Maybe in other parts of the country people care about Tiger Woods.
New Yorkers do not.
That was the message received when The Post asked a dozen New Yorkers for their thoughts on Woods’ return to the PGA Tour, which continued over the weekend at the Quail Hollow Championship in Charlotte. Woods failed to make the cut for just the sixth time in his career.
“I honestly could not care less,” Karrie Allen said. “I didn’t really follow him before his life fell apart.”
Most of the people polled shared similar sentiments, noting that they have more important things to worry about — like the attempted Times Square bombing on Saturday night — than Woods’ personal life or how he performs on the golf course following a four-month leave of absence spurred by revelations of his marital infidelities.
“I don’t really care. Is it a big deal?” James Schneider said.
Of the 12 people polled, about half expressed dissatisfaction with the mainstream media for keeping alive a story they feel is old and irrelevant. Some wondered if the media watchdogs have misread the public’s interest.
“Since he’s not my husband it’s really none of my business,” Lauryn Fischer said. “And I don’t understand why it’s such a big news story.”
Quail Hollow was the second tournament Woods played since his infidelities became public. He played in the Masters three weeks earlier.
The tongue-lashing from the public that many expected at Quail Hollow, a much more open venue than the Masters, did not really materialize. Nor did much concern over Woods’ ability to make par. The one performance-related item of interest was Woods’ on-course behavior.
“I’m not all that fussed about his comeback,” Ellen Ryan said. “I think he should stop throwing temper tantrums when he plays, though.”
Whether it’s a case of “judge not lest ye be judged,” the jaded nature of New Yorkers, or simply that people have grown tired of hearing about it, most people seem to feel Woods’ comeback from the scandal is not that significant.
“In terms of his celebrity, he’ll do fine,” Joe Hartmann said. “We love to condemn and then forgive. That’s how [a lot of famous people] have built their careers: sin, penance, absolution, $4 million ad contract.”
Those who were fans of Woods before his problems don’t seem to feel he has let them down.
“I’ve always been a Tiger fan,” Evan Davis said. “Bottom line, the game is more interesting with him around. He’s the Babe Ruth of the sport, and the Babe got away with a lot of [stuff], I’m sure.”
Mike Fucello summed up why New Yorkers don’t feel passionately about the issue.
“My life is not affected by his playing or not playing,” he said.