Tiger Woods and Barack Obama Tee It Up at the Floridian

Tiger Woods has not attended the Northern Trust Open since 2006. So despite calls from tournament director and NBA legend Jerry West, it was unlikely that Woods would return to Riviera this year.

However, even if Woods had been contemplating a return to Riviera for the first time in six years, he had a pretty legitimate conflict that he simply could not walk away from this weekend. After all, it’s difficult to tell the president of the United States thanks but no thanks when he calls you up for a game of golf.

According to Golf World senior writer Tim Rosaforte (via Golf.com), Woods and President Obama teed it up today at The Floridian Golf Club in Palm City, Florida.

This is the first time Woods and the president have played a round of golf together, although they have met several times and Woods spoke at Obama’s 2009 inaugural celebration.  

Obama has been taking some lessons in South Florida from Woods’ former swing coach, Butch Harmon, during what has been described as a “boys' weekend” for the president.

And what better way to cap off a boys; weekend than by teeing it up with the current world No. 2 and arguably the greatest golfer of all time.

Obama’s handicap is estimated to be somewhere in the vicinity of 16 and 24. So if you estimate that Woods is around a plus-5, Woods would likely need to give the president between 21 and 29 shots this afternoon.

In the past, Woods has always maintained that the Northern Trust Open didn’t fit into his schedule. But this year, Woods was, well, shall we say busy.

For more golf news, insight and analysis, check out The Tour Report.