Fans at Tiger Woods’ tourney: His problems are private, but wish he was playing

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For some spectators at Tiger Woods’ tournament in Thousand Oaks, the issue today wasn’t Woods’ statement acknowledging that he made ‘transgressions’ but that he wasn’t there playing golf as planned.

Woods’ personal problems and car accident last week are ‘a very personal, private matter between him and his wife,’ said Sherry Sotres of North Hills, Calif. ‘I think the media and other people are trying to make a bigger thing about it. It’s unfortunate that his mistakes are in the public arena.’

Even so, Sotres said she was disappointed that the events prompted Woods to cancel plans to play in this week’s Chevron World Challenge at Sherwood Country Club, which benefits the Tiger Woods Foundation. Sotres was at the course today to watch a pro-am event that preceded the tournament, which starts Thursday.

‘It’s a shame,’ she said. ‘It would been nice to have seen him here.”

Jorge Escamilla agreed. The 42-year-old resident of Guadalajara, Mexico, made travel plans well in advance to watch Woods play this week, ‘so it’s pretty sad’ that Woods canceled his appearance, Escamilla said.

Woods’ family problems are ‘part of his private life,’ Escamilla said. ‘I know he’s a public person and all that, but there are certain things that you don’t have to have exposed to the public. But I understand how everybody wants to know what happened.”

-- Jim Peltz