Tiger dodges friendly fire and keeps his eye on the target
He was confronted by a veritable battery of pressmen, many of whom almost begged him to debate the social problems besetting the United States, not just the Iraqi war but more pertinently this week, the host club's rule that debars women from membership. The friendly fire came from all directions.
The first bullet was loaded something like this ... "with this whole Martha Burk thing going, it seems like there's been so much deflected attention for you going for three jackets in-a-row. Is it taking some of the pressure off you?"
It really was hard to take seriously but Woods has been putting up with this kind of thing for a long time. So he put on his poker face and calmly responded: "We have a lot more important things on in our country, world affairs."
Having avoided the first scud missile, he was fully aware that others were being lined up. Accordingly, he had a few patriot missiles of his own at the ready. He was pressed about minority problems and also women and jews. Are you as passionate about those issues today as you have been in the past?
"I am," came the deadpan reply.
The questioner persisted: "It doesn't come across that way. Why not?"
No sign of impatience as Woods retorted: "That's just your opinion".
For a time, we talked about Augusta National and the Masters but just as we thought we actually were at a golf tournament came the next volley: "Do you feel you have an obligation to speak out about the social issues around the sport?" Well, had Woods cracked at this point, it would have been difficult to blame him but again he kept his cool.
"I've already answered that and I've answered that many times prior to this and right now I'm just trying to get myself ready to play on Thursday", he replied with an implied look that begged to have the subject dropped. Not a chance.
"In your own mind, Tiger, do you categorise women not being allowed to join a golf club as prejudice against a minority," was central to the next volley. Unfazed, Tiger admitted: "Good question, never looked at it that way. Everyone here knows my opinion. Should they be members? Yes. But I don't have a vote in how they run this golf club. I don't think even Jack and Arnie, being members, have as much say around here as people think."
They still wouldn't give up, though. "Should there be an expectation on professional athletes of your stature to speak out on social or political issues?" By now, he was wearing a resigned expression, cognisant perhaps of the fact that the interrogation was nearing an end.
"It's up to each individual," he asserted. "Certain athletes have their causes. They're very outspoken and that's their prerogative. Sometimes because a person is in the limelight, people feel they should have a 'where do you stand' view on certain issues. And some people just choose not to."
Woods remained impassive and courteous throughout the whole affair. And when he was asked whether his ability to put outside issues out of his mind on the golf course was the mark of a champion, he brightened visibly.
"Good question", he enthused. "Even when I was a little boy, I was always very intense. My biggest thing as a kid was to learn how to relax on the golf course. I used to get tired by the time I got to 13 or 14 because I was so focused on what I was doing. You can't be focused for five hours. You can't do it. So I've learned to break it up, I've always had that ability."
So you see what I mean about stonewalling! Woods came through it all without a blip. He spoke golf, too, when he was permitted, especially on how much it would mean to him to win the Masters for a third successive year.
"It would be huge to win three jackets in-a-row," he said. "No one's ever done it before. And I've been able to do certain things in golf that no one's ever done before. If you're in that position, you want to take advantage because it doesn't happen all the time. I was in that position in the Juniors, to win the Amateur championships and now hopefully I can win three straight Masters."
Records, of course, do matter but Woods referred, by no means for the first time, to the subject of health. He underwent a knee operation shortly after Christmas and more recently went down with a bug during the Bay Hill Classic which didn't stop him from winning the title for the fourth successive year!
"I would like to be healthy," he asserted. "If I can just be healthy for the rest of my career, I think I'll have a pretty good one. I'm just a touch underweight but I've been able to eat a lot and work out and still put on some weight this past week."
The positive nature of Tiger's words should serve as a warning for his rivals and he is further buoyed by the torrential rain of recent days that has left Augusta soft and playing very long. Not surprisingly, he regards this as being very much in his favour: "It helps any one who is hitting the ball high and long and straight. This week, you've got to keep the ball on the fairway. These fairways are playing really soft now and they're picking up mud as well. Most of the high bombs I hit out there today picked up mud. The greens right now are a little soft, a little receptive, but they've still got some speed in them. Downhill putts are still a little dicey. I do like playing in tough conditions. It doesn't mean you always play well but I enjoy the challenge."
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