10 most inspirational quotes by golf icon Tiger Woods to live by
Eldrick Tont Woods, better known as Tiger Woods, is America’s known and loved golf icon and one of the most successful names in golf. Woods has won five Masters Tournaments, four PGA Championships, three U.S. Open Championships, and three British Open Championships. With his second Master’s victory in 2001, Tiger became the first golfer ever to hold all four professional major championships at the same time.
What motivates Woods to stay consistent in his sport is his relentless spirit of competitiveness no matter what hurdle comes in his way, in his very own words, “I think I just enter events to win, and that’s it… It’s still about winning the event. That’s why I played as a junior, all the way through to now–is just to try to kick everyone’s butt. That to me is the rush. That’s the fun. That’s the thrill,” said Woods said before the 2013 US Open.
With this thought, let us look at the top 10 most inspirational quotes of the athlete to motivate ourselves too!
1. “It’s ok to fail. Failing does not shape your personality; it’s how you react to your failure. Do you dust yourself off and mope or do you dust yourself off and come back stronger the next time? Eventually, you will win. It may not happen the next time, it may take a little time but you will win in the end.”
Success shouldn’t be taken to the head and failures never to the heart. Winning and losing is a part of life, and these words of Woods goes to show, no matter how successful you are in any field- failure at one point or the other are inevitable. So it’s essential to get back every time and not take them to heart.
2. “Under pressure, you can win with your mind.”
The journey to World Golf Hall of Fame comes with its share of mental stress and anxiety- no matter how naturally gifted you are for the sport. Woods’ short and crisp eight-letter phrase gives us a peek into his attitude that made him stand out and achieve.
3. “People don’t understand that when I grew up, I was never the most talented. I was never the biggest. I was never the fastest. I certainly was never the strongest. The only thing I had was my work ethic, and that’s been what has gotten me this far.”
Many mistaken Woods for being exceptionally naturally talented at the sport. He was considered a prodigy when he shot a 48 over nine holes at the Navy course at age three. But it was actually Tiger’s dad, Earl Woods, a retired lieutenant that instilled a sense of passion in him for the sport since a young age and it was the work ethic and discipline that he got since a young age along with an natural inclination for the sport that made him reach heights.
4. “There’s nothing wrong with having your goals really high and trying to achieve them. That’s the fun part. You may come up short. I’ve come up short on a lot on my goals, but it’s always fun to try and achieve them.”
It is a matter of no surprise that one doesn’t win 82 PGA Tours, 41 European Tours among many other big-time milestones by selling themselves short- ambition is the key part towards success.
5. “Never beat yourself up, because there are plenty of people that will do it for
you.”
From a tumultuous personal life to facing many injuries to going through many car accidents-Woods has gone through it all and many times become a victim to a great deal of media scrutiny. We can understand how he withstood it all and bounced back by never beating himself down with negative self talk.
6. “I always feel pressure. If you don’t feel nervous, that means you don’t care about how you play. I care about how I perform. I’ve always said the day I’m not nervous playing is the day I quit.”
We talked about how Woods feels that pressure is the time that one can win over their mind- but here we can understand that taking it is not that bad. Sure, it can bring you down sometimes but it’s essential to understand as Woods, one of the greatest athletes of all times says- ‘if you aren’t under pressure, you don’t really care’.The pressure just shows your true dedication and determination towards the goal you wish to achieve.
7. “Don’t force your kids into sports. I never was. To this day, my dad has never asked me to go play golf. I ask him. The child’s desires to play that matters, not the parent’s desire to have the child play. Fun. Keep it fun.”
This goes to highlight a secret ingredient of Woods’s success. Sure, he did face a lot of pressure on the field as he rose up the ladder- but he never faced any pressure from his father to perform and do exceptionally well in the sport. It started as a fun hobby when his dad introduced him to the sport, and it is still going pretty strong!
8. “Golf is fluid. It’s always changing. It’s always evolving. First of all, you never master it.”
In a 2006 interview, Woods talked about the fluidity of the sport. This approach can pretty much be applied in all domains and spheres of life. It is important to adjust and train yourself with the current trends and competitions to stay relevant- because no matter what industry nothing is fixed to stagnation.
9. “I love to compete. That’s the essence of who I am.”
In “Tiger Woods Up Close And Personal” interview with Ed Bradley, early 2006, Woods talked about him competitive spirit and the difference it has created for him in the sport.
10. “One of the things that my parents have taught me is never listening to other people’s expectations. You should live your own life and live up to your own expectations, and those are the only things I really care about it.”
Saving the very best for the last, is the fundamental importance of not caring about what others have to think or feel about you. Tiger’s belief system to give heed to only his expectations despite being in the public eye is something we all can derive inspiration from.
