Some time after their epic 2008 U.S. Open playoff, Rocco Mediate wanted Tiger Woods to sign and write a note on a photograph and pin sheet commemorating that day. But when Mediate received the envelope back from Woods, there was only an impersonal signature, no note. As Mediate told David Feherty, he ended up throwing away the Woods autograph.

Mediate, affable as ever, doesn’t seem to be telling this story to say Tiger’s a jerk for not signing his pin sheet. The story is more about how Tiger’s personality’s is always gruff and focused. It isn’t Tiger’s style to write a funny note on a pin sheet.

In Tiger’s defense, I freeze when I’m asked to write something that will be saved for posterity or hung in a basement somewhere. When I used to go to Bat Mitzvahs and had to sign the large photos of the guest of honor, I’d spend 30 minutes crafting the perfect, timely note. So now, hanging in parent’s basements all over suburban Maryland are illegible one-liners about Ace of Base and the rigors of seventh-grade chemistry homework. Seinfeld addressed this topic years ago.

There’s also this: Leaving a manila envelope in a locker isn’t the best way to make that kind of request. It was an impersonal way of asking for a personal favor. Perhaps Tiger is dedicated is a disciple of the Miss Manners school of pin sheet autograph requests.

But who knows. Maybe Tiger made the snub on purpose because he’s still mad that Rocco wore red on that U.S. Open Monday.

(Thanks to Devil Ball Golf for the video.)

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