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Tiger is like the golff equivalent of Todd Marinovich. Todd's father was a former NFL player and an NFL trainer and he set out to create the perfect NFL QB in his son. From birth he controlled his diet, his training, his every move and Marinovich did develop into a beast at the high school and college level. But a deeply damaged beast, emotionally. He grew up in a bubble where he was forced to live a very regimented and programmed life and when he got to the NFL and some independence he quickly spiraled out of control. Dude had never had a cookie or a coca-cola, and now he was rich and free and people were handing him cocaine and other substances everywhere he went. And he took it all, screw the dad that turned him into a science experiment. He was out of the NFL before his second season was over.

Tiger grew up with similar 'you will be the greatest athlete ever!' pressure on him (though less extreme than Marinovitch, who was forced to crawl on balance beams until he learned to walk). Tiger also grew somewhat intoxicated on his first tastes of freedom but also frustrated with the constraints imposed by his massive celebrity status. Tiger at one point took up scuba diving and said it was his favorite hobby because it's the only time he's really alone and the fish never ask him for anything. No wonder he struggled with his own demons, as was heavily covered at the time.

It seemed as though he had gotten past that and was in a good place, bonding with his son and happy, maybe for the first time ever, truly. Now this. I wish him well.

PArents take heed: Don't try to force your kids to live your dreams out. They aren't your puppets, let them live their own dreams.