How the VA Put the Jinx on Tiger Woods

By Robert L. Rosebrock

Tiger Woods has been one of the highest-paid professional athletes in the world and has been awarded “PGA Player of the Year” a record ten times. But thanks to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Tiger has never won a PGA tournament in Los Angeles, close to where he grew up.

Tiger Woods has won 14 professional major golf championships, the second highest of any male player (Jack Nicklaus leads with 18), and 71 PGA Tour events, third all time behind Sam Snead and Nicklaus.He has more career major wins and career PGA Tour wins than any other active golfer does.

He is the youngest player to achieve the career Grand Slam, and the youngest and fastest to win 50 tournaments on tour. Additionally, Woods is only the second golfer, after Jack Nicklaus, to have achieved a career Grand Slam three times. Woods has won 16 World Golf Championships, and won at least one of those events in each of the first 11 years after they began in 1999.

• PGA Tour wins (71)
• European Tour wins (38)
• Japan Golf Tour wins (2)
• Asian Tour wins (1)
• PGA Tour of Australasia wins (1)
• Other professional wins (15)
• Amateur wins (21)

Source: Tiger_Woods

In spite of all these heralded victories and achievements over the years in golf, Tiger has remained winless in PGA Tournaments since September 2009, soon after a notorious divorce turned his personal and professional life upside down.

Tiger did win the Chevron World Challenge in December 2011, an event that he hosts and is not recognized as an official money event by the PGA Tour.

However, there’s another major victory drought that has left Tiger and his backers dumfounded, and it’s the PGA’s Northern Trust Open, formerly known as the Nissan Open, but commonly referred to as the LA Open.

It is held every February at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California and is taking place February 16-19.

The PGA’s LA Open Tournament has proven to be Tiger’s inescapable nemesis, so much in fact, that he refuses to play there even though this is where he got his amateur start at the age of 16, in 1992.

With eleven appearances in the LA Open, Tiger has played this tournament more than any other without a victory. His frustration grew so strong that he stopped playing the Tournament in 2006.

Think about this; Tiger has been awarded PGA Player of the Year a record ten times, but has never won one victory in eleven attempts at the LA Open.

Tiger lived a majority of his early years in Southern California where most of his followers are from, yet he has refused to play at the LA Open for seven straight years, and even a $5.6 million purse cannot lure him to the fabled Riviera Country Club.

Three years ago, the Northern Trust Open brought in Jerry West, the iconic NBA superstar and ultra successful general manager of the LA Lakers, as their executive director in hopes that he could lure Tiger back to the LA Open, but to no avail.

So, why can’t Tiger Woods win the LA Open and why won’t he play at the Riviera Country Club?

Can you say “VA” as in the Department of Veterans Affairs?

That’s right! The VA is solely responsible for putting a jinx on Tiger Woods that prevents him from winning the LA Open at the swanky Riviera Country Club in the posh enclave of Pacific Palisades.

Now, you’re probably thinking that the VA has been rightfully blamed for a lot of problems in Veterans lives, but how could the VA possibly be responsible for Tiger’s inability to win the LA Open when he’s not even a Veteran?

Well, here it is: For nearly two decades, the VA has accommodated the PGA and the Riviera Country Club with a very secretive manipulation of Veterans property and the VA refuses to reveal how much or how little the PGA pays for this behind-closed-doors arrangement.

This is how it evolved. The Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) bowed to the pressure of the wealthy and politically-connected residents of Pacific Palisades and has prohibited any PGA golf parking on their streets during the LA Open.

Since the residents in the Palisades will not allow attendees to park cars on their streets during the Tournament, a special and privileged arrangement was made to park cars on Veterans property a couple miles away on the sacred grounds of the Los Angeles National Veterans Home, aka the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (VA) and the attendees are shuttled back-and-forth to the Country Club in large tour buses.

Without the VA’s nefarious parking arrangement, there would be no Northern Trust Open sanctioned by the PGA at the Riviera Country Club.

PGA attendee cars are parked on VA Grand Lawn where Veterans from the Civil War and all Wars since have walked. This is sacred property.

In 1888, the land where the VA is located was given to the Government of the United States by two patriotic Americans, John P. Jones and Arcadia B. de Baker, with a restrictive covenant: “To locate, establish, construct and permanently maintain a National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers.” The previous year, an Act of Congress had mandated this covenant and its supportive declarations into federal law.

The covenant is repeated five different times in the Deed to ensure that disabled and disadvantaged Veterans would always have a place to call “Home” and that there would never be a homeless Veteran in Los Angeles.

Over past years, however, this sacred property has been misappropriated for non-Veteran use while 20,000 disabled and impoverishedVeterans have been exiled and forced to live homeless and hungry in back-alley squalor. It is estimated that 8,000 Veterans in Los Angeles are chronically homeless, even though they have a legally deeded “Home.”

In spite of this permanently binding Deed and Charitable Trust that was granted for the sole benefit of disabled and disadvantaged Veterans, these hallowed grounds are being misappropriated for:

An off-leash public dog park, a public recreation park, a public community park, a public golf course, a public botanical garden, a public meditation garden, a public farmer’s market, two public entertainment theaters, a private athletic field and playground for a wealthy private school, a private soccer field for a wealthy youth soccer organization, a state-of-the-art baseball diamond for a major university, private storage for a commercial car rental agency and bus company, laundry facilities for a major hotel chain, private celebrity carnival fundraisers, public marathon and bicycle races, public parking for a museum and PGA tournaments,etc.

As a result of the aforementioned land misappropriation, the American Civil Liberties of Southern California (ACLU) has filed a major lawsuit against the VA for misusing Veterans property and discriminating against homeless and disabled Veterans with severe mental disabilities.

The highly respected Vietnam Veterans of America service organization is a Plaintiff in the 113-page suit.

The PGA’s parking arrangement on Veterans property simply compounds the problems that contribute toward the Homeless Veteran situation in Los Angeles.

Tiger’s late Father and mentor, Earl Woods, was a career Military Officer in the Army’s elite Special Forces and served two tours of duty during the Vietnam War.

Col. Woods had a profound influence on his son’s successful golf career and Tiger has always had profound respect for our Military.

In fact, during a pre-inaugural ceremony for President Obama on January 18, 2009, Tiger was asked to give a brief speech. He took this opportunity to praise our nation’s Military instead of acknowledging the President-elect himself.

Tiger’s Speech:

“I grew up in a Military family and my role models in life were my Mom and Dad, Lt. Colonel Earl Woods.

My Dad was a Special Forces operator and many nights friends would visit our home. They represented every branch of the service, and every rank.

In my Dad, and in those guests, I saw first-hand the dedication and commitment of those who serve. They come from every walk of life; from every part of our country.

Time and again, across generations, they have defended our safety in the dark of night and far from home.

Each day — and particularly on this historic day — we honor the men and women in uniform who serve our country and protect our freedom. They travel to the dangerous corners of the world, and we must remember that for every person who is in uniform, there are families who wait for them to come home safely.

I am honored that the military is such an important part, not just of my personal life, but of my professional one as well. The golf tournament we do each year here in Washington is a testament to those unsung heroes. I am the son of a man who dedicated his life to his country, family and the Military, and I am a better person for it.

In the summer of 1864, Abraham Lincoln, the man at whose memorial we stand, spoke to the 164th Ohio Regiment and said ‘I am greatly obliged to you, and to all who have come forward at the call of their country.’

Just as they have stood tall for our country – we must always stand by and support the men and women in uniform and their families.

Thank you, and it is now my pleasure to introduce the US Naval Glee Club …”

Tiger’s pedigree runs deep with Military discipline and respect for all who serve our Country.

It is estimated that one out of two homeless Veterans is a Vietnam Veteran. Eventually, Iraqi and Afghanistan Veterans will heavily impact the number of homeless Veterans and we cannot allow the same neglect and abuse of Vietnam Veterans to repeat for Iraqi and Afghanistan Veterans.

Overall, Veterans commit suicide at the rate of one every 80 minutes, or more than 6,500 a year, which is 50% more than were killed in action during the eight-year Iraqi War.

Tragically, more Vietnam War Veterans have committed suicide since the war than the 58,272 who were killed during the war.

A vast number of Veterans suffer from Post Trauma Stress Disorder (PTSD), a psychological or neurological Military injury. Unfortunately, the VA simply gives them mood-altering drugs and sends them out to try and survive in a world they no longer understand.

Eventually, many of these Veterans end up seriously depressed and homeless, and more than likely, suicidal. They have been called the “living dead” and need safe residency and personalized treatment for their military injuries.

The mental torture and anguish that Veterans suffer from bearing the burden of war is an elongated battle that most choose to fight alone. Last year, the VA and HUD researched homeless Veterans and found that 96% do not have a family.

It’s been said that “war is hell” and that’s because it never leaves the minds of those who suffer the devastation and carnage of the battlefield. Plato said “Only the dead have seen the end of war” and it’s why so many Veterans take their own lives to finally end the endless war in their minds.

The foregoing notwithstanding, homeless Veterans in Los Angeles have a Family and a Home and they’re called Brothers and Sisters who have served in the United States Armed Forces and the Los Angeles National Veterans Home.

Shamelessly, the VA has violated its fiduciary duty and the Veterans Home has been disgracefully pillaged and plundered for non-Veteran use and fellow Veterans have no means to help their fallen comrades who have been forced to live on the dangerous back-streets streets of Los Angles.

Instead, the VA accommodates a variety of special-interest, non-profit organizations to use Veterans property at the expense of disabled and impoverished Veterans.

LA Open attendee’s parked their luxury cars on Veterans property inside and are shuttled back and forth to the Riviera Country Club in luxury tour buses. Homeless Veterans can be seen living outside the locked front gates to their National Home.

Bailout Bank Blows Millions Partying in L.A.

As mentioned, the LA Open is Title-Sponsored and hosted by Northern Trust Bank and the event is featured as the PGA Northern Trust Open.

In 2009, Northern Trust Bank received $1.6 billion bailout money from our U.S. Government’s “Troubled Asset Relief Program.”

On February 24, 2009, shortly after the bailout and the PGA Northern Trust Open, TMZ, the on-the-spot, behind-the-scenes investigative superstars had this to report:

“A bank that received $1.6 billion in bailout money just spent a fortune last week in L.A. hosting a series of lavish parties and concerts with famous singers … and TMZ cameras caught it all.

Northern Trust, a Chicago-based bank, sponsored the Northern Trust Open at the Riviera Country Club in L.A. We’re told Northern Trust paid millions to sponsor the PGA event which ended Sunday, but what happened ‘off’ the golf course is even more shocking.

Northern Trust flew hundreds of clients and employees to L.A. and put many of them up at some of the fanciest and priciest hotels in the city. We’re told more than a hundred people were put up at the Beverly Wilshire in Bev Hills, and another hundred stayed at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel. Still more stayed at the Ritz Carlton in Marina Del Rey and others at Casa Del Mar in Santa Monica.

Perhaps we’re missing something, but money is money. How can they spend like this when they’re using taxpayer’s money, whether they asked for it or not? And where the hell is Congress in all of this? Is there any oversight or accountability?

Your tax dollars, hard at work. Thomas Jefferson was right — “A little rebellion, now and then, is a good thing.” ”

For more on this, link to TMZ.

Northern Trust was founded in 1889 in Chicago, Illinois, nearly the same time the Veterans Home was established as a Charitable Trust in 1888 in Los Angeles.

Today, the Veterans “Home” is essentially bankrupt and a hardly a shadow of its purpose and legacy, while Northern Trust has $96 billion in banking assets, $4.2 trillion in assets under custody, $644.2 billion in assets under management.

Some Veterans have been receiving an “invitation” from the Northern Trust Open to attend the LA Open Tournament “free. “

At what cost is “free?”

A nasty taste of irony: With $4.2 trillion in assets under custody, the Northern Trust could not hold this PGA Tournament without the illegal use of our Veterans Home land while 20,000 Veterans remain homeless.

While they throw wild parties to entertain their wealthy clients, they’re throwing a bone to Veterans with “free” tickets to attend the Tournament so that they won’t speak up about this incredible and disgraceful abuse of sacred land!

And such is the audacity of the PGA to offer “free” attendance to some Veterans at the expense of other Veterans who are disabled, disadvantage and homeless, and forced to live off these sacred grounds while the wealthy elitists continue to take over.

There’s a $5.6 million purse for the winners at the Northern Trust LA Open, and the losers, Veterans, get free tickets to attend to keep their mouths shut about the free public parking scam that the PGA has with the VA.

Recalling Tiger’s Speech

At his brief talk during the Obama Presidential Inauguration, Tiger proudly proclaimed:

“Many nights friends would visit our home. They represented every branch of the service, and every rank. In my Dad, and in those guests, I saw first-hand the dedication and commitment of those who serve. They come from every walk of life; from every part of our country. Time and again, across generations, they have defended our safety in the dark of night and far from home.”

Could it be that these great American Warriors he speaks of who have defended peace and freedom around the world and are now in the Grand Heavens, will not allow Tiger to win a PGA Tournament that is tainted with Veteran land abuse?

Think about it … there are more than 20,000 homeless Veterans that need to be sheltered and cared for on these grounds as mandated by an 1887 Act of Congress and the Deeded Charitable Trust of 1888, but instead, the VA makes a sweet-heart deal with the PGA to park luxury cars and tour buses on these sacred grounds.

Laughing on the inside and crying on the outside of the National Veterans Home

As long as the PGA is in cahoots with the VA to misuse and abuse Veterans land for public parking for the LA Open, the “Great Veteran Gods” will never let Tiger Woods win such a victory that dishonors and disrespects the men and women who deserve and desperately need dignified housing and care to heal from their war injuries, and not have to suffer helplessly in back-alley squalor.

Tiger’s Father was born on March 5, 1932, exactly 44 years after John P. Jones and Arcadia B. de Baker deeded this sacred land to the Government of the United States, now held in Trust by the Department of Veterans Affairs on behalf of America’s disabled and disadvantaged Veterans.

Tiger Woods is royally and loyally linked to the grand heritage of the Los Angeles National Veterans Home and he will never play, nor will he ever win, so long as the VA serves the PGA Northern Trust Open instead of our Veterans.

Robert Rosebrock

U.S. Army, 1965-67, Schofield Barracks, Hqs., U.S Army, Hawaii. Director, The Veterans Revolution, Captain, the Old Veterans Guard, and Director, We the Veterans.