Posted on 07/06/2007 4:56:01 AM PDT by Slim Pickens
If Tiger Woods weren’t a professional golfer, he’d probably be a member of the military’s special operations community, Woods told reporters today at the Congressional Country Club here today.
“I told Dad if I didn’t make it (as a golfer) in the first few years, that’s probably where I’d go,” he said. “I’d probably end up going into the military – and I don’t know what branch – but I’d certainly want to be in the special operations community.”
Indeed, Woods underwent four days of Army special operations training at Fort Bragg, N.C., in conjunction with a golf clinic he hosted there in April 2004. Woods’ late father, Earl Woods, wore the Green Beret for 12 years as a Special Forces soldier during his 20-year Army career.
“That just seems to be more of a fit considering what I grew up with, and I certainly understand it and can relate to it,” Tiger said. “But somehow I ended up here. I made a couple putts in those years.”
Woods is hosting the AT&T National golf tournament here July 3-8. Besides “getting a W” – or winning the tournament – Woods said honoring the men and women serving America was one of his overarching goals as the event’s host.
Tomorrow morning, the world’s top-rated professional golfer will play a practice round, called the Earl Woods Memorial Pro-Am, with pairings that include Army Sgt. Maj. Mia Kelly and Air Force Master Sgt. Andrew Amor.
Woods said he is excited about playing alongside the servicemembers.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” he said. “I’ve seen their bios, but I haven’t met anyone yet, so I’m really looking forward to that, and hopefully I won’t get beat too bad.”
The golfer said that when he turned 10 years old, he began to play on military golf courses, using his status as a “military dependent.”
“I had my little card, and I could flash that and get on the golf course,” he said. “The only frustrating thing was a lot of military bases had an age limit of 10. I thought I could play before that.”
Woods has since hit the links on many of America’s military courses, and he especially likes the Air Force Academy’s course in Colorado Springs, Colo., he said.
“I’ve played a lot of military facilities around the country. For one, they’re cheaper,” he joked.
As a tribute to golf fans in the military, Woods has arranged for tournament sponsors to distribute 30,000 free tickets to active U.S. military personnel. Those attending will be able to enjoy the view from a special seating gallery, and snack on discounted concessions after showing military identification.
“I know I can’t serve with them, but I just want to say, ‘Thank you’ in some way, and this is our way of being able to do that,” he said.
“Even though my dad was retired, I basically grew up on a military base, and just understanding the commitment that it takes each and every day, for the service men and women, what they do for us, I just think that it was something that should be honored,” Woods said.
In general, I find conservatives & Freepers to be kind, big-hearted, logical, rational, nice people.
Some, however, are small-minded, angry goons who despise anything THEY don't agree with.... you know - the ones that make conservatives look like idiots.
And, unfortunately, if the New York SLimes decided to do a story about this and came to this site to find a "Freeper Quote" - yours would be the one they would use - despite the fact that 99% of us here would disagree with your inanity.
One step forward, 2 steps back.
I beg your pardon?
Tournament host Tiger Woods has gone out of his way this week to honor servicemen at the AT&T National PGA Tour event. He named the pro-am in honor of his late father, a 20-year Army veteran. He donated 30,000 tournament tickets to active-duty military personnel.
Sgt. Maj. Mia Kelly of the 1st Information Operations Command at Virginia's Fort Belvoir, and Master Sgt. Andy Amor of Maryland's Andrews Air Force Base were paired with Woods for the pro-am.
But another Woods stole the show on No. 7.
Sgt. Michael Woods, a 32-year-old from DeLand, works in administration at Army Materiel Command Headquarters at Fort Belvoir and was selected to be Tiger's honorary caddie for just one hole.
As Tiger lined up his birdie putt, he turned to his caddie.
"He asked me to put the bag down and called me over to him, and he asked me: 'What do you see?' " Sgt. Woods said. "I said: 'Fairway leans to the right, you should hit it to the left.' And he said: 'Here you go.' So I took the putt."
"Show me," Tiger said as he handed his trusty putter to Sgt. Woods, who promptly knocked down the 12-footer.
The gallery went wild.
"I think it means a lot to a lot of people," Sgt. Woods said of Tiger's military support. "This is our independence and the birth of our nation, so it was really cool that he put this event on and allowed the military to be a part of it."
Sgt. Woods learned at 5:15 a.m. Wednesday he would get to caddie for Tiger.
"I knew that I would be out here somewhere with a professional golfer, I just didn't know which one," he said. "I've been playing golf a little bit, trying to get decent at it, and that was probably the best putt I've ever seen in my life.
"I'm nervous right now," he said. "I'm shaking."
The word around Congressional was that Tiger gave the putter to the soldier, but Tiger quashed that report after finishing his round.
"No, I stole it back," he said. "It's got 11 majors in it."
Either way, Tiger made this July 4 one many soldiers will never forget.
"This is a day I'll remember forever," Sgt. Woods said.
That's gonna leave a mark ...
Lazamataz: I Wanna Be Gridlock.
I disagree, and if you don't change your belief I'm gonna bootstomp yer face. God, I despise you.
With his capacity to focus, Woods might have made a good sniper.
Thanks for the update- Again, he’s a great role-model and a patriot.
Let us all bow down at the altar of the great and omnipotent Tiger Woods.
Somehow this thread took a right turn into the Twilight Zone...
I hate my reputation.
Practice, practice, practice.
Hey genius, I never criticized his support for the troops. Just because an athelete is on the juice does not mean he can’t show respect to the military.
That woulda been cool.
I noted her initials are SAW. Sam Alexis Woods
We just can’t help noticing your perspicacity.
I'll try to remember to zip up.
Sinking a putt for Tiger Woods... Using his putter! That would be a hoot!
It sounds like Tiger gets it. I don’t insist that he impoverish himself giving it all away. It looks like he put on a nice event here, and a lot of military people had a good time. A good deed all around.
And it never hurts to have some Good Karma rub off on your putter...
I was about to....but then I watched Tiger Woods and Barry Bonds on TV, and steroids immediately came to mind.
There you go again. Sheesh!! What's the matter? He's a better athlete than you are so he must be on the juice??
You should probably read about his workout routines and his diet, then go play a few rounds of golf- Then you can tell us what you learned about how 'roids would affect a golf swing...
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