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Tiger Slam tale wins Golf Book of the Year Award

10.20am 20th May 2025 - Media

A book that provides the inside story of Tiger Woods’ all-conquering period in 2000-2001, when he held all four major titles at the same time, has won Golf Book of the Year at the 2025 Charles Tyrwhitt Sports Book of the Year Awards.

Kevin Cook’s ‘The Tiger Slam – the inside story of the greatest golf ever played picked up the award from a six-strong shortlist that also included ‘Golf War$’ by Iain Carter, ‘LIV and Let Die’ by Alan Shipnuck, ‘Seve Ballesteros’s Touch of Class’ by Kenny Reid, ‘Open Links’ by Dominic Holland and ‘Golf is Hard’ by Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston.

The panel that judged the Golf Book of the Year Award, which was making a welcome return as its own category following a lengthy absence, included golf writer and AGW secretary Matt Cooper; golf influencer David Jones (UK Golf Guy); Emma Ballard, the former editor of Women & Golf; Philip Cotton, CEO of Nicklaus Companies; and golf course architect and author Scott Macpherson.

Writing on Golf365.com about the judging panel’s decision, Matt Cooper said: “We were all agreed that the six books fell into three distinct camps. ‘Open Links’ and ‘Golf is Hard’ were both more light-hearted in one sense, while both also featured the harsh realities of playing golf for a living. ‘Golf War$’ and ‘LIV and Let Die’ both tell the story of what happened when the fire in Greg Norman’s belly had Saudi oil poured on it. The civil war that broke out was dynamite for writers, and both Carter and Shipnuck absolutely nailed it. Alas, the story, rather than the authors, then got stuck. Very little has happened in recent times except for lawyers meeting and outsiders guessing. That somewhat hampered the chances of both books despite very fine reporting and outstanding storytelling.

“The final two books, ‘Seve Ballesteros’s Touch of Class’ and ‘The Tiger Slam’, both dealt with a distinct period in the lives of two of golf’s greatest players. Kenny Reid’s book concentrates on the 1984 Open, which Ballesteros famously won ahead of even-more famously celebrating on the final green, while Kevin Cook’s book tells the story of the capture, by Tiger Woods, of all four major championships at the same time across two seasons – the Tiger Slam. Like Carter and Shipnuck, Cook had a great story to relate and did so with style. He also unearthed great sources for insider detail and gossip. As Tiger might have said: it earned him the W.”

Emma Ballard and Chris Hollins present the 2025 Golf Book of the Year Award to a representative from Ebury Spotlight, publishers of ‘The Tiger Slam’ written by Kevin Cook

Fellow judge Emma Ballard, writing about the judging process in Women & Golf, added: “Choosing a winner was no easy task. From the triumphs of legends of the game to the grind of today’s professionals, each book offered compelling storytelling. We were particularly impressed by Open Links by Dominic Holland, 18 short chapters, one for each hole of a fictional Open Championship final round at Muirfield, an imaginative and heartfelt tribute to the spirit of golf. We awarded it a Highly Commended honour.

“Whilst the current turmoil in men’s professional golf dominates the headlines and two of this year’s shortlisted titles, it was feat achieved 25 years ago, told authentically and with new insight from inside the ropes, that, after much deliberation, saw The Tiger Slam by Kevin Cook ultimately take the title. Cook brings new depth and clarity to this historic achievement, shedding light on Woods’ dominance through original interviews, sharp analysis, and vivid narrative.”

To view the full list of winners from the Charles Tyrwhitt Sports Book of Year Awards, click here.

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