Why is Tiger the only black man on tour?

[swingsmooth]

I hate to be negative on you...but what a myopic view of the world. I would venture to say that your experience with your black classmate (and from the general tone of your post, maybe the only one?) is the exception not the rule. Affirmative action which is the idea you are railing against isn't necessarily meant to pick and choose individuals for specific positions. It is meant to elevate or at least give the opportunity to blacks to hold positions of 'power' i.e. management, owner, etc...so that more black people have opportunities in the future. Think of it as "paying it forward" not to mention the fact that racism still exists and that slavery ended only approximately 140 yrs ago, so in roughly half of our country's existence we have subjugated the race so in the other half we have made a complete 180* turn? Let's be real.

Well said. We should all work to be aware of and take responsibility for our own concepts and attitudes that may be self limiting. A black classmates advantages are not the cause of of someone else's disadvantages.

[SubPar]

Tiger Woods is black?

Subpar

[itzzzberny]

Tiger is half black and half asian. vijay singh is techincally asian as well. i've been seeing more and more black players at the local ranges and courses. i think the reason there aren't that many black players cause:
1. golf you gotta pay everytime you want to play. (unlike most other sports)
2. golf requires expensive equipiment.
3. golf isn't really a social game. (compared to other sports)
4. maybe just of lack of intrest in the game.

[SubPar]

Let's not forget about Jim Brown who's playing on the Champion's Tour. And for the record, I agree with wachesawgolfer.

I think you mean Jim Thorpe. I see Jim Brown at the driving range all the time. He can barely walk, but he keeps on swinging.

SubPar

[itzzzberny]

I think you mean Jim Thorpe. I see Jim Brown at the driving range all the time. He can barely walk, but he keeps on swinging.

really? where do you go to range?

Jim Brown is the man.... if your talking about the same Jim Brown...

[wolverine318]

How can you be half black? This is not even possible.

Black is a color, its not a race or ethnicity. Im not White, im Irish/Scotish/Polish and my skin color is "white". Tiger is "black" in color, as is Vijay. As to their ethnic decents they are whatever they are.

There are people with black skin and people with white skin from lots of different ethnicities.

[ganjagolfer]

vijay singh is techincally asian as well.

he's from asia but asia is not a race, actually he's classified as a caucasian as are most people of indian descent and for a white person, he's darker than most blacks

[obsessedgolfer]

what african american kid would want to play a sport that is expensive and on top of that they will be made fun of for playing. Like i have said on a previous post the key is to promote a more youthful image if it involves breaking tradition than so be it. Golf brodcasting needs to be different what kid would wnat to here jim nantz talking about azalies, golf broad casters need to apeal to a younger audiance. another way golf could be made "cool" is the broadcast of celeberty golf, if kids see michal jordan and there other idols play golf they might want to give it a shot.

[iacas]

Tiger is half black and half asian.

Eh, he's more than that. We've already discussed this.

vijay singh is techincally asian as well.

Since when is Fiji in Asia?!??!?! It's in the South Pacific, kind of near Australia.

golf isn't really a social game. (compared to other sports)

I disagree with that - it can be very social or not (at the player's discretion). But you've gotta hit critical mass, first, too. To fill out a foursome you need to have thee other friends to play with. Perhaps as more minority golfers begin playing, they'll bring more friends into it and the "movement" (horrible word, but it's all I've got right now) will pick up speed.

You know, if the current economic mini-depression doesn't kill it before it starts.

[AmenCorner]

what african american kid would want to play a sport that is expensive and on top of that they will be made fun of for playing. Like i have said on a previous post the key is to promote a more youthful image if it involves breaking tradition than so be it. Golf brodcasting needs to be different what kid would wnat to here jim nantz talking about azalies, golf broad casters need to apeal to a younger audiance. another way golf could be made "cool" is the broadcast of celeberty golf, if kids see michal jordan and there other idols play golf they might want to give it a shot.

You cannot be all things to all people all the time. The sport has already undergone huge changes to appeal to youth. First off, are you seeing what these guys on tour are wearing these days? All kinds of crazy tight shirts without collars. You would have never seen anything like this years ago. Guys like Daly, Tiger, and Boo Weekly hit the ball a country mile and have the personas to match. Any more youthful and you'd have to have a halftime show with Hanna Montana on stage in between nine's. Jim Nantz talks about azalea's because some people still like to hear that. Not all, but the core group of fans is still here, so you're still going to hear about it regardless of whether you can appreciate such things. Personally, I like golf because it taught me to adapt to the game, not it adapt to me. I had to learn the rules and etiquette and respect them. This isn't some game for ADD kids that don't know how to behave and need everything handed to them. There is a mystique there, I hope we never lose it. edit: by the way, Michael Jordan DOES play golf. So does Charles Barkley. I played golf with Terrell Buckley and Lamar Thomas of the Dolphins one day. Black people play golf and love it...Next excuse please.

[flap]

do not know for sure but I would be willing to bet MJ and Barkley do not walk or carry clubs.As for the First Tee program Iam sure it does some good things but it is supposed to do them through GOLF.Now we all agree in this thread that Blacks are not migrating toward golf so I simply question if the First Tee was actually working toward a stated goal of bringing golf to minorities.

[AmenCorner]

do not know for sure but I would be willing to bet MJ and Barkley do not walk or carry clubs.As for the First Tee program Iam sure it does some good things but it is supposed to do them through GOLF.Now we all agree in this thread that Blacks are not migrating toward golf so I simply question if the First Tee was actually working toward a stated goal of bringing golf to minorities.

What does it matter whether they carry their clubs or walk?

No we don't all agree that blacks aren't migrating. Where is your proof of this fact? Besides how old is this program, like any it takes time for results to show at the highest level.

[gasfreak]

Where was Tiger born?

[itzzzberny]

-yes tiger is half. i think vijay is even darker than tiger.
-yes fiji is in asia.
-yes golf compared to baseball,hockey,football and basket ball are more " social" (maybe i chose the wrong wording but you can talk and yell, unlike golf) growing up and play multiple sports golf was the most calmer game of the group, yea you can say things after/before you hit but not the same. trash talking and distracting (fake def.audibles) is a big part of other sports. i guess some people don't want to realize the big effect of what your opponent says to get in your head.

when i say black i mean black as in african american but i honestly don't see the reasoning to write that all out. black people really don't care if you say black instead. i have confirmed this from different black friends...
but tiger is half black half asian.... get over it....
and for those saying he's black cause his skin color.... shame on you , damn racists.... do your research...

[immts007]

when i say black i mean black as in african american but i honestly don't see the reasoning to write that all out. black people really don't care if you say black instead. i have confirmed this from different black friends...

Yeah, it's a given in this country at least, that when you say "Black" you are saying "African American" or of African descent. I've never heard of "Black" used purely to refer to dark skin color - If that's the case I've seen white people tan themselves to point where their skin tone was equal to Tiger's -- are they "Black" at that point? I've seen Mexicans with darker skin color, are they Black?

Vijay Singh is _not_ Black. His ethnicity is Asian-Indian (as opposed to American-Indian). Back on topic: I think the reason there aren't a lot of "African-American" tour golfers, as others have already pointed out, is pretty obviously socioeconomic. I don't have any studies or hard data to back that. It just seem pretty obvious and logical. But I do find it curious that there aren't more than there are now. Why were there more in the 60's 70's and 80's?

[Oh that felt good]

I think this settles the question of whether or not Tiger is black

http://www.comedycentral.com/videos/...videoId=162807

[iacas]

I simply question if the First Tee was actually working toward a stated goal of bringing golf to minorities.

That's not their stated goal. The first "First Tee" people are just now starting their professional careers. Some have turned professional (in golf).

It's too early to see if they are succeeding, but it's not "turning minorities into golfers." That's NOT their goal.

Yeah, it's a given in this country at least, that when you say "Black" you are saying "African American" or of African descent.

I disagree. Black's a color. If you want to say African American, you say that. "Black" is a color. Vijay Singh is black. He's also a minority, and he's Fijian, not African American.

Perhaps it's just a regional thing. Anyway, given Tiger's almost-half-Thai heritage, and the Korean and Asian numbers on the LPGA Tour, we may as well discuss why Tiger's success hasn't resulted in more Asians on Tour.

[BASHERBAKER69]

I don't think that we should lump people together and call them 'black'- there is a lot of racial diversity on the tour but not many African Americanscoming through on the tour- that was my initial observation.

In my view, the main reason for this is socio economic, and not racism. I think that there could be a perception in the African American communities that golf is a racist game?...racists do play but that does not make the game prejudice. Racists play all types of sport but that does make the entire sport that way.