The peace accord is a fragile one, or so it would seem when it comes to Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia. If the limp handshake on the range here at Merion Golf Club on Monday seemed to indicate any lingering ill-will after the Spaniard's "fried chicken" loose talk and its undercurrent of racist abuse was at an end, the affirmation from Woods yesterday that no verbal apology had been received from Garcia indicated that the issue hasn't been completely put to bed. Not fully. Not yet.
Indeed, Woods, when probed on the matter, was succinct. Asked if he and Garcia had discussed the matter which first arose last month, Woods – a winner of 14 Major titles in his career – responded: “No, we didn’t discuss anything. (He) just came up and said ‘hi’ and that was it.”
With his focus on this 113th US Open championship on a course at Merion which has a rich heritage in golf, Woods appeared keen not to dwell on the implications of his revelation that Garcia – who apologised publically during the BMW PGA at Wentworth after his comments were deemed to be racially insensitive – had not actually repeated those words in person. But the subtle silence after his pronouncement said a lot.
Woods, though, insisted: “We’ve already gone through it all, it’s time for the US Open.” The priorities of the world number one, it would seem, remain focused on himself and his pursuit of Jack Nicklaus’s career record of 18 Majors than on any Love/Hate sideshow with Garcia. Woods has more important business on his mind.
Indeed, rather than lingering on the Garcia issue, Woods yesterday seemed more concerned about the part mud balls would play in the championship after heavy rain doused the course in recent days.
'Few mud balls'
"We're going to have situations where, if it does dry out through the weekend and hit a few good drives and get a few mud balls, we're going to have to deal with it. It's part of the game, getting up and down, and dealing with situations like that. (On) the shorter holes, if you catch a ball that's got a little bit of mud on it, you can't be as precise."
The last of Woods’s 14 Major titles came when he won the US Open at Torrey Pines in 2008. “He was playing on a broken leg pretty much. It was probably one of the best performances golf has ever seen, if not sport in general,” said Rory McIlroy of that win, when he defeated Rocco Mediate in a play-off and then signed off from the sport to undergo knee surgery.
These days, Woods is back fitter and stronger than ever. But the 15th Major has proven to be an elusive goal. So far, at least. Since claiming a third US Open title over that favoured terrain in Torrey Pines, Woods has finished sixth-fourth-21st in the three US Opens he has played in. He missed the 2011 championship at Congressional.
In those career-Major wins accumulated since his breakthrough win at the Masters in Augusta in 1997, Woods – it has seemed – has risen to the occasion on courses where golfing history plays a bigger part. St Andrews. Pebble Beach. Augusta indeed. What of Merion and its historical connections with Hogan? “It would be nice (to win),” admitted Woods, adding: “We’ve got a long way to go. We’re two days away from the start. I would like to obviously put my name there at the end of the week but I’ve got to do my work and put myself there.”
So far this season, Woods has been the dominant player in the world. He has four wins on the PGA Tour and has put daylight between himself and the rest at the top of the world rankings. And, yet, regardless of how many wins he notches up, it is that quest for Majors which turns a good season into a great one. The challenge of Merion beckons.
