — also aided in the arrival of his ‘come to Jesus’ moment. He’s not just a competitor; he’s an executive now, too. That duty adds pressure to be at his best, beyond simply having his body and mind prepared to manipulate the golf ball to his bidding.
As much as we know Woods cares about playing his best, I think we can also say he cares deeply about the sport, given how much time and energy he’s spent in talks with fellow prominent figures during what’s been a tumultuous decade for pro golf.
I suppose there can be no shame without stakes. There needs to be a fear of losing something, so perhaps losing his stature as a prime mover of the sport was something Woods couldn’t abide. With his competitive career largely kaput, being an executive might actually be the one thing that Tiger treasures the most, at least in the professional world.
And, let’s be real, new PGA Tour commissioner Brian Rolapp has the credibility to urge Woods to the sideline if there was any indecisiveness on Tiger’s part. We’re at the point where some of these governing bodies have incentive to distance themselves from Woods, which is quite the sad statement.
Regardless of how we got here, I think reasonable golf fans can agree that Tiger is in no state to help the game, and in fact might be actively harming it through his presence.
And if that sounds harsh and selfish, well, so is flipping your SUV on a public road for the second time in six years.
