Tiger Woods slams Golf Digest's parody interview with Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods is not having it. 

Arguably the greatest golfer to ever grace the greens took to Derek Jeter's The Players Tribune on Tuesday, slamming a parody interview of Woods written by Golf Digest's Dan Jenkins.

Did you read Dan Jenkins’ interview with me in the latest Golf Digest? I hope not. Because it wasn’t me. It was some jerk he created to pretend he was talking to me. That’s right, Jenkins faked an interview, which fails as parody, and is really more like a grudge-fueled piece of character assassination.

Journalistically and ethically, can you sink any lower?

Golf balls fired.

Jenkins' article, titled "My (Fake) Interview with Tiger," asks a number of questions of a fake Woods. For example:

Why did you turn down previous interview requests with me?

Why haven't you fired (agent Mark Steinberg), by the way? You've fired everybody else.

Jenkins also brings up Woods' relationship with Sergio Garcia, his failed marriage, his wealth, and more.

Woods writes:

The truth is, Jenkins has no idea how I think or feel about any of the things he claims to know about, which is why he had to make things up. Frustration or resentment because I have not been more available to him should not give him a license for an underhanded attack on me as an athlete, as a professional and as a person. I guess Golf Digest’s editors believe this is a good way to sell more magazines. I’ll bet their readers don’t think so. Funny they didn’t think this poorly of me when I worked with the magazine. I have to say I was surprised when I saw this piece came from Jenkins, who is one of the most distinguished golf writers out there.

Woods' agents even sent a letter to Golf Digest, inquiring about Jenkins' piece:

What we would like to know is how this was approved by editors and whether you, as the publisher, will stand behind this as in any way journalistically responsible.

Would this story have even been considered if Tiger was still associated with Golf Digest?

The letter was also used to send a couple of requests to Golf Digest: "We are requesting a formal response to these questions on how journalistically or ethically this piece is acceptable, and we are also asking for a written apology."

The response and the apology won't be coming from Jenkins, though, who tweeted, "My next column for Tiger: defining parody and satire. I thought I let him off easy." 

ESPN has more on Jenkins, a legend as far as golf writers go:

Now 84, Jenkins has covered more than 60 straight Masters. He missed his first major championship in more than 40 years this summer when he was unable to attend the Open Championship in England. He has covered more than 200 of the game's biggest tournaments, dating to his days at Sports Illustrated and, prior to that, the Forth Worth Press. In 2013, he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Jenkins' story is scheduled to run in the December issue of Golf Digest. Woods will not be buying a copy.