FROM THE GOLF.COM WEBSITE
Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia had a misunderstanding on the par-5
second hole at TPC Sawgrass on Saturday that reignited the two golfers'
long-time feud. However, the marshal who was following the group said
Woods' explanation for his actions on the hole was not true, according to Sports Illustrated's Michael Bamberger.
In the third round, on the 2nd hole, Woods hit a poor tee shot into
the left trees. García hit a better tee shot, on the right side of the
fairway. If the players had been communicating properly, García and
Woods, or their caddies, would have established an order of play. But
there was nothing like that. García, playing out of turn but not able to
see Woods, was disrupted as he started his swing by a modest cheer from
the woods, where a large group of spectators had surrounded Tiger,
forming a human V around his ball.
The cheers were a response to Woods
pulling a five-wood out of his bag, meaning that he was going to
attempt an absurdly difficult recovery shot. García, after fatting his
shot, turned his round chin in Woods’ direction and glared.
“It’s very simple,” García said during an NBC interview. “You have to
pay attention to what’s going on because the other guy is hitting. You
do something when you’re in the crowd, and the crowd is going to
respond.”
Returning serve, Woods said, “The marshals, they told me he already hit,
so I pulled a club and was getting ready to play my shot, and then I
hear his comments afterward and it’s not real surprising that he’s
complaining about something.”
Well, when they heard that remark from Woods, the marshals were
surprised. One of them, Gary Anderson, said on Sunday, “He didn’t ask us
nothing, and we didn’t say nothing. We’re told not to talk to the
players.”
Anderson’s boss, John North, was the chief marshal for the first three
holes. He stood over Woods’s ball to protect it from the throng and was
five feet away when Woods played his shot. North has worked the
tournament as a volunteer marshal for 30 years, he’s a graduate of the
Naval Academy, he served in Vietnam, he’s a FedEx pilot and he donates
his round on the Stadium course for being a volunteer to the Wounded
Warriors project.
“Nothing was said to us and we certainly said nothing to him,” North
said. “I was disappointed to hear him make those remarks. We’re there to
help the players and enhance the experience of the fans. He was saying
what was good for him. It lacked character.”
Hours later, his workweek done, North watched the tournament on TV in a
military appreciation tent.
“I hate to say it, but I was rooting for
him,” North said of Woods. “It tears me apart. But when he’s winning..."
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