Should Tiger Woods be considered an Athlete?

Question

Since Golf (IMO) isn't a sport, we should define what a sport is. My idea would be something that requires top physical shape, strength, focus, determination, and you have to keep working in order to stay in top shape.

Answer 1

Have you ever stepped foot on a golf course???  Apparently not, because you are showing your ignorance by the question you have asked.  

When I played in college, this was what we had to do just on tournament days.  

The first day, you have to play 36 holes and walk them with no caddy.  This means you carry your 30-40 pound bag on your back for about 10-12 hours.  Do this in 90 degree heat while trying to stay hydrated and focused.  This comes out to roughly 8-10 miles on any given course.  Dont forget your swinging your club every 5 minutes as well.  I bet if you were to ask any other professional sports player to do this, it would tire them out as well.  

Just because golf has no contact, doesnt mean its not a sport.  Use your head before you ask ignorant questions.

Answer 2

i'd have to say your opinion is wrong. Golf is a sport. If you ever bothered to play the game, you would know that to be the absolute best at it in the world it requires all of the requirements that YOU listed.

dumb ***

Answer 3

I am pretty sure I am stupider than I was two minutes ago before reading this question. That is rediculous.

Answer 4

He won the U.S. Open with a Torn ACL in his knee and twoo stresss fractures!

Like it or not he is truly an athlete, one of the best ever too.  Plus have you seen his arms, they are huge

Tiger Woods=Athlete

Answer 5

Are you serious?  Of course he's an athlete....he's in the best shape of any golfer...try walking 72 holes in hot conditions and playing as well as he does...not an athlete, you've got to be kidding...

Answer 6

the way you just described a sport pretty much define golf.  How many out of shape guys do you see on tour, john daly when he's not gambling or drunk, but no one else.  The guys that play practice everyday.  Tiger probably on a golf coarse when they were done with his surgery stuff.  Tiger is an athlete and golf is sport.

Answer 7

I'm a baseball player, and golf is way harder than hitting a baseball.  A baseball bat has a 3 - 4 inch sweet spot.  A golf club has about a half inch sweet spot, plus if the face of your club is turned just a couple of degrees left or right during your swing the ball is going to curve away from you target.It does take an incredible amount of focus, strength, and determination.  Even though you don't have to do any running you have to be in some what good shape, that is if your playing the way you're supposed to without a cart.  Several thousand yards of walking with clubs on your back and taking about eighty - one-hundred swings will wear the best of us out.

Answer 8

Golf is a very fun, difficult, and entertaining GAME. I agree, in order to be considered a sport you should have positions, teamates (in most cases), and you should be required to be in great shape in order to prevail in your sport. I understand that Tiger and other golfers take care of their bodies, but if I went into an NFL, NHL, or MLB locker room I'm sure I would see something different then inside the clubhouse at the lockers at Pebble Beach.  Tiger is amazing and the he is hands down the best golfer, calling him an athlete is blurry.

Answer 9

heck yea!

Answer 10

Fez !! You certainly put your foot in your mouth with that question. If all you do is " putt, putt " how can you express  those feelings without having experienced one round in the wind,. You don't think that golf requires great conditioning ? Have you seen how Tiger Has  " bulked up "?Do you think that comes from eating soda crackers? You don't think golf requires good physical shape or strength or focus or determination ? Have you been hiding under a rock? These are the attributes which have made Tiger Woods a winner!! If you have never experienced golf your OIW!! Your Opinion Is Worthless.

Answer 11

what a stupid question....considering Tiger is in better shape than probably 95+% of players in YOUR favorite sports. You sound like you have never played golf....wow football players can run a route and catch a ball (did you know that in ONE pro golf tournament, a golfer walks upwards of 13-14 miles?...a good running back will get as many yards in a game as the golfer walks on 1 short par 3), WOW baseball players can get a hit if the are LUCKY 1/3 of the time they go to bat.  And on another note, why would he WANT to play a different SPORT, he makes enough money to buy a team in another sport if he wanted.  kinda ignorant question dude and i could go on all day, but ive said my piece

Answer 12

Obviously you've never played golf before. Actually I dont even think you've ever watched golf before. Tiger Woods is one of the greatest athletes of our time. Also if you think that golf isn't difficult you're very wrong and I dare you to try it before you go around saying it isn't a real sport.

Answer 13

ahhhhhh an nonbeliever.....its obvious that you have never attempted golf in any way shape or form......but I also see by your wording that you are prejudiced  thus no matter what we say and no matter how compelling our arguements to the contrary you will not change your mind....But  you are terribly wrong!

Answer 14

Tiger Woods is one of the superior athletes of our time. First of all, the coordination it takes to swing the club the way he does is incredible. Second, look at his upper body and if you can tell me he does not have an athletic build, you are fooling yourself. Third, to anybody who questions golf as a sport, please try playing golf on any competitive level with any success, let alone dominating the world in the sport like Tiger does.

Answer 15

A true athlete will be good at other sports also.  Tiger looks like he can play some football and basketball.  If he is just uncoordinated on the basketball court and stumbles over his own feet, then NO he is not an athlete.  Just because you are good at golf doesn't mean you are an athlete.  You are either an athlete or not.  I am, and so are alot of my friends.  You could just tell.  Can Tiger play other sports good?  Maybe...He looks like he could.

Answer 16

You do not have to be an athlete to play golf but that does not mean that all golfers are not athletes. When you look at some of the golfers like Phil Mickelson, John Daly and Colin Montegomerie you can tell they are not athletes by any means. There are also golfers like Tiger woods, Sergio Garcia and Camillo Villegas that work out and are in just as good shape as people playing football, basketball or even soccer. I also think that if the last three I mentioned didn't play golf for a living they would probably play some other professional sport. I think i remember seeing somewhere that Tiger was a good baseball player before he decided to concentrate on golf.

Answer 17

tiger woods would kick the living $h1+ out of derek jeter in a fight or any other non jacked athlete

Answer 18

Ok - on what planet does golf not take - strength, focus and determination?

You clearly do not play golf b/c you have no idea how difficult it is to pick up and then master like Tiger Woods has. Definition of sport - now tell me how golf isn't a sport again?

sport  (spôrt, sprt)

a. Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.

b. A particular form of this activity.

2. An activity involving physical exertion and skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often undertaken competitively.

3. An active pastime; recreation.

Answer 19

If you dont think golf is a sport, you're just plain ignorant.  To be a top golfer, you need all of the things you mention in your final sentence.  If Tiger isnt an athlete, then who is?  Do you have to run around and/or throw your body onto the ground to be considered an athlete?  If a golfer isnt an athlete, then neither is a baseball pitcher.  The batter is not an athlete either.  Golf can be played in an unatletetic manner.  Sure, you can get a 6 pack and rent a cart, make a horrible swing, shoot 86 and no, you really havent engaged in much sport there.  But golf at the highest level is completely different.  You take a club, swing it from zero to 125 in less than 1 second.  The ball comes off the face at 170+ mph. If the face is a mere fraction of a degree off, the ball is in the rough. Anyway, I could go on and on.  You're not worth my time.

Answer 20

There are many NFL linemen with 75lb lard bellies hanging over their belt - does that mean football isn't a sport?

There are some real tubbos in MLB - does that mean basebal isn't a sport?

Check out your local middle-age guys softball league and a lot of those dudes won't look very athletic - does that mean softball isn't a sport?

Check out curling on ESPN... oh wait, strike that!

What about sumo wrestling - is that a sport?

What about champion weightlifting?  Those dudes couldn't run to save their life, or shoot a basket - or swing a golf club for that matter - does that mean weightlifting isn't a sport?

Track must not be a sport either because I see fat people jogging to try to lose weight.

No sport you can name REQUIRES "top physical shape, strength, focus, determination" as you state.  Those are just qualities that make you GOOD at the sport.

In the same way, the best golfers are in top physical shape, are strong, are focuses and determined.

I think you need to broaden your conception of what a sport is.

(BTW - Tiger apparently is quite good at tennis, basketball and many other sports)