“He asked me how it felt on the putting green, then I asked him how it felt to have a hundred of them.”
—
TROON,Scotland–TigerWoodsmaynotbelightinguptheleaderboardsthesedaysbutthatdoesn’tmeanhe’sforgottenwhatittakestobeagreatchampion.
Woods,48,isturningintoaregularArnoldPalmerthesedays.RememberhowPalmerusedtofamouslysendletterstothewinnersofallthemajorprofessionalgolftournaments?Itwasawonderfulgestureandsomethingthatplayerssavedandcherish.
Well,Tigerisn’texactlypenningloveletterstohisfellowprosbutinhisdotagehe’sturnedoveranewleafandstartedtobecometheelderstatesmanwhosewordsofcongratulations–orinthecaseofRoryMcIlroywordsofencouragement–meantheworldtoplayers.
Earlierthisweek,TigeracknowledgedthathewaitedaweekforthingstodiedownaftertheU.S.OpentotextMcIlroyandessentiallytellhimtokeephisheadupandbetterdaysareaheadafterhisheartbreakingdefeat(moreonTiger’stextandMcIlroy’sphonenumberchangehere).
ItalsobecamepublicthatTigercongratulatedBrysonDeChambeauonwinningtheU.S.OpeninJune.DeChambe