Anyone who contends that golf isn’t a real sport hasn’t tried to follow Tiger Woods around at a major tournament. I’m in the press tent at Pebble Beach as I write this, but it may as well be the first aid tent; bruised and pockmarked as I am. First, why are there so many kids here on a Friday? I’m trying to negotiate the walking path on the back nine, and am continually plagued by hobbits … most lolling along in a daze, bored beyond endurance. Plus there’s the occasional elderly fan on his Rascal scooter, clipping me with his rear-view mirror. Tiger’s fans are legion; and pushy. Don’t even think about trying to get near the ropes when he’s taking his swings. That’s a bad notion; and I have the welts to prove it.
Not that his adoring public is doing him much good. After collecting his first birdie of the tournament right out of the gate, Our Hero bogied three straight and stands at 1-over 72; seven shots behind the leader, Graeme McDowell.. Curiously, although down 7 with two days to go, Woods is acting like it’s Game 7 of the NBA finals and he’s playing at home.
“I just need to keep progressing and keep moving my way up the board,” he said. “It’s a long haul. The U.S. Open is not going to get easier as the week goes on, especially on the weekend.”
My first Tiger press conference was about as underwhelming as his second-day totals.
Woods started the tournament by hitting 10 straight greens. But since he was heckled on Thursday (Dude: “It is our business, Tiger, you made it our business!”), he’s only hit 13 of 26, and has struggled with a series of missed putts.
“I just need to make a few more birdies, a few more putts on the weekend, and I’ll be right there,” Woods said.
This is where there I needed to shout out a question about Joslyn James; but I want to come back tomorrow.
So does Trace Cena, 32, who made the trek all the way from Hoover, Ala., to see Tiger.
“I’ve never been to Pebble Beach, so that was a big reason,” Cena told me. His last sacred pilgrimage, he said, was to see the BCS Championship trophy at a local WalMart. “To see the Crimson Tide title trophy and Tiger Woods all in one year is overwhelming,” he said. “It’s a year I’ll never forget. He’s still the greatest golfer of all time.”
Who can argue with him? For one thing, Cena is huge. For another, there are few views on Earth to top the scene from the grandstand on the 10th hole, looking out on Monterey Bay.
Not that I would know. I was stuck in the fifth row behind the rope. At least there were no vuvuzelas.
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- Richard Tattershall - Jun 18, 2010 at 9:55 PM
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Whether it’s Tiger or any other professional golfer, I’d like to see any heckler arrested immediately and thrown in jail. If they did this with hecklers every time it would stop. Also, if they put Mr. Heckler on a blacklist that prevented him from getting through the gate at any tournament, even more clout would be added to the punishment. The fact that Tiger’s play immediately nosedived after that confrontation has doubtlessly affected the outcome of this U.S. Open.
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- Spiker715 - Jun 18, 2010 at 10:31 PM
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“Our Hero bogied three straight…” Are you serious? If he is anyone’s hero, they have set an incredibly low bar! The term should never be used in reference to this guy. Hero, why? Because he can hit a golf ball and cheat on his wife with a number of women yet to be determined?
I’m not sure if the media is aware of this but there are other golfers! Turns out some of the are really good too…faithful to their wives…you know….actual role models.
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- Jim Guida - Jun 19, 2010 at 1:48 AM
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Uh, no Spiker — he’s not serious. I know this because I am the guy in the kayak and I DID have a better view of the game than he did.
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- Signguy - Jun 19, 2010 at 7:38 AM
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Whether a guy can hit a golf ball 350 yards or throw a 95 MPH fastball, using that as criteria to be ‘a hero’ is ludicrous. Tiger is compelling to watch play the game, period. There are certain sports figures that seem to have that ‘must watch’ appeal. Too bad so many can’t control their ego as well as their hand-eye coordination. Mike Tyson in his prime was scary good and could have been one of the best of all time, now he’s a footnote. Kobe’s luster will forever have a dull haze over it. And of course Tiger…even if his game comes back, the clouds will hover over him and the galleries will never be as large (or quiet). Call your Dad, tell him he’s your hero…everyone wins.
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- Len - Jun 19, 2010 at 9:37 AM
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Are you kidding me throw out the hecklers. If so then this should apply to all other sports. “Hey ump you need glasses” or how about all the boos the fans throw out there. Even without the heckler Tiger will not win the open as his thought are elsewhere and if it isn’t then he feels no guilt and he thinks he is above everyone.
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- Seth G - Jun 19, 2010 at 10:18 AM
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Funny article! It’s Carmel Bay, though. Monterey is on the other side of the peninsula…and I’m basically just jealous that you’re there and I’m not.
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- JEG - Jun 19, 2010 at 10:53 AM
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Hecklers in jail? Another proud statement from a member of Tiger’s Idiot Fan Club.
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- gail - Jun 19, 2010 at 12:15 PM
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You want a hero, look at a guy like Shaun Micheel. His mom is dying of cancer, probably won’t make it through the summer, and this guy is playing for her and their family and hitting it better than he has since he won the PGA years ago. It’s guys like him that should be in the headlines once in a while versus everything always being about Tiger. The world is full of great athletes who act like idiots…too bad we don’t concentrate on the few that we should emulate….
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- beachbum - Jun 19, 2010 at 5:10 PM
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why is nbc sports so into tiger?nobody else is playing today?their coverage is either tiger,a commercial or some talking heads.let espn keep the broadcast for the weekend.nbc just cares about the money not the game.
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- waldo - Jun 19, 2010 at 11:08 PM
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Yes, it’s too bad that NBC has already called the Open for Tiger. Speaking of whom, what’s going on with that nasty steroid investigation? Johnny Miller just said “Tiger’s got a little more horsepower than McDowell”. I wonder where he got it? I’d rather watch a legitimate player any day than a cheat. BTW, leave all the play by play to Golf Channel. ESPN, not so good . . . NBC, all Tiger.
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- Joe - Jun 20, 2010 at 10:15 AM
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My man Phil looked tired at the end of the round yesterday. Hope he gets some good rest and vitamins. Would like to see him storm back and win this one. Go Lefty!
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- waldo - Jun 20, 2010 at 11:57 AM
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Answering my own post. Maybe a little too strong last night although I’d suspect his wife thinks he’s a cheat. I guess I’m more let down than anything. I’ve spent hundreds of hours and mucho dinero attending PGA events to see Tiger and the rest of the field. Even going to the THE OPEN this year. But I think what I might really be afraid of is that all these victories could end up with an (*) asterisk by them. I just watched the sign for Mark McGwire Memorial Highway come down in St. Louis and I hate to see this happen to golf.
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