Woods and Obama play a round of golf together yesterday.

[Frankensteins Monster]

I'm surprised I didn't see a lock thread of this yet. What will get this thread closed first; people arguing over Tiger not preparing for the WGC like they think he should or people arguing over the President playing golf and not in the oval?

 

Tiger Woods joins vacationing Obama for golf round

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE (Associated Press) | The Associated Press – 3 hours ago

 

PALM CITY, Fla. (AP) -- President Barack Obama teed it up with Tiger Woods on Sunday.

The White House confirmed that the President and the world's most famous golfer played a round at a secluded, exclusive yacht and golf club on Florida's Treasure Coast.

 

Once the sport's dominant player before his career was sidetracked by scandal, Woods joined Obama at the Floridian, where Obama is spending the long Presidents Day weekend. The two had met before, but Sunday was the first time they played together.

The White House, which has promised to be the most open and transparent in history, has prohibited any media coverage of Obama's golf outing.

The foursome also included Jim Crane, a Houston businessman who owns the Floridian and baseball's Houston Astros, and outgoing U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, a former mayor of Dallas, said White House spokesman Josh Earnest. Crane and Kirk also were part of Obama's foursome on Saturday, the White House said.

 

Obama, an avid golfer, also received some instruction Saturday and played a few holes with Butch Harmon, Woods' former swing coach.

Initial word that the First Duffer would play a round with the world's No. 2 player didn't come from the White House, but instead came from veteran golf journalist Tim Rosaforte, who announced it on Twitter. Rosaforte's late-morning tweet said: ''The president is arriving at the Floridian range. Awaiting is Tiger Woods and club owner Jim Crane. Historic day in golf. Their first round.''

 

White House confirmation of Woods' participation came about two hours later, following multiple appeals from traveling White House reporters.

Golf Digest reported on its website that Obama spent eight hours Saturday with Harmon, playing 27 holes and hitting balls in Harmon's studio, and then managed to coordinate Sunday's round with Woods. The report said the original plan called for Obama and Woods, a Florida resident, to play at Woods' home club - The Medalist Golf Club, a half-hour away in Hobe Sound. But they eventually opted for the Floridian.

 

Woods departed Sunday after the first 18 holes, with Obama staying on to play another nine, the report said. ''Just to see the interaction between the two on the range was pretty neat,'' Harmon told Golf Digest. ''The President said to Tiger: 'The last tournament you played was fun to watch. It's good to see you play well again.' You could tell he meant it. It just wasn't a throw it out compliment.'' It seems Obama and Woods - the first black men at the top of their respective fields - have spent the past few years inching toward Sunday's meeting on the fairway.

 

They met in January 2009, during Obama's inauguration in Washington. Four months later, in April, Woods visited the White House and Obama received him in the Oval Office. Woods' personal life imploded later in 2009 after revelations that he had engaged in multiple extramarital affairs, leading to divorce. He followed with a public apology and announced he was taking an indefinite break from golf. Shortly after Woods announced he was coming out of seclusion, Obama said in an interview with Fox News Channel that Woods will still be a ''terrific'' golfer despite his personal issues.

After returning to the sport, Woods went two years without winning, but his game is back on track and he currently is ranked No. 2 in the world. Woods won the last tournament he played, three weeks ago in San Diego.

 

The White House made clear from the start of Obama's trip that there would be no coverage of him because he would be on vacation with no plans to leave the club, which remained open to members and their guests.

 

It arranged for the pool of reporters who traveled with Obama to bunk at a Holiday Inn about a 20-minute drive away in Port St. Lucie. Whenever the reporters were brought to the Floridian on the off chance that Obama might leave the property, they were taken no further than a maintenance shed beyond the club gates but on the edge of the grounds.

 

The presence at the Floridian of a professional journalist who tweeted about Obama's game as he was playing, while White House reporters essentially were locked out, brought a sharp response from Ed Henry, the Fox News Channel correspondent who also is president of the White House Correspondents' Association.

 

''A broad cross section of our members from print, radio, online and TV have today expressed extreme frustration to me about having absolutely no access to the president of the United States this entire weekend,'' Henry said in a statement. ''There is a very simple but important principle we will continue to fight for today and in the days ahead: transparency.''

 

In response, Earnest, the White House spokesman said: ''The press access granted by the White House today is entirely consistent with the press access offered for previous presidential golf outings. It's also consistent with the press access promised to the White House Press Corps prior to arrival in Florida on Friday evening.''

 

Previous administrations have allowed brief news media coverage at either the beginning or the end of presidential golf games. Obama's policy generally is no coverage at all, but exceptions were made for separate outings he had in 2011 with House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and former President Bill Clinton.

Golf Channel said Rosaforte is a member of the Floridian who sent his tweets from the clubhouse. Rosaforte did not have access to the course or to Obama, the network said.

 

Obama is in Florida while his wife and daughters are on an annual ski vacation out West. He was due to arrive back in Washington on Monday night.

---

AP Golf Writer Doug Ferguson contributed to this report.

http://sports.yahoo....50519--spt.html

[spitfisher]

"My laser focus is on the economy and getting Americans back to work"......... That's and my short game.


Truth be told he is on vacation, sent the little women away, so he deserves to play with his sticks.

[Aces-6]

I can't see this ending well.

[Llortamaisey]

I can't believe the press feels so entitled to have unlimited access to the President 24/7. No one in there right mind would ever want to live like that. I blame the press for the last 50 years of goombas in office.

And what was Crane doing there? Shouldn't have he been in Houston at the NBA All-Star game kickin' it with Ne-Yo?

[mwkbmw]

Yawn...

[forgedforever]

[quote name='Aces-6' timestamp='1361193036' post='6450699']
I can't see this ending well.
[/quote]

The truth has been spoken...

[hogans71]

[quote name='mwkbmw' timestamp='1361195874' post='6450871']
Yawn...
[/quote]

Agreed...

Not sure how this is considered "Tour talk" anyway...

[pingeye]

There are many many more important things already not getting attention, why should this?

[gmoney]

I played The Floridian last Thursday with a few friends...Not Tiger and Obama mind you but I did get to opportunity play it...


It's not so nice................ OMG!


G

[Cole_Staton22]

That is so eccentric. Did not see that coming or didn't think that would happen

[MileHighClub]

[quote name='pingeye' timestamp='1361198180' post='6451031']
There are many many more important things already not getting attention, why should this?
[/quote]

Exactly

[bscinstnct]

I bet Obama would trade places with TW in a second.

And TW as President?

Cheap as he is, he migh be a decent fiscal conservative. Although,the intern situation might have to be reviewed.

[Frankensteins Monster]

[quote name='hogans71' timestamp='1361198099' post='6451023']
[quote name='mwkbmw' timestamp='1361195874' post='6450871']
Yawn...
[/quote]

Agreed...

Not sure how this is considered "Tour talk" anyway...
[/quote]

I would think since it's Tiger, and he's on the Tour, I would think this is tour talk material. If I offended you by posting this here, or relating the news story I read earlier, my apologies.

I guess we should stick to threads like Phil's animal shoes and belt in the "Tour Talk" forum...

[Huskypride28]

I for one think this is pretty cool. Thanks for posting it.

[Frankensteins Monster]

I appreciate that. Thanks. Better than "yawn" or whatever but taking the time to still post in the thread. I thought it was pretty cool also.

[SilverBullets]

As a conservative I love this... Anything to keep him away from the office and not making decisions about the country

[Frankensteins Monster]

[quote name='SilverBullets' timestamp='1361203470' post='6451545']
As a conservative I love this... Anything to keep him away from the office and not making decisions about the country
[/quote]

[legitimategolf]

This site has got some of the most immature sploosers ever seen on the internet. I have zero faith in the ability of this user base to discuss this in even a remotely civil manner. Save us all some grief mods, lock it up now.

[bepo]

That's a pretty sweet vacation. Everyone, even the president, needs time off to be at their best. Working 24/7 isn't going to yield the best work, you need a healthy balance (even the president).

[stryper]

[quote name='spitfisher' timestamp='1361192885' post='6450693']
"My laser focus is on the economy and getting Americans back to work"......... That's and my short game.


[U]Truth be told he is on vacation[/U], sent the little women away, so he deserves to play with his sticks.
[/quote]

Well, that's unusual....

[stryper]

[quote name='exquisitechip' timestamp='1361204138' post='6451605']
This site has got some of the most immature sploosers ever seen on the internet. I have zero faith in the ability of this user base to discuss this in even a remotely civil manner. Save us all some grief mods, lock it up now.
[/quote]

Indeed, very civil to call us immature...

[hogans71]

[quote name='Frankensteins Monster' timestamp='1361202589' post='6451447']
[quote name='hogans71' timestamp='1361198099' post='6451023']
[quote name='mwkbmw' timestamp='1361195874' post='6450871']
Yawn...
[/quote]

Agreed...

Not sure how this is considered "Tour talk" anyway...
[/quote]

I would think since it's Tiger, and he's on the Tour, I would think this is tour talk material. If I offended you by posting this here, or relating the news story I read earlier, my apologies.

I guess we should stick to threads like Phil's animal shoes and belt in the "Tour Talk" forum...
[/quote]

No need to take it so seriously- you can rest assured I'm not offended...

But I'd like to believe you see the difference between the PM attire thread, which discussed pictures of what the dude was wearing during an ACTUAL tournament THIS PAST WEEK and a casual round of golf that had nothing to do with any type of tournament whatsoever.

[Frankensteins Monster]

[quote name='hogans71' timestamp='1361204641' post='6451653']
[quote name='Frankensteins Monster' timestamp='1361202589' post='6451447']
[quote name='hogans71' timestamp='1361198099' post='6451023']
[quote name='mwkbmw' timestamp='1361195874' post='6450871']
Yawn...
[/quote]

Agreed...

Not sure how this is considered "Tour talk" anyway...
[/quote]

I would think since it's Tiger, and he's on the Tour, I would think this is tour talk material. If I offended you by posting this here, or relating the news story I read earlier, my apologies.

I guess we should stick to threads like Phil's animal shoes and belt in the "Tour Talk" forum...
[/quote]

No need to take it so seriously- you can rest assured I'm not offended...

But I'd like to believe you see the difference between the PM attire thread, which discussed pictures of what the dude was wearing during an ACTUAL tournament THIS PAST WEEK and a casual round of golf that had nothing to do with any type of tournament whatsoever.
[/quote]

I absolutely see no difference between Tiger playing golf with Obama and in the Tour forum and the Phil thread in the Tour forum. If we're going to go the 'where threads should be' route then the Phil thread should be in the Style forum.

The Tour forum is to discuss the players on the tour, not tournaments only. You could argue it could be in the 19th hole but if the Phil clothing thread is in the Tour forum I don't see why this wouldn't.

[hogans71]

[quote name='Frankensteins Monster' timestamp='1361205402' post='6451749']



I absolutely see no difference between Tiger playing golf with Obama and in the Tour forum and the Phil thread in the Tour forum. If we're going to go the 'where threads should be' route then the Phil thread should be in the Style forum.

The Tour forum is to discuss the players on the tour, not tournaments only. You could argue it could be in the 19th hole but if the Phil clothing thread is in the Tour forum I don't see why this wouldn't.
[/quote]

Don't disagree- toss it in the fashion forum. And yes, this should be in the 19th hole.

Let's just move on...

[Frankensteins Monster]

[quote name='hogans71' timestamp='1361206351' post='6451845']
[quote name='Frankensteins Monster' timestamp='1361205402' post='6451749']
I absolutely see no difference between Tiger playing golf with Obama and in the Tour forum and the Phil thread in the Tour forum. If we're going to go the 'where threads should be' route then the Phil thread should be in the Style forum.

The Tour forum is to discuss the players on the tour, not tournaments only. You could argue it could be in the 19th hole but if the Phil clothing thread is in the Tour forum I don't see why this wouldn't.
[/quote]

Don't disagree- toss it in the fashion forum. And yes, this should be in the 19th hole.

Let's just move on...
[/quote]

Moving on we shall.

[imakaveli]

Cool!

[toddnt]

Good for them both!

[hmx3]

3 Mille entry fee for TW.

Obama must be a rich man.