Jim McCabe

Tiger Woods is so focused on the job at hand that he rarely takes time out to enjoy the spectacular vistas and superb landscape that provide breathtaking backdrops to the PGA Tour.

But there is one view he has taken note of.

In this, his 11th full season on the PGA Tour and 10 years removed from his record-breaking Masters victory in 1997, Woods stands alone as the only African-American player on the PGA Tour.

"Am I disappointed? Yeah," Woods said recently, when asked about the issue. "I thought there would be more of us out here."

So, too, did Pete McDaniel, a staff writer for Golf Digest and the author of "Uneven Lies: The Heroic Story of African Americans in Golf." Not long after Woods turned pro in August of 1996, McDaniel had the opportunity to travel throughout the country to junior clinics that were well attended by young African Americans. He watched how Woods interacted with the children and how they responded to him.

"I was optimistic, because I saw how he touched them, how they were inspired by him and his success," said McDaniel. "There were some high school kids who were very promising and that's what made me feel there would be a few more [African Americans] out here."

Woods is more than 200 tournaments and 12 major triumphs into his incomparable PGA Tour career and McDaniel is still waiting. As an African American, McDaniel would love to say that the pipelines are filled and the situation will soon change, but, alas, he cannot.

"It's very, very disappointing, and I'm disillusioned," said McDaniel. "I don't know if the learning curve has been wider than they expected or they haven't received the financial support, but they can't seem to get over the hump."

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McDaniel has some theories and opinions, but the first thing he'll do is offer up a statement that is intended to quiet the critics who think Woods should take some of the blame for such a startling lack of African Americans on the pro golf scene.

"Too much is put on him. He can't do it all himself," said McDaniel.

"He's done more than his share. He's done more to open the door by proving it can be done."

To criticize Woods for the complexion of the PGA Tour landscape is foolhardy. At 31, he has a social conscience that is to be admired, not admonished. There is the Tiger Woods Foundation and the Tiger Woods Learning Center. There have been a multitude of junior clinics, an international junior tournament that he has backed, and a Start Something program in conjunction with Target.

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To those among us who will always find a reason to throw a blanket of skepticism over any type of positive story, Woods' actions are sometimes explained as being "the least he could do," but I would offer that they are the most he can do. I would also remind you that that it wasn't until 1961 that the "Caucasians-only" clause was stricken from the PGA of America constitution, which means that icons such as Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, and Sam Snead played on a PGA Tour that was not integrated, a social injustice that they may have felt was wrong, but never did they lead any sort of movement to change that.

Woods has steered social movements. He never said his goal was to turn out professional golfers; the mission behind all his endeavors is to provide children with options and opportunities to better their lives and improve their futures and I would argue that that's the worthiest of all causes to support.

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There is little doubt that Woods is a role model to young, African American children — Woods is actually one-quarter African American, one quarter Chinese, one quarter Thai, one eighth Native American and one eighth Dutch — but that has not translated into excessive numbers of them following him into the pro golf world. The reasons why are many, and most of them complex. But to expect him in 11 years to tear down decades of social barriers is not only naive, it's wrong, because golf is not the closed shop it always was. Twenty or 30 or 50 years ago, you could rightfully say that people who ran golf were doing their damn best to keep African Americans out of the game. That's not the case today, because the U.S. Golf Association, the PGA of American, and the PGA Tour — just to name three golf bodies — are 100 percent behind The First Tee program and a wide array of initiatives that are dedicated to bringing children of all colors into the game.

"They've tried to do the right thing," said McDaniel. "The verdict is still out, but no longer can we blame the institution of golf, not like before when we were not welcomed in it."

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