Tee Time With Tiger

May 3, 2007 — -- NBA legend Michael Jordan wasn't the only one to hit the links with golfing superstar Tiger Woods on Wednesday in North Carolina.

"Good Morning America" anchor Robin Roberts joined Woods at an American Express event for card members at the Oakmont Country Club where the U.S. Open is being held in June.

At the age of 31, the world's most famous golfer is king of the links, but it has been a long and difficult road since last year when he lost his father and mentor, Earl Woods, to cancer.

Woods' first appearance back on the tour after his father's death was the 2006 U.S. Open. He played poorly and missed the cut for the first time in his pro career.

"I just didn't, just didn't have it. … I kept fighting, kept fighting and I didn't have it for some reason," he said. "It was so frustrating because every time I went out and practiced I kept thinking of Dad because those were the times Dad and I used to share a lot. He used to get off work and I'd meet him at the golf course and we'd practice."

After the 2006 U.S. Open, many wondered whether Woods had lost the fire that had made him a champion. That all changed during his now-famous emotional comeback at the British Open.

"I guess I never really grieved enough," Woods told Roberts. "It just came out, all this outpouring of emotion and I never do that and I couldn't control it. I'm kind of a control freak. I was like, 'I can't control this. Where is it coming from?' And it was one of the weirdest moments of my life because that is one of the times when my -- I finally understood that Dad would never see me do this again."

Now as Woods preps for a run at another major title, he also finds himself preparing for an even greater challenge: becoming a parent.

"I lost my father last year and this year I'm going to become a father," he said.

Woods and his wife of nearly three years, Elin, are expecting their first child this summer.

"My life is completely different than it was a year ago. I can like walk around with a smile on my face," he said.

Woods wants his child to be involved in golf, but wants him or her to determine the extent of that involvement.

"I want my child to be exposed to golf, yes, but it's up to them to decide which way they're going to go," he said. "That's how I was. I was exposed to golf and the thing is, I fell in love with it. I tried baseball. I ran track. I ran cross country. I did all those other things. I kept coming back to golf. … I didn't find any other arenas, any other sport where my true competitiveness could come out. Well, here, it did."

There are many lessons that Woods learned from his father that he wants to pass on to his child.

"It's a multitude of things. The thing that my father was -- and the thing that I want to do for my child. … My father was always there," Woods said. "If I wanted to talk about any subject at any given time, he was always there."