One leg tied behind his back

Right now, the guys playing in the upper levels of professional golf are doing a number of things:

1) Worrying about their friend Tiger, as he pulls out of the rest of the season.

2) Celebrating the fact that now they will have a chance at winning something--Tiger has won 6 of the last 7 tournaments he's been in.

3) Shaking their heads that this guy beat them despite having a broken leg--and I don't just mean the knee. He played the Open with a stress fracture in his tibia.

Like many, I was watching the Open. It is always timed to coincide with Father's day--and this was Tiger's first as a father himself.

One moment stood out for me. On Saturday, after playing 53 holes of golf, it was clear he was really hurting. Walking off the 17th green and on to the tee shot at 18, Tiger was walking very stiffly, hands in his pockets; walking like every step was painful and like he was dreading the drive he was about to make.

But a stroke or two later, all that changed. Walking to the green on 18, he was striding. Walking like he hadn't a care or a pain in the world. I thought: Here's a man who, despite being in pain, would never, ever walk onto the 18th green at a major tournament showing any kind of pain or hesitation. He wouldn't do that to the fans, and he wouldn't do that to himself. Then I thought, "There's Earl Woods' son."

That stride onto the 18th green was a great testament to a great dad.