Of course, there are those who would argue Woods rarely takes a stand on anything controversial, that he avoids political topics and social debates. Even a friend, the always-talkative Charles Barkley, has spoken about wanting Woods to be more forceful on matters of topical concern. It is, in truth, a dangerous tightrope he walks, because given his enormous profile, all sides are constantly tugging at Woods, and a story from several years ago magnifies the problem.

It was back in the days of Martha Burk’s fight against Augusta National over the absence of any female member and a reporter had to chase down Woods in the parking lot after a round. The reporter's newspaper was going to criticize Woods for not taking a stand against Augusta National, but first it wanted a comment from the golfer.

Woods took a deep breath and explained that he had, in fact, taken a stand, “It’s just that some people don’t like my answer.”

He had indeed on a number of occasions said how he didn’t approve of the membership policies of any club that appeared to discriminate; Woods wasn’t condoning Augusta National’s policy, he was just playing in the tournament. He further suggested that icons such as Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus were more better people to talk to, since both of them had accepted memberships into the club, and that made them appear in approval of the membership policies.

The 2003 Masters wasn’t at all disrupted by Burk’s rally, which failed to attract much support in Augusta, nor public sentiment. Though Woods did not win the green jacket that spring, he remained the game’s biggest draw and has done nothing but increase his popularity in the years since.

The natural appeal is easy. He’s not only very good at what he does — so are a lot of other athletes — but he goes about his business without shamelessly misbehaving in public. What’s more, to watch Woods is to have a front-row seat with history, as he’s doing things that have never been done before, many times under the greatest pressure. While it can be disconcerting to see the same player win so often, there was a time in this country that it seemed as if the president was always Franklin D. Roosevelt, the heavyweight champion was always Joe Louis, the World Series winners were always the New York Yankees, and such security isn’t such a bad thing, especially when it is delivered with the panache and grace that Woods brings.

Mildly criticized for playing so few tournaments (he plays 16-18 PGA Tour events each year), Woods doesn’t snap back that it’s the same as what Nicklaus did 30-40 years ago, but rather, he’ll explain his enormous success is because of the fact that he’s always focused to play when he does tee it up.

Frankly, he learned a long time ago that it did him no good to get involved in such rhetoric, that it was always best to let his clubs do the talking and to stay as far away from the spotlight when he wasn’t playing. Oh, occasionally you catch the film clip of Woods and his wife, Elin Nordegren, at a tennis match, but for the most part, the couple divides their time between homes in Florida, California, and those trips to Sweden to visit her family.

Access to their own plane, one of the world’s best yachts, and all the best and most exclusive playgrounds of the rich and famous, Woods has taken up a number of pursuits to satisfy his competitive fires away from the golf course. He loves to ski, has gone bungee-jumping, and has achieved certification as a deep-sea diver. His passion for working out is legendary, but what is most remarkable about Woods is how he remains under the radar when away from the golf course.

Donald Miralle / Getty Images file Tiger Woods, pictured on a trailer at the Buick Invitational in January, is truly larger than life. Because of his golfing greatness, Woods has become the pitch man for Nike, Buick and many other companies.

Managed shrewdly by Mark Steinberg of the International Management Group, Woods has a small, but intimate circle of friends. It’s as if he understands that the more people he brings into his world, the larger it is, so with such a small, select group, he keeps it as cozy a world as he can.

That, in turn, keeps the interference to a minimum, which is a philosophy he brings to his business world, too. Whereas Michael Jordan and so many other megastars got involved in a variety of sponsorship and endorsement deals, Woods — and Steinberg to a large degree — maintain a small, but profitable stable of clients. Woods has rich deals with Nike, Buick, Accenture, Tag Heuer, Gillette, and his newest endeavor, his very own Gatorade, but for every offer he accepts, he probably gets 100 of them that he turns down — perhaps in a week.

Who knows, maybe he gets that many in a day, but chances are that a good many of those offers never even reach Woods. That’s because Steinberg coolly handles to so many of Woods’ business opportunities to free his player for what is at the center of his universe.

The utterly brilliant golf.

Stripped of all the wealth, the fame, the toys, and the world-wide notoriety, it’s the golf that motivates him like nothing else.

MORE FROM GOLF

Golf Section Front

McPherson leads Tour Championship Westwood wins Dubai tourney, money titles Brooks wins Pebble Beach Invitational Peter Senior wins Champions Tour Q-school Latest golf videos Latest player news, rumors and more Tracking Tiger: News, features and more Tiger's triumphs: Recapping all Woods' wins Vote: When will Tiger win his 15th major? Vote, discuss: Best major of 2009? Golf Section Front   Add Golf headlines to your news reader: