“Doing a story on him was not an enjoyable journalistic experience, to say the least"

David Carr analyzes Tiger's relationship with the media and reveals this episode:

Rob Tannenbaum wrote a piece about Mr. Woods for TV Guide in 2001. The magazine had agreed not to make race a subject of the interview, but Mr. Woods brought it up independently. Even that was not allowed.

“His handler walked over and the interview ended immediately,” Mr. Tannenbaum said. “Tiger just got up and left the room, and no amount of explaining that I had not breached the agreement was going to get Tiger to come back and sit down.” (Mr. Tannenbaum wrote up what he had, including Mr. Woods’s father, Earl Woods, saying he hoped his son didn’t marry anytime soon: “Let’s face it, a wife can sometimes be a deterrent to a good game of golf.”)

“Doing a story on him was not an enjoyable journalistic experience, to say the least,” Mr. Tannenbaum said by phone. “The thing that it most reminded me of was the few times when I have had an assignment in Eastern European countries, and it was almost as if an attaché from Moscow had been assigned to me.”

Comments

[tlavin]

Snooze.

[Stacy Solomon]

Fans also cannot forget this 1997 Esquire interview with Tiger Woods :
http://www.esquire.com/features/the-game/tiger-woods-life-story-1997

Has Tiger changed much in 13 years?

twitter.com/@golf4beginners

[MRP]

Man, did you see Camillo miss that 3 foot putt that would have clinched him a spot in the finals. He's got to be kicking himself. Ugh! But nevertheless, what a fun tournament to watch!

[Jay Townsend]

Thanks for the link to the Esquire article, I had not had a chance to read it previously.

My reacton, INTERESTING

[Dr. Phillips]

MRP, that was a disappointing miss, I was pulling for him to make it.

Did you realize that Poulter is all the way up to #5 in the world rankings? Not a fan of Poulter per se but was pulling for him against Casey.

[Vwgolfer]

Watch out bruised ego Tiger Here Comes Poulter!

[Miss Priss!]

Nice work, Stacy. My reaction: Tiger, his mother, and his father are strange and profane and smug and pompous and creepy people. Go figure.

[FWIW]

Just so credit goes where credit is due, that may be an Esquire link above but that is the famous GQ story by Charles Pierce that everyone always talks about. Here's the original link.

http://www.gq.com/sports/profiles/199704/tiger-woods-profile

I believe Esquire used its link because Pierce wrote an update for them after the recent unpleasantries.

http://www.esquire.com/the-side/opinion/tiger-woods-accident-updates-legacy-120109

[Bill]

Miss Priss--profane says it all

[Miss Priss!]

Well, Bill, I know I laid it on the line in my last post ... but I really was fascinated by the young man and how often he won and those incredible putts he made and what incredible life I figured he was living. Really, he's the finest golfer to have ever played the game. My opinion, of course.

And I'm not going to say he fooled me ... I'm not naive ... and I can't say I looked up to him as a role model, etc. ... but I am deeply and hugely disappointed in his behavior and attitude. He’s so nasty and cruel. And now, to have an insight into his parents ... at least through one article, but an author I have always liked and trusted. Yuk, yuk, yuk, gag me.

It's all so sad, really. Isn't it?

[MRP]

Dr. P and everyone...

I'm not sure who I was rooting for, I just was enjoying the golf.

Seeing them play in that weather (for a brief period of time) made me laugh. I've been playing through this cold snap, rain, etc in Atlanta and hitting those shots isn't as easy in those conditions as it is in summer...but watching them shank, fat, and duff their opportunities made me think better about my game!

But at least Sergio kept his wits about him and kept battling...not!!! Mental weakness is what my drill instructors would have said.

Anyone think Poulter has any shot at the Masters?

[The O]

@MRP: No chance. But he will have an outfit that looks good with the coat, just in case. In fact, it might even match.

[F. X. Flinn]

You know, I hadn't read this before. No wonder Tiger was pissed about this and became far less forthcoming with the press. Getting 'gonzoed' at the very beginning...awful...at least he took the guy's advice and dropped the god stuff and got laid 296 times a year.

[pt]

are there any GOOD TW stories out there besides his Foundation work? he doesnt autograph much, for ex......anything???

[Average Golfer]

Ah, dusting off the ole' flux capacitor.

[Miss Priss!]

Average Golfer! Watch out for those towel heads! Shoot back! Make them count!

[Ky Laffoon's Ghost]

pt: Nope. And therein lies the major part of his problem. There is precious little foundation of goodwill from which he may draw. Being the greatest golfer who ever held a club in the electronic era isn't enough once he gets away from the course.

I had forgotten how vulgar Tiger and Earl were in that Charlie Pierce piece. For Pierce to have taken advantage of the naif probably wasn't a journalistic necessity, but it was Earl and Tida who produced the clueless young man who didn't know he shouldn't tell off color jokes to someone he did not know. Sheesh.

[jjshaka]

MRP
Sergio really is a "sunshine soldier"- he has the heart the size of a grape seed.
Poulter strikes me as someone who would wilt in the last group at a place like Augusta- but winning this may kick him up to the next level where he "knows" he can win here.
I hope he can step up-I rather enjoy his quirkiness.

[BigSky]

I agree. Poulter is refreshingly candid and confident in a likable way.

[Vwgolfer]

Hello World!! Treat others the way you would like to be treated. Tiger really do ya think TMZ gives a rats ass whether ya beat Jacks record? And that whole Finding Buddhism is so lame, after making billions and screwing whores maybe Dick Hume was right find Christianity it suits you more and they tend to like your type- rich and horny

[Bill]

Miss Priss--I don't think, sad--enmeshed! The oppressed becomes the oppressor--chicken or egg kind of thing here!

[jd]

How long until we hear about the dog he kicked when he was 12 years old ?

This is getting so tired... but thanks for keeping up with everything Geoff !

[tennis anyone?]

Vwgolfer! Right on...don't tell tlavin and Doc Phillips. They want the seats next to Tida. I hear they're open. Actually don't think even Tida will be at the next one.
Tennis with the bride? Are you kidding? Channeling Roger Federer? This thing truly writes itself. IMG is truly a crack operation!!

[Old Hornet]

Now we hear that the jet TW & family were on landed in AZ for a vacation week. Not that he doesn't need it, but wasn't his statement at TPC given on a specific day to coincide with a quick return to Gentle Path.....at least that's what we were told ? If true, it's confirmation that he slipped the baloney pony to Accenture as we suspected.

[Miss Priss!]

Bill, what the cluck!?

[Steven Jig]

This isn't exactly breaking news

Most who cover Tiger daily know what a prick he really is