Tiger married only to game now, and it needs counselling

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 26/08/2010 (5830 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

PARAMUS, N.J. — For the first time all summer, Tiger Woods showed up at a PGA Tour event knowing that his day would not include phone calls from a lawyer or divorce documents to approve.

He is only married to his golf now.

"This is my job," Woods said Wednesday. "This is what I do."

Even so, Woods slowly shook his head when asked if he felt relief that his divorce became official two days ago.

"I don’t think that’s the word," he said. "I think it’s just more sadness. Because I don’t think you ever go into a marriage looking to get divorced. That’s the thing. That’s why it is sad."

Woods still could not avoid talk about the end of his nearly six years of marriage to Elin Nordegren, brought on by numerous extramarital affairs that were exposed last Thanksgiving.

As he was teeing off in the rain during the pro-am, People magazine released an interview with his ex-wife in which she spoke openly about how her world fell apart and that she has "been through hell."

Before he completed the first hole, his agent and spokesman were outside the rope, each talking on a cellphone.

Then, after Woods hit his approach to the green, a tabloid columnist walked out into the fairway with notepad and pen to ask him questions. She had never been to a golf tournament and was not aware that reporters are to stay by the ropes.

It took five questions on his game before Woods was asked about his divorce and his ex-wife’s interview, although Woods handled both questions with the same, measured tones, not revealing much.

"I wish her the best in everything," he said. "You know, it’s a sad time in our lives. And we’re looking forward in our lives and how we can help our kids the best way we possibly can. And that’s the most important thing."

They have two children, three-year-old daughter Sam and 18-month-old son Charlie. The divorce allowed for "shared parenting," and Woods completed a four-hour program on family stability the day before he left for the British Open.

The process of getting a divorce consumed most of his summer, not only on the golf course, but during his weeks at home when he was practicing and preparing for the majors. Ten majors now have passed without Woods winning, matching the longest drought of his career.

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Asked to describe how the details of divorce affected his practice, Woods said, "It was a lot more difficult than I was letting on."

As for the job? That’s not going so well, either.

Despite a tie for fourth in the Masters in his return from a five-month hiatus, and a tie for fourth at the U.S. Open, Woods has played so poorly that he comes to The Barclays at No. 112 in the FedEx Cup standings, with no guarantee he will make it to the next playoff event.

— The Associated Press