crashing. after a year that proved difficult both on and off the course. i still want to play golf at a hi level. trying to find what the right balance is going forward. he was the athlete of the decade. dominating his sport by crushing the competition. the thing that set tiger apart right from the get-go, was that he was an athlete playing golf. tiger would have been a great athlete in almost any sport that he chose. tiger s athletic ability, combined with a $1 million smile, raked in even more in endorsements. according to forbes magazine, woods is the first athlete to earn an estimated $1 billion in his career. golf digest reporter david du sec has covered tiger the last ten years. there are certain athletes and certain people when they walk in the room, everybody feels that presence.