Columnist Dean Juipe: Tiger’s pal defends his silence

Dean Juipe

Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2002 | 9:22 a.m.

Dean Juipe's column appears Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. His boxing notebook appears Thursday. Reach him at juipe@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4084.

Tiger Woods isn't playing in the Invensys Classic at Las Vegas, but his best friend on the PGA Tour is.

And Mark O'Meara knows Woods well enough to speak not so much on Tiger's behalf but as an interested, if partial, observer. So when the topic of Woods' reluctance to voice an opinion on the ongoing membership dispute at Augusta National Golf Club was raised Tuesday on the range at the TPC at Summerlin, O'Meara stood up for his buddy and fellow Florida resident as any good friend would.

"People shouldn't expect Tiger to take a stand on anything," he said. "It's not his responsibility.

"His responsibility begins and ends with playing well. He's far more interested in hitting 5-irons in tight for birdies than getting involved in any social issues."

O'Meara, 45, is older than Woods and at least as wise. He believes that Woods not only is under no obligation to register his dissent about Augusta National, but that it's inappropriate to even ask him to.

Augusta National, of course, has been under the gun of late for its failure to have a female member. The course is the site for the annual Masters, which both O'Meara (1998) and Woods (this year, most recently) have won.

"Tiger can't win on either side of this issue," O'Meara said. "On the one hand, who wouldn't want to be a member at Augusta National? It's a course that's so beautiful that most people would settle for watching a round there once in their life.

"But on the other hand, I've won there and I'm not a member. And maybe I don't agree with every rule they have, but they don't need to worry about what I or anyone else might think.

"I mean, it's not like they don't let women play. And it's not like they have a rule that flat-out says: 'We're never going to have a woman member.' It's just something that hasn't happened yet."

O'Meara further believes that it's inappropriate for any sport to lean on its best player for guidance in social issues. Should Michael Jordan, for instance, take the lead in seeing that there are more minority owners in the National Basketball Association? Should Marshall Faulk begin campaigning for more African-American coaches in the National Football League?

Yet Woods has been prodded by some to come out with an opinion on Augusta National, as if it were his duty.

"Augusta became one of those issues that isn't so big by itself, but there was just enough controversy that it got blown out of proportion," O'Meara said. "I don't think it's a matter of discrimination. But if you think it is, then you have to start letting men into something like the National Organization for Women.

"And another thing: If Augusta National brings in a woman as a member, does that suddenly make everything all right?"

I'll side with O'Meara, who sides with Woods, who by implication sides with Augusta National. Women may or may not someday be asked to join at the Georgia course, but why force it? And why look for Woods to lead the charge?

"Tiger's got enough other things going on," O'Meara said. "Look how people are always after him to do something, be somewhere, or even be available for interviews.

"He doesn't need to concern himself with who's a member and who's not at some country club."