With his playing year almost over, Tiger Woods spent
much of last week on a successful PR blitz.
There was a radio interview in the United States.
There was an article written by the man himself in Newsweek.
And - almost unbelievably - Tiger started to use Twitter.
The great man has had a Twitter account for 18 months or so
- at twitter.com/tigerwoods - but
until now it has solely been used to publicise his other online enterprises.
But, as of 4:08pm on November 17, Woods began Tweeting with
the following immortal words: "What's up everyone. Finally decided to try
out twitter!"
Can you believe this guy? First, he dismays the prudish parents
of the world with his sexual proclivities. And now, he winds up those concerned
about their children's standard of English with his callous disregard for the proper
use of question marks.
Whatever next? Perhaps he'll be pictured in a restaurant holding
his spoon like a shovel, or failing to offer his seat to a pregnant woman on
the bus. The shameless cad.
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Joking aside, Tiger - once the most remote and aloof of sportsmen - seems to be reaching out to people via this new medium. "Thanks for all the love," he subsequently Tweeted, before later confirming that he enjoyed the radio interview via telephone because he got to wear shorts.
Hearing him share such mundane but personable thoughts is a refreshing and welcome change. This is the man who does not even flinch when walking past crowds of young autographhunters, despite their bleating pleas which would crack the stony heart of a hired assassin.
But if these Tweets from the new, touchy-feely Tiger aren't floating your golfing boat, then lucky for you Tiger isn't the only new golf-related Twitterer out in
Tweetspace: you can now follow Bunker Mentality on Twitter as well at
twitter.com/MentalBunker.
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If you haven't read Tiger's Newsweek piece, incidentally,
it's well worth a read. It's a brilliant piece of apologetic prose that is loaded
with far more charm and thought than his cringemaking TV appearance back in Spring.
Let's hope that it's time to move on.
http://www.newsweek.com/2010/11/17/how-i-ve-redefined-victory.html
His radio interview, meanwhile, sparked plenty of satirical jibes aimed in his direction. You really shouldn't miss this hilarious skit offered by one of our US colleagues.
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Woods is already up to a quarter of a million or so
followers on his Twitter account, leaving him some way short of the sport's
undisputed Twitter king: Ian Poulter.
It was a good week for Poults, who won his second
tournament of the year this weekend in Hong Kong.
Bunker Mentality has had something of change of heart about
the Hertfordshire star in recent years.
We never had a problem with him when was
both an eye-catching and undeniably gifted rookie.
And those Union Jack trousers at Troon in 2004? Cracking fun, and just what the game needed.
But his absurd posturing and arrogance began to get right up
BM's nose in the (lengthy) era when he was consistently underperforming on the course.
From 2006 until mid-2008 the only way he was capable of making the
back pages was with his ever-more flamboyant outfits.
Time and again he fell
short in his actual profession, blowing up when he had chances to win and yet
talking himself up as if he had a God-given right to walk alongside the best of the best.
Yet all that changed a couple of summers ago. His performance
in the toughest of conditions during The Open at Royal Birkdale in 2008 was outstanding
and gutsy. The 10-foot putt he holed on the final green was good enough to win
him a Major, even if Padraig Harrington produced a 5-wood stroke that was even better back on the
par-5 17th that led to the Irishman taking the Claret Jug.
But the experience seemed to have changed Poulter for good: he was excellent a couple
of months later that year as Europe's sole star performer at the Ryder Cup. And though it took him until late
2009 to finally break his victory drought, he has gone on to win twice more in
the last year to prove that he is worthy of his place at golf's top table.
So long as his golf keeps on shouting louder than his
trousers, we'll be cheering him on all the way.
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Quote of the Week:
"The best thing that could've happened to me" - Tiger Woods on his radio interview discussing his life crumbling
around his ears in the past 12 months.
Tweet of the Week:
"I was told after winning that i was back in the top 10 in the world someone
cant add up im actually 11th" - Ian
Poulter demonstrates that Tiger Woods isn't the only player out there whose
grip on grammar is weaker than BM's grip on its putter while standing over a four-footer.
Stat of the Week:
24 yards - the shortest drive of the year, according to the US PGA Tour's official
statistics gurus. The shot in question was hit by Aaron Baddeley on the 10th
hole of the Canadian Open at the St George's Golf and Country Club in Toronto.
Baddeley went on to make par.
Shots of the Week:
Italian 17-year-old Matteo Manassero fired a stunning second shot at the Hong
Kong Open to set up an eagle that helped him towards a final round of 62 that
gave him second place behind Poulter and all-but-guaranteed that he will be
named rookie of the year. The European Tour website has the video; they also
have highlights of Poulter's magnificent second-round 60.