Rookie golfer Brendan Steele has sent a written apology to Tiger Woods for suggesting the former world No. 1 was not giving 100 percent during Sunday's final round of the Farmers Insurance Open, GolfDigest.com reported Wednesday.
"I don't think he gave it everything today," said Steele, after completing the round alongside Woods at San Diego's Torrey Pines. "Once it started going in the wrong direction, I don't think it had his full attention."
Woods, who has not won a tournament since 2009, struggled to a 75 on Sunday to finish tied for 44th. Steele shot a 70 to finish tied for 17th and collect his first check on the PGA Tour.
In an interview published Wednesday, Steele told the website his quotes were "twisted and misconstrued."
"What I was really trying to say was that . . . when it came down to being two guys that were not going to win the golf tournament, you know, as Tiger has said, he's working on the process of his golf swing," said Steele, 27.
"He's got it on the [practice] range, and he's trying to make it transition over to the course, and I could see that. I could see that he was working on some shots and he really wasn't going to win the tournament.
"You could see him, after every swing, he's rehearsing things. He's working hard on the mechanics of it."
Steele, who had never met Woods before Sunday, said he really enjoyed the experience of playing alongside the 14-time major champion.
"We went out there, we had a great day. He was really, really nice to me, which I appreciated, because I didn't think he had any reason to be," Steele said.
"He's never met me before, doesn't know anything about me, and, on the second hole, he came up and started talking to me and really broke the ice for me and helped me out a lot."
Steele said he has learned to take more care with his words in the future.
"That's just me being a rookie and not understanding that I needed to be a little more careful," the Southern Californian said.
"In my defense, I was trying to be careful with what I said. I didn't think I said anything negative about him. There was no bad intent. If I really thought that, and said that, I'd stand by it."
