Change is fantastic as long as we don’t hurt the innocent ... but sadly that is what happened
DEVELOPMENTS IN SOCIETY HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGING FOR WOODS
It’s not just that everything looks different — the energy is different too
Tiger Woods last night tempered enthusiasm with words of caution when asked about the Black Lives Matter movement that has made its presence felt in every city in America during his five months out of the spotlight.
As he prepares to end his own extended lockdown in the company of rory Mcilroy and Brooks Koepka in a high-profile threeball at the Memorial tournament in ohio tomorrow, Woods said: ‘i think change is fantastic, as long as we make the changes without hurting the innocent, and unfortunately that has happened.
‘Hopefully, that doesn’t happen going forward, but a movement and change is how society develops. That’s how we grow and move forward. That’s how we have fairness.
‘Hopefully, we don’t lose any more innocent lives, as we moved to a better place socially.’
Never the most political of animals, it’s hard to imagine the 44-year-old former stanford graduate following up with any grandiose gestures of support for the BLM movement before teeing off.
during his time away, Woods’ health improved to the point where he resumed playing tennis for the first time in 20 years. He read some novels by thriller writer dean Koontz and played golf with his son, Charlie.
‘How good can he be? That’s all up to him,’ he said.
As for his return, when Mcilroy played alongside Woods in the first round of the genesis invitational last year, the noise was so loud the Northern irishman came off the course saying he needed headache pills.
such has been life on tour for 24 years now for Tiger, a riotous kaleidoscope of sound and colour that he learned to harness to devastating advantage.
it’s going to be fascinating, therefore, to see how he copes with solitude.
‘it’s not just that everything looks different, but the energy is clearly different,’ added Woods.
‘There’s nothing to feed off. You make a big putt or a big par, or a big chip or hit a hell of a shot, there’s no one there. All the distractions, the noise, the excitement, the energy. it’s just a silent and different world.’
Woods said the ryder Cup was not the same without fans as he backed the decision to postpone the Whistling straits showpiece until next year.
The biennial clash between the United states and europe had been due to take place in september, but continuing concerns over coronavirus meant event organisers were unable to guarantee the Wisconsin venue could safely host spectators this year and opted to push it back until 2021.
Woods, who has played in eight ryder Cups during his long and highly successful career, highlighted how integral the fans were to the competition and said it could not take place without them.
The 15-time major champion, who will be in competitive action for the first time since February at this week’s Memorial Tournament, told a press conference streamed on the PgA Tour’s Twitter account: ‘Quite frankly, a ryder Cup without fans is not the ryder Cup.
‘As it is now, okay. so when the ryder Cup first started, there weren’t that many people involved in the game but the world has expanded, the event has expanded.
‘And, as far as i can remember, i’ve always seen people involved in a ryder Cup — the chanting, the screaming and the participation, the bipartisanship that has been part of the sport and part of the event.
‘i think what they did with suspending it for the year and moving it to next year was the right thing.
‘We couldn’t have an environment in which we could protect all the fans that were going to be involved and have that type of assurance. obviously, if that’s the case, you can’t have the fans.
‘Well, if you can’t have the fans, then it’s not the ryder Cup.’
Woods has the chance to make PgA Tour history this week, as he bids to overtake sam snead’s long-standing record of 82 wins.
The 44-year-old matched snead when he claimed the Zozo Championship title in Japan last october and he has his sights set on returning to the winner’s circle at Muirfield Village on sunday.
‘i’d like to say that i’m going to win the event,’ added Woods, who has won this tournament five times before. ‘That’s my intent coming in here, that’s my intent going into every event.
‘Whether that plays out come sunday, hopefully that will be the case. it was that one particular week, three tournaments ago at Zozo. There’s no reason why i can’t do it again this week.’