Golf: Woods can't handle the booze

Tiger Woods has made a plea to golf fans to go easy on their drinking at the Ryder Cup in September.

The world number one, in Heidelberg this week for the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open, hopes the crowd at the Belfry will play their part in keeping the match trouble-free.

‘‘It’s great to have patriotism, it’s great to have bi-partisanship, but I think if you have people drinking it can lead to them becoming more boisterous,’’ said Woods.

His memories of not only Boston two years ago, but also Valderrama in 1997 are clouded by the behaviour of some spectators.

He believes a total ban on alcohol would help prevent any rowdyism, but he knows that that is not going to happen with beer manufacturers Michelob one of the official sponsors.

‘‘I think it’s one of the problems we’ve had in my two Ryder Cups.

‘‘The morning matches are so much more subdued than the afternoon matches. You can see it escalate and things get said that are just not appropriate at all.’’

Europe’s 1999 captain Mark James accused the Americans of inciting the crowd last time and Woods accepts the need for the players to set a lead in four months’ time.

‘‘We are going to start out with the correct intent and hopefully everyone will act accordingly,’’ he said

The Ryder Cup committee has already announced that spectators at the Belfry cannot take drinks on to the course, but it remains to be seen how successful that is and whether more will have to be done now that the matches have become such emotion-charged events.

This week is Woods’ first appearance in Europe since he became the first player in golfing history to hold all four Majors at the same time.

He partners Colin Montgomerie and Darren Clarke in the first two rounds of the £1.6m tournament tomorrow and Friday at the St Leon Rot course where he won by three shots two years ago.

Before that, though, came a pro-am today in the company of soccer legend Franz Beckenbauer.

Woods continues to show a willingness to travel the world that puts some of his Ryder Cup team-mates to shame.

‘‘I thoroughly enjoy seeing new places. I’m young and, God willing, I will be able to do it for a long time,’’ he added.

‘‘I don’t feel it’s an obligation I just enjoy it. If I felt it was an obligatory act I wouldn’t have the same fun.

‘‘And I think I’ve gained more experience from doing it. You get to play against new players, learn new courses and improve and test your skills on different grasses. That to me is one of the challenges.

‘‘The goal is the same at the beginning of every year. To say on December 31 that you are a better player than you were on January 1.

‘‘If you keep doing that you are going to have a pretty good career. So far I’ve managed it.

‘‘In 1998 I wasn’t winning as much, but I was more consistent and I knew that was going to be more beneficial down the line. Lo and behold, in 1999 and 2000 I had pretty good years.’’

Phenomenal ones, in fact. He had 11 wins and one major in 1999, then last year 12 wins and three Majors. And with the Masters already in the bag, 2001 hasn’t started too badly either!

‘‘I’ve been blessed with ability to play this game, but I have worked very hard to develop that. I’ve always had belief in my own abilities to pull off shots because of my work ethic.

‘‘I’ve proved to myself on the range or a golf course late in the evening that I can do it and if I can do it then I can definitely do it in a tournament.’’

Woods, meanwhile, longs for the day when golf is open to everybody - whatever their race, whatever their sex and whatever their income.

‘‘I know how it feels to be denied access and it doesn’t feel good.

‘‘I don’t want a child to have to feel that. Anyone who wants to partake in a game should be able to, whether they are affluent or not, male or female or from any ethnic background.

‘‘With my involvement in my foundation I have a nice balance of trying to compete in tournaments and trying to make a difference.

‘‘It will probably come to a point where winning golf tournaments won’t be the huge priority in my life as it is now.’’