JD Vance previously made his opinion of Tiger Woods known after the Vice President released a book that explored the struggles of the working class and delved into golf’s class divide
JD Vance’s feelings on Tiger Woods were made clear the Vice President’s memoir(Image: Peter Summers/Getty Images)
JD Vance once admitted he was “never a huge fan of Tiger Woods” during the 15-time major champion’s iconic heyday.
Vance, a New York Times bestselling author before getting into politics, penned the acclaimed 2016 book ‘Hillbilly Elegy,’ a memoir exploring the struggles of America’s working class. The 41-year-old has opened up about his difficult childhood, growing up in a broken home in the blue-collar town of Middletown, Ohio.
In the book, Vance charted, among other things, his experiences as a teenager getting into golf, a sport often maligned for its elitist roots and lack of accessibility for people from underprivileged backgrounds. Nine years after its release, the book was removed from shelves in one country in response to Vance and President Donald Trump’s weakening support for Ukraine in the face of the Russian war offensive.
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At the time of the book’s release, Vance was interviewed by Golf Digest, and he discussed Woods’ impact on the sport.
While praising the trailblazing former world No. 1, Vance — a high schooler in Woods’ prime — admitted that the five-time Masters champion was far from his favorite player.
However, Vance admitted golf’s appeal to youngsters from demographics not traditionally associated with the sport undoubtedly declined in line with Woods’ diminishing relevance as a contender as he aged.
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Woods has had numerous interactions with the Trump administration since the President returned to office(Image: Shawn Thew/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The 49-year-old has seldom competed in tournaments in recent years due to a multitude of injuries. He is currently out of action due to a ruptured Achilles tendon he suffered in March.
Vance said: “I don’t think anyone has done what Tiger did in expanding the demographic reach of the game. He made it cool, and he made it interesting to a lot of kids who probably wouldn’t have thought twice about golf if Tiger never picked up a club.
“I really wonder how kids like me perceive the game now that the big tournaments rarely include Tiger on the leaderboard. I was never personally a huge Tiger fan.
“But he definitely made the game interesting. And I really wonder whether it’s still interesting to the kids from my neighborhood now. My guess is probably not.”
Vance still plays golf to this day, albeit not as much as President Trump.
The Vice President is on vacation in Scotland and teed it up at Trump-owned Turnberry on Thursday.
However, the VP had a chastening experience on the iconic Ailsa Course, which is widely regarded as one of the very best tracks on the planet.
A video emerged of Vance four-putting on one hole, showing an acute lack of touch on the greens. The footage quickly went viral on social media, and he was ruthlessly trolled by his critics.
