April 5, 2010
Players brace for Tiger craziness
By IAN HUTCHINSON, QMI Agency

As if we don't get it already, the Tiger Woods tail continues to squeeze every last drop out of this sordid story.

A Vanity Fair article apparently will present them (the women) as poor victims, which leaves that publication and its story subjects to be reviled as much as the guy at the epicentre of the scandal.

They just won't let this go and unless Tiger says something of consequence at his presser today at Augusta National, not that he owes anyone anything, the scandal could well overshadow golf, which should be the focus among the magnolias and azaleas during Masters Week.

The consensus is that Woods will sidestep any direct hits from the media today and allow the tsunami of scandal to continue, making the 2010 Masters like no other.

A locale so devoted to decorum will attempt to control the potential for a three-ring circus, which certainly will spread to the rest of the field, the true innocent bystanders who have been fielding questions since this whole thing started.

It's the obsession with Woods that has sparked criticism that nobody has stepped to the plate in his absence, even though Ernie Els, somebody who was supposed to challenge Woods years ago, has won a couple recently and young Colombian Camilo Villegas has three top 10s, including his win at the Honda Classic.

Villegas, 28, has caught the attention of fans with his Spiderman contortions while lining up putts, but he realizes that he can't get caught up in being an entertainer.

"The minute you start thinking that you're an entertainer, things are going to start going south," said Villegas, who has agreed to play in the Telus World Skins Game in Victoria and will also be in Canada for the RBC Canadian Open later this year.

"You play golf for a living. You play golf to win golf tournaments. You've got to take care of business and if people enjoy watching you play golf and the way you do things and the way you treat people and the way you handle yourself, that's great," he said.

"The second you start putting pressure on yourself, I just don't think it's the best strategy. My point is if you perform, you play good golf, if you are yourself, it you treat people the right way, they're going to enjoy it and that's the bottom line," said Villegas, who looks forward to seeing Woods at Augusta.

"Not only me, but I'm sure the rest of the guys are just excited to have him back and we understand that it's going to be a little crazy out there," he said.

That craziness and the distractions will be especially intense on whoever is playing with Woods and Mike Weir says he would prefer to avoid it this week, even though he normally enjoys being paired with Woods.

"Should it happen, I guess it's something I'd be prepared to deal with," Weir said.

"Obviously, I'd have to answer questions about Tiger and how he looks and how his game looks and everything else.

"It's another added thing that, playing in a major championship, you don't want to have to think about, but if it happens, it happens.

"I'd probably rather not have that happen in a major championship."

Despite the distractions that Woods will cause, Villegas isn't alone on tour in his anticipation of Tiger's return.

"There will be a lot of distractions. It's nice to see him back and I just wish him the best," he said.


CANOE.CA SLAM!