Learning Your Swing in the Dirt

Watching Tiger Woods win the PGA today for his twelfth major championship showed that he has much more game than any of the other players on the pro tour, but he also seems to have more determination. How did he get it? In a poll released in last week's SportsIllustrated only a miniscule number of youth golfers said they were impacted by the War in Iraq. That means despite the PGA's relentless marketing of the First Tee program, which helps economically disadvantaged kids learn how to whack golf balls, the great game is, and will always be, a game for the rich. I think this gives Woods an incredible advantage. Skill level being equal, I would always put my money on a blue collar kid versus a country club one.

It has been argued that richer kids have more choices ("Should I go to Chess Club today or football practice?") so they don't put all their time into athletic pursuits, and therefore they are not quite as skilled in athletics. Isn't that a bit pompous and disingenuous? I think there is something deeper within the economically disadvantaged kid: more will.