The Tiger Protector

Although they themselves might not seem like a real threat, a cap or pen thrust into a player’s face can be both annoying and potentially dangerous. In fact, we heard about a situation at the inaugural event (which we weren’t working) where a fan nearly caught Tiger in the eye with his biro. It might not sound like much, but that biro has the potential to blind – and so we keep a very tight cordon around him when he’s within proximity of spectators. Tiger does sign autographs, but we ensure that the fans behave themselves first. It should be said that Tiger doesn’t employ us. The organizers employ us. Say Tiger got injured – whether deliberately or accidentally. It reflects badly on the sponsors and the tournament. We are basically the insurance blanket for them.
We have eleven guys to look after Tiger – and it’s a 24-hour job. The night shift crew gets it a little easier, as I permit them to go and watch the golf during the day. But every one of us is working 18-19 hour days. When we’re not on the course with him we’re guarding his villa (Tiger doesn’t stay in the official hotel, he gets one of the on-course properties for the week) and shadowing his PR activities and press conferences. Even when he’s safely tucked up in bed, we run through debriefings and discuss our plans for the next day. In fact, the only time that we’re not in direct contact with him or his team is when he’s working out. Every morning, Tiger goes for a 45-minute run around the course and he and Stevie Williams [Tiger’s caddie] spend time in the gym. He’s super fit: he does seven-minute miles and works out for an hour on the weights before heading out to the course. It’s probably just as well he goes off on his own, as keeping up with him would be hard work.
When we first worked with Tiger he was quite aloof for the first couple of days. He was very polite, but he would often play tricks with us, like suddenly walking off the course into the public areas to dispose of his banana or energy bar in the spectator litter bins. It was only a test to see if we were on our toes, to ensure that we were fully alert – and naturally we were. But as the week went on both he and Williams became more comfortable with us. Before any job we profile our clients in order to find out their likes and dislikes. For instance we found out that Tiger likes to read USA Today, so we provided that in the car from the airport. In Williams’ case – and he is very much an integral part of ‘Team Tiger’ – we knew that he’s an ardent All Black rugby fan, so we – and we’re all rugby types ourselves – chatted about the recent form of the New Zealand team. It all helps in the bonding process.