Tiger Coolidge

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Robert "Tiger" Coolidge (May 4, 1932 - November 15, 1956) was an Irish born golfer, who gained some fame in his relatively short life. He is known for his extraordinary skill in golf and his rise to international fame in just a few short years.

Contents 1 Life 2 Golfer 3 Cowboy 4 Philanthropist 5 Politician 6 Adventurer

[edit] Life

Born under the name Robert Coolidge, Tiger took up his known first name after a visit to the zoo. He stated on several occasions that the tigers inspired him. Coolidge took up golf late, joining the school team at the age of 14. A quick learner, Coolidge gained local fame immediately.

When he was 16, Coolidge dropped out of school and ran away from home, upset that his father would not buy him a new driver. Coolidge traveled about Ireland for almost four years before settling down again. Coolidge was later said that he spent at least one year living in a pub. Those standing around him chuckled at his apparent metaphor, as Coolidge was no stranger to the drink. Coolidge clarified that he actually lived in a pub for one year, cleaning during the day, and sleeping behind the bar at night. Though never convicted, Coolidge later admitted to a life of minor crimes and petty theft to sustain himself during his travels. But, good times were ahead. At the age of 20, Coolidge won the West Dublin Semi-Professional golf tournament, a minor success for a minor celebrity. This put him on the road to glory, and he became an immediate success with the Irish public. While on a train ride to Northern Island, the train flipped off the track on July 8, 1952. Giving Coolidge a minor concussion and a fractured left shoulder. It took him two years to recover.

With much hard work and personal training, Tiger Coolidge became successful once more in the autumn of 1954. As his skills increased, Ireland was no longer able to hold him; Coolidge began playing throughout Europe. In April, 1955, Coolidge did a broadcasted interview on the radio, where he credited his golfing success to practice in the snow. "I can't see calling myself a pro golfer if I had not played in snow when I was 8 years old." Though first ridiculed, truth has recently been found in Coolidge's claim. Golfers believe the powder snow forces a golfer to concentrate, and learn how to control the club with greater accuracy.

In the fall of 1956, tragedy was to strike Coolidge. En route to a golf tournament in the United States Coolidge's plane crashed in the Atlantic Ocean. In Coolidge's personal memoirs, discovered posthumously, Coolidge wrote that one of his goals in life was to golf in the U.S. before he died, having heard tales of beautiful courses from his peers. Many golfers see Coolidge's death as a sad day for the sport, and can only imagine the fame Coolidge would have gained had he lived longer. Those that had the privilege to know Coolidge personally, though, knew that his game of golf was not the only great thing about him.

[edit] Golfer

Coolidge was known for his for his signature slice shot off the tee. Long known for his obstinacy as well as his skill, Coolidge refused to take advice and correct his shot. Rather, he discovered how to compensate for his slice in a bout on the course after a day spent in the pub. Coolidge unintentionally faced away from where he was actually aiming to shoot for. The ball flew straight as an arrow. From that day on Coolidge still refused to correct his swing, but always faced away from the where he was truly aiming. Jack Flannerin, a long time golfing buddy of Coolidge's once said "Tiger would sometimes face forty-five degrees away from where he was trying to place his shot. I even recall an extremely windy day when Tiger was almost perpendicular to where he was aiming."

Coolidge had another golf habit that remains controversial to this day. His close friends recall him always following a round of golf, good or bad, with a few rounds at the local pub. Coolidge even did this unofficial tradition while in professional tournaments, leading to some very interesting games of golf the next day.

[edit] Cowboy

While his fame and notoriety came from his game of golf. Coolidge was notable for other reasons. Childhood friend Timothy Burgess said in an interview shortly after Coolidge's death that, "Tiger had an adventurous streak in him. Even as a young boy Tiger would get into all sorts of trouble and messes on one of his many schemes and enterprises." In fact, many of Coolidge's friends throughout life said he has a Teddy Roosevelt type quality to him. Timothy Burgess also commented that "Tiger was always looking for the next challenge; the next adventure. Although he was a golfer, Tiger was a cowboy at heart." This quality of Coolidge's can be seen in his often risky and unorthodox style of golf. Although there are no records of any of his feats, Coolidge was known to go out in the wild for weeks at a time living off the land. This must have come in handy when Coolidge left home to live on his own for four years before his golf career blossomed. In addition to his survivalist skills, Coolidge was also known to take matters of justice into his own hands. Although he was a far cry from vigilantism, Coolidge would not suffer injustice to himself or others, and would rarely contact the proper authorities to resolve matters. His "cowboy" outlook on life is part of what made Coolidge the man and golfer he was; shedding golf and society norms in order to pursue his own whims and desires.

[edit] Philanthropist

Coolidge's intolerance of injustice explains many of his philanthropic tendencies. Coolidge was always one for a cause. In the same interview that Timothy Burgess commented on Coolidge's "cowboy" like tendencies he also touched on Coolidge's philanthropic nature. "Tiger's heart was as big as golf swing. Even in school as a young boy Tiger was always the most helpful and kind kid. He was always helping others with work, befriending those who had known, and generally being a nice guy." This continued throughout Coolidge's life. His fame from golf and the money that accompanied it went to good use. When Coolidge wasn't donating his money to help fight poverty and inequality in Ireland (and other locales), he was using his fame to promote awareness of poverty and famine in the world. While many of Coolidge's causes were overshadowed by the end of World War II and the reconstruction of Europe, Coolidge was never daunted by this fact. Coolidge once said, "There are so many big problems in the world today that people forget the little ones that are just as important." This quote from Coolidge in 1953 perfectly characterizes Coolidge's effort to leave the world in a better state than when he entered it. Indeed, Coolidge's efforts paid off.

[edit] Politician

Had Coolidge lived to a ripe age, there is a good chance that the world would be different than it is today. Surprisingly, Coolidge's life was not only about golf, in fact, golf often took second place to his real aspiration: political science. Reading biographies of all the great leaders, from Ceasar to Lincoln, Coolidge felt that he should take global affairs into his own hands. Bouyed by his golf skills, Coolidge had several connections. Most famously, Coolidge had an amazing relationship with Yankee slugger, Mickey Mantle. Meeting the famous Yank on the green while he vacationed in Europe, the two found they had much in common. Mantle, upset with the post war European government often spoke of the "American paradise." This encouraged Coolidge to want to change Ireland, and, if he could, the world. Winning some local elections, Coolidge's political career, however, was somewhat hindered by his breadwinning need to golf. After retirement, Coolidge was planning on going for national political recognition. Ironically, it was Mantle's rave of America which encouraged Coolidge to travel there, resulting in his untimely death. Commenting on the sad tragedy, Mantle stated "I have lost a great friend today. November 15, 1956 is a sad day for Ireland. No, it is a sad day for the world." Mantle was not able to continue his remarks, as tears rolled down his face.

[edit] Adventurer

Although Coolidge was a politically conscious and philanthropic man, he was not above satisfying his own wants and whims. One of the more noted and substantiated anecdotes about Coolidge's adventures is one in which he traveled from Ireland to Greenland for golf. The exact year when it happened has never been pinned down, but friends of Coolidge at the time say he was financially strapped at the time, so it was before his illustrious golf career. As the story goes an acquaintance with whom Coolidge occasional played golf with returned from Greenland after seeing his family. Playing to Coolidge's love of golf, the man told Coolidge that Greenland had the most beautiful courses he had ever seen as a joke. Coolidge, who had an extremely good sense of humor about everything except golf, took the man at face value and used his last bit of money and promptly left for Greenland a few days later. Upon arriving at the island Coolidge was quite dismayed to find an icy Arctic tundra. Coolidge left Greenland a few days later, but not before playing a round of improvised golf. When Coolidge returned to Ireland he promptly went to the mans house, knocked on the door, and slugged him in the face in front of his children when he answered. Coolidge spent a night in the local jail cell for that incident. The next day when he got out he went to his favorite pub, drank the night away, and bragged to his friends of how he knocked the man out, and he still played golf in Greenland. This kind of story typifies the type of life Coolidge lived.