Imrem: Woods proves the future is a great unknown
A Dan Jenkins line comes to mind after Jordan Spieth's victory in the Masters at age 21.
Tiger Woods was 25 years old in 2001 and already the winner of six major golf championships.
Jenkins, the best golf writer ever, predicted that Woods would win a total of 24 majors and shatter Jack Nicklaus' record of 18.
"Only two things can stop Tiger - injury or a bad marriage," Jenkins said.
How about both?
Woods has been stuck on 14 major titles since suffering repeated injuries and a self-inflicted sex scandal that ended his marriage.
From the looks of him, Spieth is the guy who can navigate around the obstacles that threaten an athlete's career.
Don't take that for granted, however, because Woods also looked that way until he didn't.
Even if Spieth never becomes as dominant in golf as Woods was, here's hoping he is better at not letting fame, fortune, injuries and a bad marriage derail him.
The future for all of us is a great unknown that makes every new day both mysterious and precarious.
Spieth currently is irresistible as the fresh-faced kid on the block with a model family and attractive girlfriend.
There isn't baggage yet when a Spieth comes along as he did by finishing second in the Masters last year at age 20 and by winning this year.
Spieth is what Kris Bryant will be when he joins the Cubs and Carlos Rodon will be when he joins the White Sox, though only maybe whomever the Bears' first-round draft choice will be when he arrives at Halas Hall.
There should be no downside yet, no regrets to express or apologies to make. There should be only the buildup without the teardown.
But remaining pure is difficult in this age of social media, TMZ, a curious public and a probing media.
For now Spieth is the kid who grew up next door, fresh enough to make his optimistic that we can survive this world and this world can survive us.
Spieth offers what John Daly did by winning the PGA Championship in 1991. Of course, that was before his addiction problems and messy relationships with women.
Daly, too, once was the fresh melon at the farmers market, a first spin around the neighborhood in a new car and Opening Day of the baseball season.
Like Daly briefly did, Spieth holds the promise that every sunrise, every spring and every Friday night holds.
Unfortunately, it doesn't take much to smudge an athlete's gloss. One late-night slipup on Twitter is who he becomes, or maybe it's that one autograph he didn't sign.
So here comes Jordan Spieth bounding into this crazy environment, his only known flaw on or off the golf course a receding hairline.
Can Spieth or any other celebrity these days avoid taking a hit to his image? If not, can he recover from one?
Spieth can if he keeps winning like Michael Jordan did despite various personal missteps. He can't if he declines into mediocrity the way Woods has.
Being consistently great is difficult, as myriad golfers have demonstrated by firing and falling back.
Spieth is the fourth player to win multiple tournaments before turning 22 years old. Woods proceeded to win 14 majors, Sergio Garcia still is looking for his first and Robert Gamez faded with injuries from a car accident.
We can only hope that our latest phenom becomes all he is expected to be as a player and person.
It's best to assume nothing, enjoy the story as it unfolds and pray it doesn't unravel.
mimrem@dailyherald.com