Watching the final holes of the US Open plus the post play interviews, I was struck by the difference in the Europeans who were interviewed and the Americans, specifically the number one player in the world, Tiger Woods. Frenchman Gregory Havret, in a consolation interview, was gracious and personable. He talked about playing well, about being let down by his putter in the closing holes but mostly he just talked. He described his experience at Pebble Beach and his thoughts on the course as well as his play on it.
Graeme McDowell, the winner from Northern Ireland, was equally talkative, discussing the course, thanking the greenskeeper and grounds crew and giving us an insight into what it was like for him to win the US Open. He was personable and friendly. Granted, he had just won the US Open but still, he treated the questions from Bob Costas seriously. He appeared genuinely happy to answer questions.
Contrast this all with Tiger Woods who answered a single interview question curtly and shortly, saying he would take nothing positive out of his performance and acting generally like a petulant child, not a man who just finished tied for fourth in this country’s greatest championship in the sport of his choosing after a long and protracted episode of marital infidelity and personal disaster. He has apparently learned nothing, still assuming that happiness only comes with a win. His interviews were never particularly enjoyable to listen to but one would hope that he had gained some perspective over the past months. Instead, he can’t hardly be bothered to honor the tradition of the championship, can say nothing good of the winner or potential winners at that point and answers a single question as if it was the dumbest thing he had ever heard.
I didn’t ever really have an opinion on his troubles over the past few months. I think he made a huge mistake but I had hoped that maybe it would help him gain perspective on life, open up as a human and maybe give back to some of the fans who clearly still honor him. Instead, he is as stony and withdrawn as always. It is too bad that the best player in the world can’t be bothered to honor and respect the tradition of the Open and its fans as well as his fellow competitors.
June 21, 2010 at 7:09 am
Eh. We’ve all heard what Tiger thinks about everything for about a decade now. Halvert, on the other hand, probably was doing his first world-wide interview. First I’ve heard from McDowell, too.
And, that was an unbelievably dumb question. “What can you take away from a round with five bogies?” Really? That’s the best NBC can do? I kind of boggled when I heard that. You couldn’t have thought that was worth asking…
I’m not a Tiger lover. He’s a pretty sorry human being, obviously. Kind of a Ty Cobb of golf, or maybe there’s a better analog out there. I just like watching the guy play golf. And I’m very giggly at his sorriness, too…can’t help myself there.
June 21, 2010 at 7:09 am
Eh. We’ve all heard what Tiger thinks about everything for about a decade now. Halvert, on the other hand, probably was doing his first world-wide interview. First I’ve heard from McDowell, too.
And, that was an unbelievably dumb question. “What can you take away from a round with five bogies?” Really? That’s the best NBC can do? I kind of boggled when I heard that. You couldn’t have thought that was worth asking…
I’m not a Tiger lover. He’s a pretty sorry human being, obviously. Kind of a Ty Cobb of golf, or maybe there’s a better analog out there. I just like watching the guy play golf. And I’m very giggly at his sorriness, too…can’t help myself there.
June 22, 2010 at 1:17 pm
All we’ve heard from Tiger for a decade is 4 syllable answers about how he didn’t have his A-game or the 150 variations of such that he trots out there. Yes, it was a dumb question but there was a huge opening there to say “you know what, I’ve grown up a lot and I’m thankful I’ve made as much progress as I have over the past few months” or something to that effect. I wish Rolfing would have asked “what do you take positive from the week” but whatever.
Why bother stopping for the interview at all? In the end, yeah, he’s a piece of unrepentant crap as far as being human is concerned but for being a supposed student of the game, I wish he’d be a little more considerate of the parts of it he clearly can’t stand.
June 22, 2010 at 1:17 pm
All we’ve heard from Tiger for a decade is 4 syllable answers about how he didn’t have his A-game or the 150 variations of such that he trots out there. Yes, it was a dumb question but there was a huge opening there to say “you know what, I’ve grown up a lot and I’m thankful I’ve made as much progress as I have over the past few months” or something to that effect. I wish Rolfing would have asked “what do you take positive from the week” but whatever.
Why bother stopping for the interview at all? In the end, yeah, he’s a piece of unrepentant crap as far as being human is concerned but for being a supposed student of the game, I wish he’d be a little more considerate of the parts of it he clearly can’t stand.
June 26, 2010 at 8:20 pm
It’s a media age, so he had to stop by for the obligatory national network question. I personally wouldn’t have cared if he’d just gotten in the car and left. He’s a golfer and having hung out with golfers, they don’t have a lot to offer the human race, unless you want to learn to golf. Like everybody else, really.
June 26, 2010 at 8:20 pm
It’s a media age, so he had to stop by for the obligatory national network question. I personally wouldn’t have cared if he’d just gotten in the car and left. He’s a golfer and having hung out with golfers, they don’t have a lot to offer the human race, unless you want to learn to golf. Like everybody else, really.