Tiger Woods' father thought Fuzzy Zoeller was kidding when he made racially insensitive remarks after the Masters. He said the reaction to the statements showed how important race is in our society.
"Race issues are an integral part of our society," Earl Woods said Thursday. "There is conflict, communication and hopefully cooperation."Woods also defended his son's decision to turn down an invitation from President Clinton to be part of the Jackie Robinson tribute at Shea Stadium the Tuesday after the Masters.
"It was not a slight of the president," Woods said. "It was an acknowledgment that Jackie Robinson deserved his day in court. He did not want to do anything to detract from that - and he wanted to enjoy his Masters victory."
Woods, in New York to promote his book, "Training a Tiger," said he knows Zoeller and felt his remarks were meant not as a slur but as an indication of the significance of his son's victory.
"It was more of a focus on the racial aspects of Tiger winning the Masters," Woods said.
The remarks were broadcast by CNN-SI the Sunday following the Masters, and Zoeller apologized the next day. Woods did not accept the apology until Thursday night of that week.
"We found out about it on Wednesday," the elder Woods said. "Monday we were in Chicago to tape the Oprah show. Then we flew to Portland (Ore.) and had very intense talks with Nike on Tuesday, and on Wednesday we went our separate ways. I went home and Tiger went to be with his friend Kevin Costner on location at his movie somewhere in Oregon."
Woods said he was surprised at the intensity of the reaction to Zoeller's remarks.
"I think the story took on a life of its own," Woods said. "Tiger and I both felt that we should accept the apology and move on to bigger things."
Meanwhile, PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said Thursday he has not spoken with Zoeller since the golfer made similar joking remarks on Monday.
"I think the concerns I have are better left to private conversations - as is my policy - with the player involved," Finchem said while at the PGA Tour event in Houston.
Victor McBryde, the black businessman who engaged in the verbal exchange with Zoeller on Monday, said Zoeller merely joined in the joking started by others.
"I think it was incorrect to say that Fuzzy started it or initiated it or caused the problem," McBryde told The Associated Press. "We initiated the conversation with him."
Asked about Zoeller's original comments after the Masters, McBryde said:
"I think if it had been Costantino Rocca, he (Zoeller) would have said we would have spaghetti," McBryde said. "I don't think he meant any harm. That's just the way he is. He's a joker. He has apologized over and over and I feel bad for him."
Earl Woods said he was not surprised at the remarks by Zoeller, but was disappointed the comments detracted from his son's Masters victory.
"I was shocked that he said it in the venue he said it in," Woods said, referring to Zoeller's comments on the final day of the Masters. "But I'm not surprised that he said it. I've heard him say worse. Fuzzy is a jokester."
Woods, 64, also said it was possible be would need further heart surgery. He had a bypass operation in February.
"They wanted to go back in," he said. "We will evaluate it when I get back home" at the end of the month.
And he said it was unlikely Tiger would ever again play competitively more than three weeks in a row.
"It's mostly the mental exhaustion," Woods said.
Asked about his son's comment last week that he thought of himself as a Cablinasian - referring to his Caucasian, black, American Indian and Asian heritage - Woods said:
"I think of him as an American - an American golfer," he said.