A private matter

Something happened yesterday that made me sympathise with the world number one. In his press conference earlier this week he was pressed to comment on his apparent unwillingness to engage more with his fans. On evidence he's still clearly admired and there was a generous reception when he arrived on the 1st. But, then on the back nine Woods stopped for a toilet break and what followed was both amusing and bizarre, but for the 14-time Major winner, probably an example of what he was adhering to when picked up by a cameraman as reportedly stating he was "sick of all this public stuff".

Woods entered a portaloo, Picture the following scene: The back nine of a Major on a Sunday afternoon and an approach misses the green and ends up on a walkway. The fans rush quickly and gather around the ball in a frantic effort to get a good spot for the next shot. Well, that's pretty much what happened when Woods stopped for his toilet break yesterday.

Granted, Woods does have a PR job on his hands to rectify the damage caused by his off-course antics and he's miles away from his closest rival Phil Mickelson in terms of engaging with his fans, but there are times when it's obvious to see just how much more he has to handle during tournaments than anyone else.

I for one am hoping he can rekindle that magic which has been missing for what seems like an age. If he was to go head to head with Rory McIlroy on Sunday afternoon, that was be something special to witness. Whatever else happens should be a private matter, including toilet time.