If there’s one thing that I love, it’s a good-ass documentary—especially if it involves sports. And while 2020 has been a resounding clusterfuck otherwise, it’s been a spectacular year on the film front, as sports docs like Netflix’s Uppity, Quibi’s The Scheme, and Blackballed have not only raised the bar but have explored how racial dynamics factor into the sports we all know and love.
Looking to continue that tradition is The Undefeated Presents Tiger Woods: America’s Son, a one-hour documentary that will “examine Tiger Woods’ complex racial identity and the meaning of the golfer’s success in America,” according to a press release provided to The Root.
Sports heads are already familiar with The Undefeated, ESPN’s multiplatform content initiative that explores the intersections of sports, race and culture, so there’s nobody better equipped to chronicle Woods’ ascension into sports royalty, or his legacy as a groundbreaking pioneer in the unseasoned world of golf. The program will also revisit how his historic win at The Masters in 1997—in which he flexed Black excellence to become the first Black golfer to win a major tournament—revolutionized not only golf, but the entire sports landscape.
“This documentary, directed by the brilliant Lauren Stowell, is an eye-opening portrait of Tiger Woods through the prism of race and identity,” Kevin Merida, Senior Vice President and Editor-in-Chief of The Undefeated, told The Root in a statement. “Nuanced and contemplative, it explores what it means to be pioneering and Black and have the highest expectations attached to your achievements. We are proud to partner with ESPN’s Features Unit to bring this important story to life.”
Tiger Woods: America’s Son will also include rarely-seen interviews and archival footage from his fellow golfers, journalists who’ve covered his career and other important figures that have played an integral role in Woods’ success, such as his longtime coach Butch Harmon and Lee Elder, the first African-American to qualify for the Masters in 1975.
“Throughout this hour we hope that viewers see Tiger Woods in a new light and be challenged to think about what it is that makes him uniquely American,” Craig Lazarus, Vice President, Original Content and Features at ESPN, told The Root in a statement. “In many ways, Tiger’s story shows us that there is no single experience in America.”
Check out the trailer below and prepare accordingly for the premiere of Tiger Woods: America’s Son on ESPN on November 29 at 7 p.m. ET.