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With Tiger's return to golf confirmed as being the 2010 Master's, now is a good time to take stock of lessons that can be learned from Tiger's golfing indiscretions.

On the golf course, Tiger has been less than perfect in a number of ways. The golfing world has tended to overlook particular aspects of his behaviour that might have been looked at a little more closely had it come from pretty much anybody else.

We have been so consumed by his ability to play golf at a level that is so significantly better than anybody else that we all seemed to turn a blind eye to other, less appealing, aspects of his game.

Tiger is not the nicest of people on the golf course. He has a propensity to swear, and I gather to swear loudly, when he is less than pleased with how things may be going.

He also has a propensity to throw clubs and bang them on the ground and simply just make noises of annoyance when his performance is not measuring up to his high standards.

Now, please do not get me wrong here for I can say with confidence that any competitive golfer worth his or her salt will swear, throw and bang clubs when things are not going as planned.

With that said, that in no way serves to condone or justify such behaviour, rather, it serves simply to confirm that we can understand how and why it happens.

Here's another statement that I can say with confidence.

When the average Joe or Jane has committed the crime, they know that it is a crime, they know they should not have done it and they usually profess that henceforth they will cease and desist from such behavior.

Maybe they succeed and maybe they don't but, and here is the rub, when the average Joe or Jane does it, it is not being witnessed by thousands of people. Nor is the average Joe or Jane a role model for others to emulate. Tiger, of course, is and part of the responsibilities attached to that role is that his behaviour must also be at a higher level.

Show respect

Tom Watson has publicly stated that when Tiger returns, he must change these aspects of his behaviour and show respect for the game that serves him so well. To his credit, Tiger has recently made reference to his below average on-course behaviour, pledging to improve, and so we shall see how he measures up once he returns.

Regrettably, Bermuda golf is not immune from untimely exhibitions of poor behaviour. Just as for Tiger, those of Bermuda's golfers who play golf in Bermuda's limelight have just as much responsibility as Tiger to conduct themselves properly.

Bermuda players who fail to do so will likely find themselves out-of-bounds when it comes to team selection, no matter how well they can play the game. To avoid this problem, Bermuda's best golfers should ensure that they refrain from such behaviour.[[In-content Ad]]

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