Tiger "Rude" at Augusta

Filed in archive Golf News on April 16, 2009

Courtesy: The Guardian

It's been four days since the dramatic conclusion to The Masters.

That's plenty of time for the dust to settle and the "reflective" opinion pieces to emerge in the golf media.

John Hopkins, golf writer for the esteemed Times newspaper in London, has penned a rather scathing review of Tiger Woods' behavior following his up-and-down performance at Augusta.

He calls Woods "curt", "rude" and "ungracious" in his remarks and overall demeanor after he finished play on Sunday.

Read the story yourself - it's packed with some very interesting stuff when it's not taking on a Tiger-bashing tone, like the fact that Angel Cabrera celebrated by eating 9 cheeseburgers after his win! - but, frankly, Hopkins is choosing to do what many journalists do when writing about someone famous.

Tiger Woods can do just about anything with a golf ball and he's turned that best-on-the-planet talent into dozens of victories. We know that.

So, what's left to write about? Well, his personal life has come up. And now, his less-than-friendly response to reporters' questions following his loss.

Frankly - and I've said this before - Woods puts his pants on one leg at a time just like the rest of us. That means he's human.

He has returned to golf after a major knee operation and long, painful rehab process. Being Tiger, he has also returned with the same old fire.

So, perhaps Tiger's expectations of himself were too high at Augusta. And when he failed to meet them, he was angry with himself.

Therefore, it seems a little precious of Mr. Hopkins to attack the man because he didn't say the right things or was gracious enough in his loss.

There have been many times in the past when Tiger HAS been gracious in losing and HAS said the right things.

But why do we insist that our sporting heroes be perfect human beings as well (John Daly excepted)?

Cut the guy some slack. Remember his pants.