Continuing a dominant run through the 2013 PGA Tour season, Tiger Woods picked up his fourth win of the year this past week at The Players Championship.
Having struggled mightily in his career at the famed TPC Sawgrass course, Woods won his first Players title since 2001, holding off a loaded field to take the tournament by two strokes.
While many people have applauded Tiger's performance at the recent event, another controversy surrounds the 14-time major champion with this particular incident focusing on a moment during the third round of the tournament.
After hitting a tee shot into the trees on the second hole last Saturday, Woods went to locate his ball and prepare for his next shot. His playing partner - Sergio Garcia - was waiting to play an upcoming approach as well.
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As Garcia stood over his ball and began his backswing, Woods was seen pulling a club out of his bag that got a loud ovation from the spectators around him. The noise from the crowd seemed to disrupt Garcia's swing as he preceded to launch the ball into the trees. The 33-year-old Garcia voiced his displeasure with Woods following the round.
"You have to pay attention to what's going on because the other guy is hitting," Garcia said to ESPN television. "You do something when you're in the crowd and the crowd is going to respond."
In an attempt to rid himself of any wrongdoing and bad publicity, Tiger Woods told reporters that he received the okay to take a club from his bag and hit his next shot.
"The marshals, they told me he already hit," Woods said to ESPN. "So I pulled a club and was getting ready to play my shot." Woods went on to explain that while he thought it was fine to play his shot, he's not surprised that Garcia has a gripe.
"I hear Garcia's comments afterward," Woods said. "It's not real surprising that he's complaining about something."
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Woods went on to win another championship while Garcia buckled down the stretch of the final round, finishing at minus-7 and in a tie for eighth.
Although Tiger Woods stated that a tournament marshal told him it was acceptable to hit the shot, multiple marshals dispute Tiger's statement.
"He didn't ask us nothing, and we didn't say nothing," tournament marshal Gary Anderson told Sports Illustrated. "We're told not to talk to the players."
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While Gary Anderson never gave Woods the okay to hit, chief marshal John North was also monitoring the first three holes in the Woods/Garcia Saturday pairing and says that no words were ever exchanged between Tiger and any tournament officials.
"Nothing was said to us and we certainly said nothing to him," North said. "I was disappointed to hear him make those remarks. We're there to help the players and enhance the experience of the fans. He was saying what was good for him. It lacked character."
The strong words from both marshals certainly don't bode well for Tiger Woods with regard to his being honest.
Already committed to playing in the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village at the end of the month, you can be sure Woods will face questions concerning his comments and those made by the marshals at last week's Players Championship.
WATCH Sergio Garcia Talk About The Incident With Tiger Woods:
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