Was Tiger Out of Line with Reporter?

So much has already been made out of Hank Haney’s upcoming book. The main thrust of conversation involved the possibility of Tiger Woods leaving the PGA TOUR in order to become a Navy SEAL. Reportedly, Woods trained in combat boots which might be why there’s been issues with his knee and Achilles.

The adjective most used in Woods disdain toward a question from yesterday’s presser is “testy”.

And he had every right to be. I’m not a fan of TW telling Alex Micelli (who asked a question that centered around Haney’s book) that he (Micelli) was “a beauty”, but at what point does decorum go out the window? You know Tiger will not answer any questions about the book, so why are you even asking, Alex? Especially since Tiger had already indicated he had already commented on the book.

Woods agent, Mark Steinberg, released a statement in regards to Haney’s book. Here’s an excerpt from that statement (via GolfChannel.com’s Ryan Ballengee):

“Based on the excerpts published today, Hank Haney’s claim that his book is about golf is clearly false. His armchair psychology about Tiger, on matters he admits they didn’t even discuss, is ridiculous,” Steinberg said in an email. “Because of his father, it’s no secret that Tiger has always had high respect for the military, so for Haney to twist that admiration into something negative is disrespectful.”

You have to be aware that there will be no answer if you are quoting or even paraphrasing something from within the book’s text. Common sense.

Feb 23, 2012; Marana, AZ, USA; Tiger Woods reacts after his tee shot on the fifth hole during the second round of the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship at Ritz-Carlton GC. (Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-US PRESSWIRE)

Of course Woods was all too eager to talk of his putting woes. You would think he would tire of those questions as well, but as long as the subject was not Haney’s book, all else seemed fair game.

The simple answer would be to let it go, right? But for some strange reason, we are all still obsessed with Tiger, on and off the course. It makes no difference ow long ago either. This whole bit about Woods was a thought he had about a decade ago. He did not choose to leave the tour, so this subject should be an open and shut deal.

But when a book is still in the offing, it makes it doubly hard for some to mind their p’s and q’s.

Tags: Alex Micelli, golf, Hank Haney, PGA, Tiger Woods