Tiger Woods has often remained guarded about his relationship with former President Donald Trump, but ahead of The Open Championship in Scotland, Woods said that he was thrown off of his normal preparation routine as a result of the attempt on Trump's life at a campaign rally over the weekend.
Following an attempted assassination on Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, Woods said that he was left sleepless.
“It was a long night [because of the assassination attempt] and that’s all we watched the entire time on the way over here,” Woods told BBC Sport. “I didn't sleep at all on the flight, and then we just got on the golf course.”
Tiger Woods' relationship with Donald Trump
As Donald Trump is a massively polarizing personality, Tiger Woods has sometimes been hesitant to indulge the media about if they are truly “friends” or not.When asked in August 2018 about Trump, Woods did not elaborate much.
“Well, I’ve known Donald for a number of years,” Woods said. “We’ve played golf together. We’ve had dinner together. I’ve known him pre-presidency and obviously during his presidency.”
When asked about Trump's controversial stance on immigration, Woods did not answer the question directly.
“He’s the President of the United States,” Woods said. “You have to respect the office. No matter who is in the office, you may like, dislike personality or the politics, but we all must respect the office.”
Woods declined to answer a question about race relations in the United States, and following Woods' interview, Trump praised Woods for not letting the media manipulate him.
“The Fake News Media worked hard to get Tiger Woods to say something that he didn’t want to say,” Trump tweeted. “Tiger wouldn’t play the game – he is very smart. More importantly, he is playing great golf again!”
It is believed Woods and Trump have been friends for a while. Trump, an avid golfer, partnered with Woods to design a golf course in Dubai, and the pair have been spotted golfing together on a few occasions.
In 2019, Trump awarded Woods the Presidential Medal of Freedom, an honor that was notably declined by former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.
“Tiger Woods is a global symbol of American excellence, devotion and drive,” Trump said of Woods at the ceremony. “These qualities embody the American spirit of pushing boundaries, defying limits and always striving for greatness.”
Woods is set to tee off at The Open Championship in Scotland at 9:37 a.m. He is grouped with Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay. Woods, who last won The Open in 2006, has only made the cut at the major once since 2014 — he tied for sixth in 2018 and has missed the cut three of the last four times he has played in the overseas major.
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