President Obama is ready to take his golf game to the next level. AP/Steven Senne
WASHINGTON – US President Barack Obama marveled Wednesday that playing golf with Tiger Woods was like teeing it up with someone from “another planet.”
Obama was still shaking his head at the other worldly skill of the 14-times major champion, after meeting up with Woods for their first-ever round together on Sunday.
“He plays a different game than I do,” said the president, an enthusiastic weekend golfer, whose scores are guarded like a state secret.
“He is on another planet,” Obama told ABC7 television from San Francisco.
“I don’t think either party was nervous, he knew that I wasn’t a big threat to his world ranking and I knew that I better keep my day job.”
Woods, the first African-American golfer to win a major title from his 1997 triumph at the Masters, and Obama, the first African-American to be elected as US President, teed off at a luxury golf resort in Florida.
The world number two told reporters in Arizona ahead of the WGC World Matchplay Championship in Arizona on Tuesday that playing with Obama was “pretty cool. He’s just a wonderful person to be around.”
Woods and Obama defeated US trade representative Ron Kirk and Houston Astros owner Jim Crane, who also owned the resort course where the elite foursome played away from the eyes of the media, who complained about being ditched.
Woods, who is chasing the all-time record of 18 major crowns won by Jack Nicklaus, said he was asked to play alongside Obama during an off weekend in his PGA Tour play.
“There’s a process that’s involved and I was invited to play,” Woods said.
“It was an invitation that certainly you don’t turn down, especially being he’s an avid golfer and so am I.
“He can certainly chip and putt. If he ever spent, after these four years, more time playing the game of golf, I’m sure he could get to where he’s a pretty good stick.”