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Golf fans always suspected it: before his infamous¹ improprieties, the mere² presence of Tiger Woods could panic other pros³. Now, economist⁴ Jennifer Brown has figured out how strong that "Tiger factor" was.

She analyzed⁵ a decade's worth of PGA events, controlling for variables like weather, course difficulty, prize money—even the distracting crowds and media at a Tiger tournament. And she found that when Tiger was in the hunt, other golfers scored 0.8 strokes higher—that is, almost one stroke worse—than they otherwise would have over a four-round tournament. And one stroke can be the difference between congratulations and condolences.

The effect was strongest for top-ranked players—the ones competing directly with Tiger for the big money. In fact, Brown calculates that Woods has raked in an extra $6 million dollars in winnings through this fear factor alone. Her analysis appears in the Journal of Political Economy.

Tiger's halo of intimidation⁶ DOES wane⁷ in years when his performance slumps⁸. But with a big tournament victory last week—his first in two years—it might not be long before his competitors are once again in the rough.

Thanks for the minute. For Scientific American's 60-Second Science, I'm Christopher Intagliata.

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收听单词发音

1 infamous
adj.声名狼藉的，臭名昭著的，邪恶的
参考例句：
He was infamous for his anti-feminist attitudes.他因反对女性主义而声名狼藉。 I was shocked by her infamous behaviour.她的无耻行径令我震惊。

2 mere
adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过
参考例句：
That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。 It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

3 pros
abbr.prosecuting 起诉；prosecutor 起诉人；professionals 自由职业者；proscenium （舞台）前部n.赞成的意见( pro的名词复数 )；赞成的理由；抵偿物；交换物
参考例句：
The pros and cons cancel out. 正反两种意见抵消。来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 We should hear all the pros and cons of the matter before we make a decision. 我们在对这事做出决定之前，应该先听取正反两方面的意见。来自《简明英汉词典》

4 economist
n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人
参考例句：
He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。 He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

5 analyzed
v.分析( analyze的过去式和过去分词 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析
参考例句：
The doctors analyzed the blood sample for anemia. 医生们分析了贫血的血样。来自《简明英汉词典》 The young man did not analyze the process of his captivation and enrapturement, for love to him was a mystery and could not be analyzed. 这年轻人没有分析自己蛊惑著迷的过程，因为对他来说，爱是个不可分析的迷。来自《简明英汉词典》

6 intimidation
n.恐吓，威胁
参考例句：
The Opposition alleged voter intimidation by the army.反对党声称投票者受到军方的恐吓。 The gang silenced witnesses by intimidation.恶帮用恐吓的手段使得证人不敢说话。

7 wane
n.衰微，亏缺，变弱；v.变小，亏缺，呈下弦
参考例句：
The moon is on the wane.月亮渐亏。 Her enthusiasm for him was beginning to wane.她对他的热情在开始减退。

8 slumps
萧条期( slump的名词复数 )；（个人、球队等的）低潮状态；（销售量、价格、价值等的）骤降；猛跌
参考例句：
Deflation could emerge from simultaneous slumps in the world's three major economies. 如果世界经济三大主体同时衰退，通货紧缩就会出现。 This is the cycle of economic booms and slumps. 这是经济繁荣和经济萧条的周期变化。