Wacky Times: From A Villa Ribbon Cutting At Doral To A Rose Garden Medal Of Freedom Ceremony

Golf.com’s Michael Bamberger provides some on-site observations from Tiger Woods’ Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony at the White House. He reminds us that it was just five years ago these two were cutting the ribbon on a Woods villa at Doral.

Woods is studiously apolitical. He takes his cues not from Steph Curry but from Michael Jordan. Why he said nothing about his foundation work or learning from his past mistakes is hard to imagine – he had tens of millions watching – but what he did say was heartfelt, that was clear.

Anyway, this country, which takes so many of its cues, social and sporting and otherwise, from Great Britain, does ceremony well, and Monday night at the Rose Garden was pure ceremony. Dozens of cameramen filed out of the grungy White House press briefing room, as crowded and stifling as an inter-island commuter plane, and setup their cameras beyond the white ropes that defined the seating area. The band played “Hail to the Chief.” Tiger was referred to as “Eldrick.”

Also of note, Woods controlled the guest list that was mercifully free of representatives from golf’s major families.

The full ceremony as it aired on Golf Channel: