Tiger Woods: Not Fan Friendly

I was at the Olympic Club for the US Open with my daughter, my daughter had never been to a golf event of any kind and was kean on getting some autographs. We got to the course on the Thursday morning at 6am, before Phil, Bubba and Tiger went out together for their first round. we saw Phil and Bubba and both said they would do autographs after their rounds. We saw Tiger arrive through the players parking lot entrance, there was just myself, my daughter and another dad with his two daughters.

Now it wouldn't of hurt Tiger to stop give a couple of autographs say good morning to his fans and be civil. No, He totally ignored us all looked right through us like we weren't there, like a complete +++hole. So much for his vow to be more fan friendly etc.

Now ex Tiger fans!!

No, He just totally ignored the kids, and then after the round he had someone bring his Lexus courtesy car right up to the clubhouse so he could drive out.

The guy is the arguably the most popular male sports figure on the planet, don't you think he occasionally just gets tired of signing autographs? He may have been upset with his round. He doesn't owe you and your daughter an autograph.

You'd do the same thing if you were him. After 17 years of constant attention from people like you outside the ropes...yeah. A million other people "just want an autograph", too.

I never said he did owe us anyting, I could maybe understand if there were 15-20 people there waiting for an autograph, but there were just three young girls. Even if he just said not now I'll see you after the round, like Phil and Bubba did, that wouldn't have been too bad, but to completely ignore them in my book is just unacceptable and bad manners.

tiger couldn't break his zen like state he is in before his rounds, duh! :-D

It's the opening round of the US Open and it's the guys job so I wouldn't expect him to be anything less than focused on the task at hand. Every player would handle it differently but almost none will sign autographs before their round so I'm not sure why you're upset with him. If someone came to my job asking me for something while I'm focused on a presentation I probably wouldn't acknowledge them. I'm not saying blowing off kids is the best way to handle but that's how some of the players who are focused are going to handle it.

I think that OP is suggesting that Tiger could have remained focused, and not signed autographs, hell maybe not even said that he would sign after the round...But maybe a nice little fake smile, nod, or not having looked right through them, etc.  That's all. Not a big deal.

Welcome to the ex Tiger Woods fanclub, OP.

My point is that's not how he handles it especially the morning of the 1st round now if he was saying it was like tuesday yeah that would be sad. On thursday morning Tiger is preparing for his round the minute he wakes up so when he gets to the course that's all that is on his mind. I'm not a fan of Tiger but it is his job and he chose to handle it that way so I wouldn't be mad about it. I've played in tourneys with guys who don't say a word for 18 holes and I have never taken offense to it once.

I'm not upset with him for not signing an autograph, it's more the fact that these kids especially the other two girls that were there, were real tiger fans, I think one was about 10 and the other around 12, they were quite upset. I think it's just bad manners, and doesn't set a good example from someone who's supposed to be a role model.

My apologies for the bluntness, but you really want your kids looking up to Tiger Woods as a role model?

Not me personally, I was talking in general, my daughter and myself are more Phil fans, but the other two girls were real tiger fans according to their father.

i'm not sure i believe your story.  but even if its true, i'll be the first to say you're coming across as an entitled a-hole.   i'm sure  your daughter and her friends are the ONLY fans that truly respect him and he should at least give AT LEAST THEM just a little, teeny bit of attention, and its entirely rude that he didn't.   you're exactly right.

I understand the focus aspect, and the fact that it's his job.  I am not at a loss to understand this.  The guy has to be stone-cold focused, and once he straps his golf shoes on and is on the course, no-one should expect him to even see/hear anyone else as he is known for being in the zone more than anyone else.

I still think that from car to parking lot, prior to entering into the clubhouse he could fake smile/nod half-wave to a couple of kids without even saying a word or signing an autograph.

People can and will defend any/every example of him being arrogant.

In reality, it's his life, he can carry himself however he wants.  I am not suggesting that he owes anyone anything, or that he needs to/should/has to carry himself differently.

I just choose not to be a fan of someone who isn't like that.

You will get a percentage of fans that have the opinion "Who cares what they do in their personal life or how they carry themselves in public or with their fans, I just care that they are awesome at golf and nothing else"  vs. the people who find that aspect just as important as their skills on the course.

I feel that in golf especially, I want to support/be a fan of solid people who are both awesome at golf, as well as with being somewhat consistently reasonably cool with their fans.

I can assure you the "story" is 100% true. I can't see why you think that I'm coming across as an a-hole. I think as Onlybereaved said, even a fake smile or a little wave or acknowledgment of their presence would have left the girls feeling better.

We don't know the other girls, they were just there with their father at the same time time as my daughter and I.

Wow!!!

I think he should be hung, drawn and quartered and one of the quarters displayed at each of the 4 majors as an example to all golfers of how not to behave to their fans. Shame on him!!!!