Tiger moves from president to the big boys

Tiger Woods (CP)

Barack Obama (TRIBUNE MEDIA MCT)

MARANA, Ariz. -- Tiger Woods delivered a "State of the Game" on President Barack Obama's golfing prowess and the news wasn't all bad.

"If he ever spent -- after these four years -- spent more time playing the game of golf, I'm sure he could get to where he's a pretty good stick," Woods said Tuesday.

Woods comes into the Match Play Championship on somewhat of a winning streak. While he revealed very few details about his Sunday round with Obama at The Floridian, he at least made sure everyone knew that they won.

The competition picks up at Dove Mountain, where the first World Golf Championship of the year starts today in what might be frigid weather.

Instead of having President Obama as his partner against Houston Astros owner Jim Crane and outgoing U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, the second-seeded Woods opens this fickle tournament against Charles Howell III in a match that takes both of them back to their youth.

The last time they faced each other in this format, Woods beat Howell in the quarterfinals of the 1996 U.S. Amateur.

Woods is the only three-time winner of the Match Play Championship, though he hasn't advanced out of the second round since he last won this event in 2008.

"The whole idea is just to beat one guy at a time," Woods said. "That's the thing. There are times where I've played well in matches and I've lot, and other times where I've played poorly and advanced.

Rory McIlroy is the No. 1 seed and will play Shane Lowry, a longtime friend and former partner on the Irish team that won the European Team Championships in 2007. In a similar match, former U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell (Northern Ireland) plays three-time major champion Padraig Harrington (Ireland).

The toughest challenge might be the weather, with a front expected to move across the high desert overnight and bringing temperatures so low that light snow is possible. Scores aren't necessarily important at Dove Mountain. This week is only about having a better score than the opponent.

-- The Associated Press

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