TIGER Woods has already established himself as arguably the greatest golfer in history, but he fervently hopes his legacy will focus instead on his contributions to society.
He created the Tiger Woods Foundation with his father Earl shortly after turning professional in 1996, paving the way for the first Tiger Woods Learning Centre where children can develop life skills.
Around 16,000 students have gone through
the centre since it opened in Anaheim, California in February 2006 and Woods plans to open a second one in the Washington DC area within the next five years.
"Golf is something I do for myself," the American world No1 said. "I have a competitive side and that's how I express it.
"But, as far as my tombstone is concerned, hopefully it will read something more of what I am trying to do for kids. That would be so much more ultimate than winning any golf tournament.
"The joy I get from winning a major championship doesn't even compare to the feeling I get when a kid writes a letter saying: 'Thank you so much. You have changed my life. Or: 'I have turned my life around because of you. I was in a gang and now I'm not in a gang and now I'm going to college. No one in my family has ever gone to a college and now I'm the first one to do it.' That, to me, is what it's all about."
Woods, who won his eighth title of the year at the Target World Challenge at Sherwood Country Club in California on Sunday, said he would have jumped at the chance of going to a learning centre as a youngster had the opportunity arisen.
"It would have been incredible," the 31-year-old American added. "I didn't even know how to turn a computer on at that age.
"It's amazing to have these kids at the learning centre write programmes and teach you things. I had a sixth-grader teach me about forensic science, and I had never heard of forensic science until (television programme] CSI came out.
"To see these kids and the enthusiasm they have for school, you don't normally see that until you get to college. But these kids create their own curriculum and it's pretty cool to see them that excited and that enthused about learning and developing their own future."
Woods, who became a father for the first time after the US Open in June, has already earmarked a spot at one of his learning centres for his daughter, Sam Alexis.
"We certainly foresee that happening," he said, referring also to his Swedish wife Elin. "It will be fun to see Sam develop and our kids in the future, how they develop with the opportunities that Elin and I didn't have."
Having benefited from a loving, tightly knit home environment with his mother Kultida and father Earl, Woods has tried to replicate some of that experience at his Anaheim learning centre.
"As a child, the family that I had and the love I had from my two parents allowed me to go ahead and be more aggressive, to search and to take risks knowing that, if I failed, I could always come home to a family of love and support," he said.
"And that allowed me to take more risks on the golf course, with studies or whatever else it may be. I always felt like it was okay and that encouragement helped a lot."
A winner of 13 major titles who trails only Jack Nicklaus (18) in the all-time listings, Woods has often said he craves the anonymity now denied him.
Asked what he most missed about being a child, the 31-year-old replied: "That is probably it, anonymity."
However, having the world's most recognisable athlete as a corporate drawcard can be a mixed blessing, says Tiger Woods Foundation president Greg McLaughlin.
"Because Tiger is the No 1 athlete in the world, people do not necessarily just give money," McLaughlin said of the Foundation's ongoing efforts to raise funds for youth-driven programmes in the United States and beyond.
"Many people feel that maybe Tiger should give 100 per cent of it. We try and get our message conveyed to them about sharing our vision and helping us better the community where they live, whether that is in Washington or Southern California or outside the United States."
Woods, who made around $90 million last year,
has, for the past nine years, donated all his winnings from the Target World Challenge to the Foundation. After claiming the title for the fourth time on Sunday, he immediately handed over his first prize of $1.35 million. His overall donations from that tournament total almost $7 million.
"The tournament is without question the largest single fund-raiser that we do each year and have done since inception," added McLaughlin.
"It's given us the ability to raise much-needed funds to help us expand the Foundation. It has been outstanding and that is why we try and take great care in how we do this. You need the corporate support in order to be able to grow it."
As part of that expansion, more than ten million youngsters have passed through the Foundation's Start Something programme, which addresses character education, volunteer service and career exploration.
The full article contains 903 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
