Prowling 18 holes with Tiger Woods
By: Kevin Dunleavy
Examiner Staff Writer
July 5, 2009
At Congressional, Woods' fans are in awe
It's 7:35 a.m. Friday, 37 minutes before Tiger Woods is to tee off in the second round of the AT&T National, and his fans have already gathered at the driving range, 10 rows deep and on tiptoes, to see the world's greatest golfer.
For the next five hours at Congressional Country Club, Woods will be the focus of tens of thousands. People will stand 10-20 deep at tee boxes and greens. They will line every fairway and every path from green to tee. They will pick spots on high ground, often hundreds of yards away.
Walking 18 holes with Woods is an exercise in adulation. His fans are different. They are polite and respectful. When he walks off the fourth green they stare in silence until one brave soul pipes up, "Let's go Tiger!" Immediately, others are emboldened to cheer, clap, and holler, as if on cue.
As Woods walks the fairways, many call out, "Thank you, Tiger." Maybe this is a D.C. phenomenon.
"I just wanted to tell him thanks for coming to D.C.," said Katy Kelly of Bethesda.
Some are thanking Woods for recognizing the military. Some are thanking him for bringing a PGA Tour stop to Washington. Others seem to be thanking him for simply being Tiger. Woods, laser-focused down the fairway, rarely acknowledges them. Perhaps he doesn't even hear.
When asked later if he is ever tempted to react more to the fans, Woods says: "No, no. I'm trying to shoot the lowest score I possibly can. I'm competing and I'm working on shooting a round that will enable me to win a championship."
As Woods is playing his first hole of the day, No. 10 at Congressional Blue, fans begin gathering on the tee at No. 11. They want to get an up-close view. Buzzing with anticipation, they grow silent as Woods approaches with playing partner Charlie Hoffman.
"Tiger just looks in such better shape than everybody else," whispers a man.
As Lucas Glover arrives after saving par from a bunker, Woods, warming up, says: "Hell of a 3, man." A kid standing at the ropes nudges his friend. They've heard a tiny nugget from the lips of Tiger. Then they hear another, this one unprintable, as Woods drives into a fairway trap on his way to his lone bogey of the day.
But the mood turns festive as Woods knocks irons stiff, making birdies at No. 13 and No. 15. On the tee at No. 16, a par 5, Woods unleashes his drive and a fan yells, "Get in the hole, baby." The line has been overworked by golf fans for more than a decade, but it still gets a laugh here. At 9:37 a.m., U.S. Army warrant officer Eric Mitchell, 35, of Lakeland, Fla., on training in Washington, receives a fist bump from his buddy.
But outbursts are rare in a Tiger crowd. His fans are gawkers. They are there to bask in his aura. Many are not golf savvy. When Woods hits perhaps his best shot of the round, a flop shot from a severe downhill lie to a tight pin on No. 2, fans moan "Awwww," as the ball finishes a foot from the cup, then give him a polite golf clap.
As Friday's round progresses, fans adopt Woods' partner, Charlie Hoffman, who isn't playing particularly well and seems oblivious to attention, but has nice, flowing blonde locks. The other player in the threesome, is Lucas Glover, winner of the U.S. Open two weeks ago, who is hitting it past Woods on every hole. Few seem to notice as Glover closes the first nine with four straight birdies on his way to a 66, the same score as Woods.
As the round progesses, the crowd builds. When Woods hits the turn, fans scramble to reach the front nine. As they spill across a restricted area, a fairway on Congressional's Gold Course, marshals wearing baby blue golf shirts are powerless to stop them. One races up in a golf cart, speaking into a walkie-talkie: "We got a situation here."
Eventually order is restored. After all, Tiger fans do what they're told. Without complaint they return to a path and take the long way to the first hole, where the procession continues and builds some more.
