Synopsis:
In 2003, after winning six of the twelve majors from 2000 to 2002, Tiger Woods struggled with his swing, leaving him lagging behind the field at both the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship. With Woods out of the picture, the stage was set for a newcomer to claim the top position. Nobody expected that four virtually unknown players would rise to become first-time champions.
In his debut appearance in a major, Ben Curtis became the only player since Francis Ouimet in 1913 to prevail on his first time out. Mike Weir--who was considered a good player but not a great one--triumphed in The Masters, becoming the first Canadian to win a major. In the U.S. Open, Jim Furyk was victorious, and the PGA Championship was claimed by the unknown Shawn Micheel.
But after each player's history-making season, the four have had little further success. 2008 is the first year since that unexpected year, when it will be possible for the four golfers to qualify for the tour. In MOMENT OF GLORY, John Feinstein returns to the unlikely year of 2003 and chronicle the personal and professional struggles of these four players. With great affection for the underdog and extraordinary access to the players, he then looks to the 2008 season, giving readers an insider's look into to how winning (and losing) major championships changes players' lives.
Author Bio:
John Feinstein is the bestselling author of Let Me Tell You a Story, Caddy for Life, Open, The Punch, The Last Amateurs, The Majors, A Good Walk Spoiled, A Civil War, A Season on the Brink, Play Ball, Hard Courts, and two novels. He writes for Inside Sports, Golf, Tennis Magazine, and Basketball America and commentates on NPR and CBS. John Feinstein lives in Potomac, MD, and Shelter Island, NY.
©2010
My Opinion:
In lieu of this being an audiobook, I will first state that the narrator was easy to hear, easy to listen to, and it was smooth.
The story itself starts right out with Tiger Woods and his career. I really liked that, since he is the one I am most familiar with.
Who knew Tiger was sooooo competitive. I mean, I knew he was, but not to the degree at which you learn in this book. He actually thinks of the next tournament 15 minutes or so after winning the last. The "awesome" feeling doesn't linger long. That is really something, if you ask me. It shows why he is so good at the sport and was able to popularize it more.
This book was more interesting that I had initially thought it would be. I had no idea it would hold my attention like it did. I learned a lot from this book, and I thought I already knew much about the sport, and the four key players in the story. I was wrong. I knew very little.
The one thing I didn't like is how the author felt the need to tell us that Mike Weir, the Canadian, cheered for an American hockey team. If you know anything about us Canadians, and our love of hockey, you would know why I felt this was a slight towards us. I found it highly unnecessary, and it added nothing to the story he was already telling. It was actually redundant, if not a slight.
With that said, only sports or golf lovers will enjoy this. Don't think that because Tiger Woods is in it, you learn about his personal tabloid drama. That is not what this is about. It's about the career, good and bad, not so much the man.
(3/5)
~I received an audiobook copy from Hachette Book Group. I was not compensated for my opinion.~
Boo to Mike Weir!
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