On a day when Tiger Woods met with President Barack Obama, he was talking up another president’s prowess with the clubs — and his poker face.
Tiger paid a visit to the White House at about 5 p.m. Monday and did get an audience with the president. But earlier in the afternoon, he appeared at Congressional Country Club for the pre-tournament media day that precedes the annual AT&T National — the PGA tournament he founded two year ago.
In response to a question from Yeas & Nays, Woods recalled when President George H.W. Bush hit the ceremonial first tee shot during the inaugural tournament.
“He complained that he just had surgery and couldn’t hit, and he striped it right down the fairway,” recalled Tiger. “He’d probably be a pretty good poker player.” (Hear that, Obama? There’s a Bush who can still take you down.)
When asked if he’s picking up any Swedish from his wife, Elin, Tiger said he can speak a little bit, but he’s better at reading it. “I understand a little,” he said — mostly phrases like “Take out the trash.”
“I understand that in Thai, too,” he joked. (His mother is Thai.)
He and Greg McLaughlin, head of the Tiger Woods Foundation, said after a year and a half of searching, they do have a site chosen for a Tiger Woods Learning Center in the Washington area, though they wouldn’t say where. Now, they’ve got to grapple with the economy.
“It’s not exactly the best time to start securing funds for a learning center,” said Woods. “The economy has been tough for us.”
