AUGUSTA, Ga. — This was a big, fat, hanging curveball, sitting right in Tiger Woods’ wheelhouse and he never took the bat off his shoulder.
Woods looked at a called third strike — one in a seemingly endless string of ill-advised decisions he’s made for what seems like forever.
On Monday, Woods sat before reporters for some 35 minutes and sounded like a man desperate to repair his image and reputation that have been shattered by the sex scandal he created.
Woods waxed to the point of making himself emotional about how moved he was by the fan reaction during his first practice round in public since the scandal broke.
“The encouragement I got,” Woods said on Monday, “blew me away.”
Woods also vowed to “be more respectful of the game and acknowledge the fans.”
That brings us to yesterday’s annual Masters Par-3 Tournament, where Woods was a no-show.
Normally, that’s not a big deal, because Woods usually skips the Par-3, choosing to rest and perhaps not wanting to putt on greens different than he will see when the real tournament begins today.
Jack Nicklaus, for one, traditionally never played in the Par-3 in the years when he was competitive, choosing to prepare differently. Nicklaus, of course, now plays in it every year as a ceremonial player and is one of the most beloved figures ever to play the game.
It’s understandable that Woods would want to follow routine and skip it yesterday, but there’s a bigger picture for him to consider now, and in this case, Woods needed to be at that Par-3, which was won by little-known Louis Ooshuizen.
It was the perfect opportunity for him to show how changed he is, how serious he is about acknowledging and appreciating the fans who’ve shown their undying support to him.
Woods’ absence was a sign that he really hasn’t changed and that he’s not so serious about the things he preached in his press conference.
This has become a day very much about family, with most players bringing along their kids to caddie for them — as Phil Mickelson’s did after arriving in town yesterday with his wife, who is battling breast cancer and did not come to the course. Woods, of course, would probably love to have his two children here, but his estranged wife, Elin, has the kids and they’re nowhere near here.
And perhaps being immersed in such an environment would have been too difficult for Woods to endure.
But taking part in yesterday’s Par-3 could have been another giant step for Woods to become more a part of the golf community, show an effort to become closer to his fellow players and, most importantly, show the public that he is a man serious about changing his aloof ways.
This was yet another in a long line of public relations gaffes that he’s been a part of since we all realized he wasn’t who we thought he was.