Golf Digest Asks — What Can President Obama Learn from Tiger Woods?

ABC’s Jordyn Phelps reports:

President Obama may have a thing or two to learn from Tiger Woods’ golf game, according to an upcoming article in the January edition of Golf Digest.

But In light of the recent controversy surrounding Tiger Woods’ car crash, there are likely more ways in which the President may wish to distinguish himself from the golf star.

The article lists ten things that the President could learn from the ultra-successful golf star in improving his performance as president, and vice versa, from the perspective of several prominent writers and players.

The magazine cover is a photoshopped image of Tiger Woods in a caddy’s outfit posed behind President Obama as he judges a putt.

Golf Digest’s Steve Rusbin draws comparisons between the two prominent figures.

Both are at the top of their respective fields — Obama is the leader of the country and Woods is arguably the best athlete of his era. Both are the world’s most “prominent, multiethnic, African-Americans.” And both have hired an “older guy with impulse-control issues” to serve as their right-hand men — Obama with Vice President Joe Biden and Woods with caddy Steve Williams.

In addition to pointing to similarities between the two men, Rusbin suggests that some of Wood’s accomplishments could be considered — from a golfer’s perspective at least — as difficult to achieve as some of President Obama’s accomplishments. He compares the President’s Nobel Peace Prize to one of Woods’ tournament victories.

“Shooting back-to-back 65s at Firestone Country Club is — ask any golfer — every bit as difficult as achieving world peace,” Rusbin says.

One of the major lessons that President Obama could learn from Woods is his ability to quickly recover under pressure after a bad hole or two under pressure, writes prominent golf star Arnold Palmer.

“Woods is a good role model — not because he would make a good president (he wouldn’t and neither would Phil Mickelson or anyone else who has spent his working life traveling between driving ranges on private jets), but because he is such a complete master of his talents and ambitions, and because he has always been able to pull himself together after setbacks that would have ruined the rounds, or even the careers, of lesser players,” Palmer says.

The upcoming edition of Golf Digest also includes a survey that asks “What’s a Reasonable Amount of Golf for President Obama?”  45.9% of readers who responded said “As much as he can without affecting his work,” while only 7.8% said “Never.”

–Jordyn Phelps