Highlights
- Woods and Clinton had a surprising feud that started with Woods declining to join the President at a baseball game in '97.
- A biography revealed Woods' disrespectful behavior towards Clinton during a golf game, making a terrible impression on the former President.
- The feud escalated further when Woods failed to return or personalize a photo for Clinton's office, causing further tension between the two.
On the surface, there seems to be little that connects Tiger Woods and President Bill Clinton, save for some serious difficulty with keeping it in their pants. Nevertheless, the golf legend and the former President of the United States have been in the limelight for decades, largely in their own spheres.
What few people actually know is that Woods and Clinton have a history, and no, it doesn't involve infidelity.
During the 1990s and 2000s, these two men were engaged in a head-scratching feud that all stemmed from one side refusing to deal with the other.
Tiger Woods Declined An Invitation And A Photo With President Bill Clinton In '97, Kicking Off Their Feud
In 1997, while President Clinton was still in office, Tiger Woods had an opportunity to join the President at a baseball game, but declined, unknowingly beginning their bizarre beef.
A White House spokesman shed light on Woods' denial, adding that there was hope that Woods and Clinton would link up down the line.
"The spokesman, Barry Toiv, said, 'Clearly at some point, some time, they will get together.' Toiv acknowledged one possible opportunity might come in June when both the Kemper Open and the U.S. Open are held in the Washington area, but he said no plans were being made that far ahead. Clinton, himself a frequent recreational golfer, has offered repeated praise of Woods as an inspirational model since his runaway victory this past weekend in The Masters, making him the youngest and first black champion in professional golf's showcase tournament," Toiv stated, per UPI.
Woods' decision sparked much discourse, with some feeling that he was absolutely justified in declining the invitation.
In a 1997 op-ed for The New York Times, Robert George sided with Woods, which contrasted an original piece from writer, Maureen Dowd.
"Mr. Woods's priorities are just fine. After winning the Masters, he recognized both Lee Elder and other black golfers who were the Jackie Robinsons of his sport. What Mr. Woods apparently understands is that Robinson's achievement was accomplished not in one game but over a career of professionalism. That is very different from winning the Masters. Robinson deserved a day of his own, separate from Tiger-mania," George wrote.
Further adding to the initial contention was Woods declining to take a picture with President Clinton as US Ryder Cup team visited the White House.
In the following decade, Woods and President Clinton would come face-to-face, and sadly, things took a turn for the worst.
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In the biography Tiger Woods, the story of his time with President Clinton was made public, and it did not paint Woods in a flattering light.
After recruiting President Clinton for an event, the duo played a round of golf, something they are both passionate about.
According to the biography, "Dispensing with introductions, Tiger wanted to know if the president had arrived. When told Clinton was on his way, Woods replied with a straight face, “I can’t wait to talk about p----.'"
From that moment on, things only got worse, as Woods decided to be the worst version of himself.
The biography notes that Woods told offensive jokes, and made comments like “How do you remember all that s***?” when Clinton prattled on. It's also stated that "Tiger acted completely indifferent to the entire group, mostly riding alone in his cart and spending an inordinate amount of time on his phone. After finishing a hole, he would routinely exit the green while others were still putting, a major breach of golf etiquette."
One observer was quoted in the book, saying, "He was really obnoxious," before adding, "It was so clear to me that day who Tiger really was. I’ve never seen the president more put off by a person than that experience.”
A terrible look for the golf legend, which was only made worse when he initially did not personalize and return a photo that was sent to him by President Clinton's office. Months later, Woods was contacted, and finally obliged.
It seems like such a small thing, the picture snafu, but given the history there, it must have felt like a kick to the shin for President Clinton and his team.
The biography then added a quote from one of President Clinton's staff, which says a lot about the way Woods acted that fateful day.
"Clinton hauled his ass out West, and you can’t sign a picture? The whole experience was a lot of ‘I’m Tiger Woods, king of the world, go f---yourself,'" the staffer said.
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