Project Tiger - by Gavin Newsham (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Discover Tiger Woods's childhood path to dominance and the origins of his downfall.

There are two Tiger Woods: the man who won fifteen majors and broke numerous golf records, and the billionaire whose personal flaws destroyed his reputation. But there is another story to tell: "Project Tiger," the plan his father orchestrated to make his son the greatest golfer ever and a world-changing savior. The demands were extraordinary. The impact, permanent.

In Project Tiger, veteran golf journalist Gavin Newsham mines his extensive interviews with Tiger's coaches, classmates, girlfriends, and competitors for stories that refine our perception of Tiger's enigmatic character and legacy.

Young Tiger succeeded despite many conflicts, especially weekly vitriolic, racist hate mail in greater quantities than any other athlete alive today. Although Tiger had the talent to swing golf clubs before his first birthday, it was his father's drill-sergeant coaching that motivated him, driving him with fear and into obsession. Tiger emotionally detached as he rapidly ascended, a volatile perseverance that erupted in entitlement, arrogance, and selfishness.

In Project Tiger, readers witness golf's most sensational prodigy develop the unique traits that led him to the pinnacle of success, and also doomed him, and understand how his trajectory brings him full circle, training his son, Charlie Woods, with a different, loving approach to the game.

Review Quotes

"A searing indictment of Tiger Woods's father."
--Kirkus Reviews

"Even before his iconic 'Hello World' debut, Tiger Woods was a golf prodigy unlike any other. Newsham does a brilliant job exploring the formative years of the young phenom, from his televised debut at age two to his unprecedented run of six consecutive USGA amateur titles to turning pro in 1996 and immediately reshaping the sport in his image. This book goes deep on all of it: a unique father-son relationship; Tiger's rare mental fortitude; and once-in-a-lifetime golf dominance. This is a chance to better understand the birth of greatness."
--Alan Shipnuck, 13x GWAA award-winning journalist and bestselling golf author of Phil and Rory

"The highs and lows of Tiger Woods' professional golf life--the 15 majors and 82 PGA Tour wins along with the multiple injuries and off-course controversies--are well chronicled. What's far less well-known--or appreciated--is how Tiger developed into that superstar/flawed individual. In Project Tiger, Gavin Newsham offers a well-reported look at the most influential period in Woods's life and expert insight into the people around Tiger and how they shaped him into the champion he became."
--Ryan Herrington, Managing Editor at Golf Digest

"Tiger Woods remains the leading personality in the world of golf. Extraordinary playing success provided a platform that led to him becoming one of the game's most enduring and significant influencers. How it all began is a story that provides vital insight. In Project Tiger, Gavin Newsham supplies a diligent, informed and entertaining account of how the fledgling Woods was molded into one of the greatest figures sport has ever known."
--Iain Carter, BBC Golf Correspondent and author of Golf Wars

About the Author

Gavin Newsham has written about golf for more than two decades. He is the founder of Golf Punk magazine, has served as a contributing editor at Golf Monthly, and is the author of multiple books. His biography of golfer John Daly, Letting the Big Dog Eat, was longlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year and earned him the National Sporting Club Book Award for Best New Writer. Newsham's writing on golf has appeared in Golf Digest, New York Post, Guardian, GQ, The Sunday Times, and Golf World, among numerous other publications.