The drama that garnered the most attention last year would definitely be ‘The youngest son of a conglomerate family’. It is a wonderful story of a man whose destiny is reversed when he accidentally discovers 600 million dollars in slush funds. What if Hannibal of Carthage, who crossed the Alps on an elephant, had conquered Rome? What if Ogotai Khan hadn’t suddenly died when the Mongols were terrorizing all of Europe? There are never assumptions in history, but human curiosity constantly makes us uselessly imagine how the world would have changed if these events, which became decisive inflection points, had not happened.
There are two men here. One has become a legend by achieving an achievement that may or may not come out once in 100 years in golf history, and the other is living as a head pro at an ordinary local golf course. However, the two were once competitors who fought fiercely for the top spot.
It was the 1996 US Amateur Championship held at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in Oregon that decided the fate of the two. At the time, Tiger Woods was a 20-year-old amateur golfer about to make his professional debut, and Woods’ final opponent was Steve Scott, a one-year-old Florida University golf prospect.
Even though it was an amateur tournament, because of Woods’ high popularity, the golf course was packed with galleries of over 메이저사이트 15,000 people, and the game was broadcast live on TV nationwide. Woods, who was aiming for a third consecutive victory in the tournament, was expected to win one-sidedly. However, when the lid was opened, the flow of the game went in an unexpected direction. Contrary to everyone’s expectations, Scott led Woods by 5 holes in the morning round. Woods, who had planned to decorate the end of his amateur career with a win, couldn’t help but be embarrassed.
When play resumed in the afternoon after lunch, Woods began to work hard. Soon the game reached the 16th hole, and the score difference between the two narrowed to two holes. Scott, who made the par putt first, asked to move Woods’ ball mark on the putt line to the side. Scott, who made the par putt, was watching Woods’ birdie putt. But perhaps because of his nervousness, isn’t Woods just trying to putt without moving the ball mark to its original position? At that moment, Scott informed Woods, and Woods, startled, moved the ball back to its original position and succeeded in putting.
If Scott had ignored Woods’ mistake at this time, he could have won the hole with Woods’ penalty and even won. Woods made a 10m birdie putt on the 17th hole to tie the game. The pair eventually went into overtime, and Scott lost to Woods on the second hole. After witnessing Woods’ dramatic victory through the gallery, the president of Nike was convinced that he would be as successful as basketball’s Michael Jordan. He then immediately picked Woods up on his private plane and signed a $40 million sponsorship deal.
The story of Woods after that is as you know well. On the other hand, Scott made his professional debut after 3 years of college, but retired after only 2 tours for 6 years. If Woods had lost at this time, how would their lives have changed? Could Scott have grown into a rival no less than Phil Mickelson and enjoyed great wealth and fame, using the confidence of defeating Woods as a stepping stone? Conversely, did Woods suffer from trauma from the shock of defeat and struggle to continue his pro career as his contract with Nike failed? No one will ever know.
Scott married his high school girlfriend who took care of his caddy, gave birth to a son and a daughter, and has been living happily ever since. Woods, who was popular, caused a stir in the United States with a sexual scandal, and eventually divorced. He may have won the golf game, but in the round of life, Woods got a good OB (Out of Bound) shot.