Emotional Rory McIlroy Glad Tiger's Kids 'Haven't Lost Their Dad'

Ahead of the WGC-Workday Championship that begins today, Rory McIlroy spoke with reporters about Tiger Woods' future in golf.

"He's not Superman...He's a human being at the end of the day," McIlroy said. "He's already been through so much. At this stage I think everyone should just be grateful that he's here...that he's alive...that his kids haven't lost their dad. That's the most important thing. Golf is so far from the equation right now, it's not even on the map at this point."

Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva told CNN that the single-car accident was "purely an accident" and that investigators will not pursue charges. Also, Woods was later asked about the accident to which he responded: "No recollection."

As for McIlroy's words--- he's on the money. He looked up to Tiger Woods the same way most of us did, but he recognizes the moment too. When the golf world saw the footage of Tiger's vehicle, surely plenty of us had flashbacks of Kobe Bryant and the fateful helicopter. An athlete who may not have been universally loved outside his sport, but whose impact was undeniable.

We witnessed the Tiger-Charlie vs. Justin-Mike Thomas back in January that showed on screen how important family is to Tiger. I mean, how often did we see Woods in his prime enjoying a round of golf absent a scowl? If he did, it was a rarity to say the least.

McIlroy went on about his appreciation for Tiger

"Just over a year ago we lost Kobe Bryant out of the blue, and I'm just, if anything, thankful that Tiger's still here. Hopefully he comes out of this one," the four-time major winner said.

"Hopefully his body is still good. I don't necessarily need to see him on a golf course again. I would love to, but I just hope he can live a normal life from here on. He's given everything to this game, he's done so much for us, and every day that we're all out here is going to be a memory of Tiger Woods."

"Luckily he's got so much impact in this world that even though if he doesn't hit a gold shot, with his foundation and many other works, he's still able to make a great impact in this world."

We sometimes forget that we're being given a product and that athletes don't actually work for us. For most, Tiger is already the GOAT of golf, worth north of $800 million, yet he's still giving everything he can: his body and his time that could be redirected towards his children. Woods quite literally illustrates "Mamba mentality" and shows how we should all keep developing our craft despite our circumstances.

Tiger Woods, like Kobe Bryant, became a humble family man who's cherished far more now than ever before. He feels human for the first time in two decades, and we're all happy that he's alive today to see his children and what he gave to the game of golf.

Get well, Tiger.

Written by
Gary Sheffield Jr is the son of should-be MLB Hall of Famer, Gary Sheffield. He covers basketball and baseball for OutKick.com, chats with the Purple and Gold faithful on LakersNation, and shitposts on Twitter. You can follow him at GarySheffieldJr