European Ryder Cup
captain Colin Montgomerie, who faced his share of hecklers in the
United States, believes Tiger Woods will be able to cope with any abuse
that comes his way on his return to golf.
Woods, who has not
competed since his marital infidelities became public in November, has
admitted to being nervous about the reception that awaits him on his
return at the U.S. Masters next month.
“I heard when he
said he would be nervous to come back and that’s the first time I’ve
ever heard Tiger say those words, it’s going to be interesting,” Briton
Montgomerie told a news conference on Wednesday ahead of the Arnold
Palmer Invitational.
“I hear he has been
up for a practice round (at Augusta) already. He’ll get over those
nerves and he will be as determined as anyone has ever been on a golf
course to prove that he is still the number one player in the world
and, in my opinion, the best player ever to play the game,” he said.
Montgomerie, who
was jeered by U.S. fans in the past — notably at the 1999 Ryder Cup in
Brookline — and threatened to stop playing Stateside, said if anyone
could cope with distractions on the course it was Woods.
“He has a spotlight
and it has been on him for the last 10 years. It’s amazing how
sometimes you see him swing a club and it comes down and just stops,
incredible how he has that control to stop the club at that speed.
“So he has been
used to this most of his professional career. I don’t envisage any
problems arising from that at all. He is the most focused sportsman I
have ever known and I think he will adapt accordingly,” said
Montgomerie, the European Ryder Cup captain.
“Being such a
controlled environment, I think he is being very wise selecting the
Masters for his return and believe me, he wouldn’t be playing in the
Masters if he didn’t think he could win.”
The Arnold Palmer
is an event Woods has won six-times, including the last two editions at
the Bay Hill course, just down the road from his home in Windermere,
but the host is without the world number one this year.
“I will say we are
disappointed that Tiger isn’t here to play…on any of the other
issues..I have an opinion, I will keep it till a later date to give
it,” said Palmer.
A four-times
Masters winner, Palmer faced only cheers and applause from the
galleries in his time on the tour and he said he would find it hard to
handle any heckling of the kind Woods might have to deal with this year.
“It would probably
bother me. I’m a sensitive person by nature and it would effect me to a
degree. It is certainly not something I would look forward to,” he said.
Palmer sounded skeptical about how sharp Woods would be.
“You can’t get very
sharp not playing. Even just practicing won’t do it. I think to be
sharp, you have to compete, you have to be in the mood to compete.
“Now you can say, (take off) a couple of weeks, that would be one thing; but five months, you know..,” he said.
At the same time though, Palmer is expecting Woods to be in among the contenders at Augusta.
“Absolutely, I think that is the nature of the beast – he’s a competitor.”
Reuters
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