"It looks like the weather in May is usually going to be more like summer. I see that as a short-term problem."

Garry Smits kicks off Players week coverage with a Tim Finchem interview.

After three years, can the move of The Players from March to May be pronounced a success?

I think so. We’ve accomplished what we tried to set out to do. The only negative I can think of is that the local fan base here is used to the temperatures in March, where sometimes you had to wear jackets. It looks like the weather in May is usually going to be more like summer. I see that as a short-term problem.

Uh, does Tim know something about the future of weather he'd like to share with us?

And he's no Billy Payne when it comes to Tiger.

What are your views on the issue of Tiger’s on-course behavior?

First of all, everything about Tiger is overblown and micro-assessed.

I'm not sure if overblown would be the word I would use.

In his early years, he had difficulty controlling his actions but he worked hard at it and got away from it. It seemed to crop up again last year. But he tossed a club in Australia and everyone was writing about Tiger tossing clubs. Well, he didn’t toss clubs ... he tossed a club. It wasn’t a habit.

What about the incidents of profanity at the Masters?

Well, he did some stuff, and there was a lot of pressure building during the week. He hit some shots that weren’t like him. The [three-putt] at No. 14, for example. To see him at that level, well, he’s not going to be happy about it. I think, by his own statements, that he knows he has some work to do.

Do we really want to see Tiger stifle his emotions to the point where he doesn’t show positive emotion to good shots?

People like to see that [Woods responding to good shots]. I’d like to see more players do that.