Tiger Woods has always wanted the public to believe that he’s just like everyone else. “We’re all the same; we’re all human,” the golfer told CNN Sports in 2006. But he and everyone else knows that’s not true.

As the world’s top golfer and one of the most iconic sportsmen of all time, Tiger Woods has never been comfortable with fame and public scrutiny. So it’s no wonder he’s not happy with the latest documentary about him.

The latest documentary about Tiger Woods produced by HBO consists of two parts, lasting 190 minutes. Directed by Matthew Heineman and Matthew Hamachek, the audience will have a deeper look into the life of the “Super Tiger”, from when he was a boy until he was at the peak of his fame.

Too Much Expected From a Young Age

The film begins with Earl Woods, the father of “Super Tiger,” and focuses on the complicated relationship between father and son. “Earl has a direction for his son,” Hamachek said. “And it’s not just about golf.”

Tiger Woods is famous for being a golf prodigy, having appeared on Michael Douglas’ show when he was just 2 years old. In addition to the pressure from fans, the media, and the golf world, he also carries the entire expectation of his father.

In 1996, at the Haskins Collegiate Awards, his father expressed his expectations for his son:

“He will go far in this sport and bring to the world an unprecedented humanitarian value. The world will be a better place to live because of his existence and presence. He is my treasure. Please accept him and use him wisely.”

Six-year-old Tiger Woods plays golf in 1982.

Golf is a priority

As a 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥, Tiger Woods was only allowed one hobby: golf. His kindergarten teacher, Maureen Decker, revealed that the “Super Tiger” loved to play other sports but was not allowed by his father.

“The other teachers thought he was annoying. I agreed with them,” she commented.

Earl did all this to ensure that Tiger would have the brightest career possible. “The world needs to be ready for a successful black golfer. I trained Tiger for that, and he always took it seriously.”

Over the years, Tiger Woods’ parents turned him into an automatic machine to handle the pressure on the golf course – a cruel but necessary thing to do for a successful career.

Breaking up with his girlfriend because of his parents

His parents’ harsh parenting also partly influenced Tiger Woods’ later personality. Dina Parr – the golfer’s first girlfriend – said that his parents did not like her.

“I felt like they wanted to create a robot. He was prepared to play golf, but had no life s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁s. He was not ready to be 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧. I was the only one who helped him be a normal person,” Dina shared.

Tiger’s parents thought that love distracted him from his career. In college, Tiger once lied to his parents to spend the night at Dina’s house.

“Tida (Tiger Woods’ mother – PV) and Earl were very angry,” Joe Grohman – a friend of Earl’s – recalled.

Tiger Woods and his father, Earl Woods.

The next day, Dina received a letter from Tiger, ending their three-year relationship. The letter began: “Dina, the reason I am writing this is to inform you that my parents and I never want to speak to or hear from you again.”

At the end of the letter, Tiger wrote: “I know this is a little sudden and unexpected, but I think it is for the best. Sincerely, Tiger.”

“I read the letter over and over in my head,” Dina said. “The Tiger I knew is dead. His sweetness has been stolen.”

Efforts Everywhere

One of the people who has been with Tiger Woods for a long time is caddie Steve Williams. According to him, Tiger has always strived to become a better golfer.

One time, while driving on the road, “Super Tiger” forced the car to stop in the middle of the highway so he could get out and try out some changes to his swing that he had just thought of.

“Tiger Woods was swinging on the side of the highway in the middle of Toronto… He couldn’t wait until the next day, or until he got back to the hotel,” Steve recalls. “Nobody would dare do that. Nobody.”

Tiger Woods celebrates victory at the 2011 Chevron World Challenge

The psychological battle with Mickelson

Through the documentary, the audience also learned more about the fierce competition between Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods. This “enmity” was so great that Mrs. Kultida Woods called Phil “Hefty”, meaning “huge, terrible”, instead of “Lefty”.

The competition between these two arch-rivals was most clearly shown in the final round of the 2001 Masters. At that time, both were in the same pairing and Tiger was trying to win all four of golf’s biggest major titles.

Phil hit a beautiful shot with a driver, and Tiger responded with a longer shot with a 3-wood.

“I could feel Mickelson’s frustration,” Steve recalled. “He just hit the best driver he could, and Tiger responded perfectly with a 3-wood.”

“Then Phil went over to Tiger and said, ‘Do you always take that long on the 3-wood?’ Tiger said, ‘Usually it takes longer.’ That was Tiger’s little mind game. It got Phil frustrated and he backed out,” he said.

Complicated Relationship with Father

Arguably, his father is the most important person in Tiger Woods’ life. He learned from him how to play golf, and his strong and tough personality. Earl was a former Green Beret in the US Army, serving in Vietnam.

“My dad was always the one who nurtured and encouraged me, but he also said things that bothered me for a long time,” Tiger told USA Today in 2017.

“He had a different and profound way of thinking. My mom was a pushover. My dad was in the Special Forces, but I was never afraid of him. My mom is still here, and I’m very afraid of her. She’s very tough and demanding. She’s my rock. I love her very much, even though she’s a tough person.”

Tiger Woods Wins 5th Masters

Unusual Habits

According to the documentary, at the age of 13, Tiger was taught how to self-hypnotize himself to minimize the noise around him.

Famous at such a young age, “Super Tiger” did not have a single moment for himself. He once admitted in a media interview: “I guess the only thing I will miss is privacy”.

To have that rare privacy, Tiger even learned to scuba dive. When asked if there was a place where others would not recognize him, “Super Tiger” replied: “Underwater. That’s why I like scuba diving”.

“It’s a strange hobby”, commented Amber Lauria – a friend of Tiger, niece of legendary golfer Mark O’Meara.

“He explained, ‘The fish don’t know who I am underwater.’ I think there’s some truth to that, a sad truth. He likes the peace and quiet that can only be found at the bottom of the sea,” she said.