Former President Bill Clinton and golfer Tiger Woods reportedly had a rocky start to their relationship.
The tension began in 1997 when Woods declined an invitation from Clinton to attend a baseball game celebrating Jackie Robinson’s historic debut as the first Black player in Major League Baseball. Years later, the two shared a golf outing that was reportedly unpleasant due to Woods’ behavior.
In the March 2018 biography titled “Tiger Woods,” authors Jeff Benedict and Armen Keteyian described a casual golf game in February 2006, shortly before Woods opened the Tiger Woods Learning Center in Anaheim, California. According to the book, Woods was notably disrespectful to the 42nd President, frequently using his phone and refusing to share a golf cart with Clinton. Woods also reportedly breached golf etiquette by leaving the green before others had finished putting. The book further claimed that Woods took months to sign a photo of himself and Clinton after the game. These allegations starkly contrast with Woods’ own recounting of the day.
Tiger Woods’ version of the event was much more positive. Speaking at an Arkansas children’s golf clinic in May 2006, Woods praised Clinton’s golf skills and described their time together as enjoyable. “We had a good time. He was a cool person to play with, very intelligent. Brilliant, the things that he knew to describe world politics … actually really remarkable,” Woods said, per The Ledger. Representatives for both Clinton and Woods refuted the negative claims in the biography.
Doug Band, who played with Clinton and Woods that day and served as a deputy assistant and counselor to Clinton, denied any tension. In a Golf Digest interview following the book’s release, Band stated the game was a relaxed and enjoyable round where everyone appreciated each other’s company and stories. Similarly, Woods’ manager Mark Steinberg and chief spokesperson Glenn Greenspan criticized the book for its inaccuracies, claiming the authors did not conduct thorough research. Woods also expressed his dissatisfaction with the HBO documentary based on the biography.
