That Tiger Woods Cover

Funny post on this site yesterday by mt1putt about our January cover:

That picture of T.W. is SCARY! I wouldn't last two holes with him. I can't even leave the magazine face up on the table.

The cover seems to be a Rorschach test about one's attitude toward the game. A sampling of interpretations, this one from Ray C. Fleming:

Mr. Iooss Jr. states he wanted to show the intensity in Mr. Woods eyes during the heat of competition seen by his golf companions during tournaments. Actually less than 6% of his competition can view Mr. Woods at any time in a tournament. The portrayal of Mr. Woods with the rally cap and sullen threatening expression. c an be seen on the covers of most of the hiphop albums advertised in any big discount store or grocery. The added picture on page 14 only carried the theme of muscle and threat further. I am trying to insert Jack Nicklaus/Bobby Jones into this piece of artistic (what) but have failed. Perhaps I could have used Fifty Cent.>

Or this, from Robert Zimmerer of Wyckoff, N.J.:

I am the first to admit that he is the No. 1 golfer in the world and he may be the greatest of all time... But I am shocked that Golf Digest would put Tiger Woods on its January, 2008 cover with his golf hat turned backwards. Is that how we want our young golfers to look when they are on the golf course? Quite frankly, it looks like he was ready to go to "the hood" rather than to play what is still in my mind the only "gentleman's game" in sports...

On the other hand, there was no disagreement about the story itself, by Jaime Diaz:

Dear Golf Digest, I would like to thank you for publishing Jaime Diaz's Tiger Woods article in your January 2008 issue. The aforementioned article was the best piece I have ever read in any sporting magazine... >

Ryan Tong. Edmonton, Alberta>

And this one from a young man named Robert Martin of Silver City, New Mexico:

I really liked your editor's letter this month you did on capturing the game face of Tiger Woods. Tiger is really an inspiration to me. Thank you for talking about Tiger's dad. He was a big part of Tiger's success. I think it's important for people to know that. I just finished reading the January 2008 issue of Golf Digest. I really liked your editor's letter this month you did on capturing the game face of Tiger Woods. Tiger is really an inspiration to me. Thank you for talking about Tiger's dad. He was a big part of Tiger's success. I think it's important for people to know that.

Tiger Woods is my biggest hero in golf I really look up to him. When I play I think of how well I could do in golf if I would play as much as he did when he was my age. I played on my high school golf team last year, and Tiger is the favorite of everybody on the team....

Thanks, Robert, if we're turning this game over to you, it's in good hands.

--Bob Carney

(Cover photo: Walter Iooss, Jr.)