James Patterson’s new biography of Tiger Woods is not the first to profile the legendary golfer.
But it is one of the few to share an extensive and diverse collection of personal stories about the 15-time major champion who was raised in Cypress, California, and now lives in Jupiter Island, Florida.
“Tiger, Tiger: His Life, As It’s Never Been Told Before,” was released Monday and is available online and in stores.
“He’s an important figure,” Patterson, a best-selling author and longtime Palm Beach resident, said of the 48-year-old Woods. “The Beatles were important. I wrote one about the Kennedys. This book is just story after story. It’s not the usual. It’s not the way most biographies are written. It’s not just full of dates and factoids. It just tells stories, which I think makes it pretty readable.”
Patterson, an avid golfer who has recorded nine holes-in-one, did not speak with Woods for the biography, he told the Daily News.
But he did reach out to dozens of people who knew him, worked with him or played golf with him.
The stories they shared make up the heart of the 448-page book, which covers Woods’ childhood as a young golf prodigy through current day.
“I talked to a lot of people,” Patterson said. “I talked to a lot of professional golfers, people at Nike, people I’ve caddied for, and people that know him on a personal level. Interestingly, people wanted to talk about him, and pretty much everything was positive — very positive. But nobody wanted attribution in the book, because he doesn’t like people talking about him. That’s apparently something everybody knows who is in his sphere.”
Stories shared by Patterson include one of a 5-year-old Woods telling TV host Mike Douglas that he was going to beat Jack Nicklaus “when he was 20 or so.”
Other stories highlight the relationship between Woods and his now-teenage daughter, Sam, who isn’t written about often, Patterson said.
James Patterson, author of “Tiger, Tiger” (Photo: Damon Higgins/Palm Beach Daily News)
“When he was inducted into the (World Golf) Hall of Fame, he asked her to speak,” Patterson said. “And she said, ‘I inducted you in the Dad Hall of Fame a long time ago,’ which I think speaks to how she felt about him. She would say things like, ‘I can’t really take you seriously as a person. How can I take somebody seriously who goes to Comic-Con dressed as Batman?,’ which is kind of cool.”
Patterson said he was inspired to write about Woods because of his own affinity for golf coupled with Woods’ status as a worldwide ambassador for the game.
“He’s important,” Patterson said of Woods. “He’s an iconic figure in our age, probably, of all the golfers. I mean, Patrick Mahomes is a terrific football player out of Kansas City, and LeBron James is a terrific basketball player. But somehow, Tiger rises above all of them, not just as a golfer. There’s something about him. Certainly he spread the game of golf to so many people beyond what it was, the kind of country club set.”
Tiger Woods poses with son, Charlie Woods, and daughter, Sam Woods, on the first tee during the final round of the PNC Championship at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club on December 17, 2023 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Patterson said he does not plan to embark on a book tour to promote “Tiger, Tiger,” but he will hit the road to promote his next book, “Hard to Kill,” which he co-authored with sports journalist Mike Lupica.
The book, which will be released July 29, marks Patterson’s fourth collaboration with Lupica and the second in the Jane Smith Thriller Series.
The series’ first book, “12 Months to Live” is in development at Max as a television series. Renée Zellweger is attached to star, Patterson said, and David E. Kelley is set to executive produce.
“It’s a really nice package, and we’re really excited about it,” Patterson said.