2010 Open Championship: Tiger preps for Open with charity event
Yes, Tiger Woods is desperately trying to get back into the game after his recent ‘mutli-affair controversy. But he has really been looking out of form lately, maybe it’s a result of losing all that money. The great Tiger Woods looked just as out of form in a celebrity pro-am as he did on the PGA Tour.
The number one golfer in the world got to Ireland early on Monday just a few hours after his horrible 46th-place finish at the AT&T National in Pennsylvania and shot a 7-over 79 in the first round of the J.P. McManus Invitational Pro-Am.
The unranked event in County Limerick featuring Hollywood celebrities and Irish billionaires was his first overseas event ever since the very disappointing revelations of his extramarital affairs surfaced last year. While more than 40,000 Irish golf fans offered him a friendly and forgiving welcome, Woods' opening round at the Adare Manor Golf Resort was quite appalling. He bogeyed six holes, double-bogeyed the 7th, and managed a lone birdie on the 17th.
He followed that up by gamely trying to reach the green on the 18th -- a five-par 548-yard hole on the far side of the River Maigue -- in two. His risky second shot fell short into the riverside reeds for a final bogey, the third time he had found water in his round.
Woods didn’t seem very into the game and didn’t show the usual level of frustration he exhibits after an off target shot. Then at the 6th tee, he took a bit of a lunch break, stopping at a concession stand and munched on two bunless burgers. "Don't you want any ketchup?" asked a fan nearby in a plastic lawn chair. "I'm good," Woods replied, before asking his Irish caddie if he wanted a burger too.
He completely ignored pleas from nearby fans to stop and sign their hats and programs, but was unable to avoid a 6-year-old girl named Ava Mulhall. A tiny little girl she was, wearing a pink windbreaker and red ribbon in her hair. She ran under the security rope, dodged a few obstacles, and stopped right in front of Woods. She basically forced him to signed her program , on which she had already collected the signatures of nearly 20 other pros. His security detail was beefed up after this cute little incident. Quite paranoid the Tiger is.
At the final hole, a car parked beside the green whisked Woods away to a helicopter for his overnight stay at the Limerick mansion of the billionaire McManus, an Irish horse breeder, gambler and speculator extraordinaire. Now the story behind this, is that every five years, McManus brings together mixed groups of pros, Irish business leaders and Hollywood celebrities for an event expected to raise more than $37 million for dozens of Irish charities.
This year's celebrity golfers include actors Michael Douglas, Samuel L. Jackson, Hugh Grant, Aidan Quinn, Kyle MacLachlan and Peter Gallagher; English Premier League football coaches Harry Redknapp and Martin O'Neill; and Irish boyband Westlife. Amateurs taking part typically donate $155,000 per trio and are matched to each professional golfer by lottery.
At the end of Monday's first round, Jim Furyk and John Cook of the United States, Peter Hanson of Sweden and Rory Sabbatini of South Africa were in a four-way tie for the lead, each 1-under. Woods trailed was tied for 48th place in the field of 54 pros. The amateurs' scores weren't recorded.
Woods was matched up with no major celebrity teammates Monday, supposedly because of recent incidents that have plagued the golfer’s reputation. One in his foursome, silver-haired Swiss banker Bernard Droux, played more consistently than Woods, who offered him compliments after his precise approach shots and solid putts.
Woods, by contrast, struggled with his short game, repeatedly striking the ball too softly or hooking putts wide. He also accidentally struck a spectator with his tee shot on the par-5, 551-yard 12th. The ball landed in front of the spectator, bounced onto his head and ricocheted back into the fairway. The spectator wasn't seriously hurt. But it really makes you wonder, is it true that behind every great man is a beautiful supportive woman, and Tiger having lost that, has just lost his game completely?
Tags: