[jwplayer 1sSv39us-9JtFt04J]
A month has passed and Abraham Ancer still wants to clear up a matter concerning Tiger Woods.
Yes, Ancer said he wanted to play Woods in last month’s Presidents Cup. Not that he was being arrogant or taunting Tiger. Ancer just wanted to play his idol and the best player.
Woods — and others — didn’t take it that way and made sure Ancer heard about it after the American captain beat him, 3 and 2, in singles.
“Abe wanted it, he got it,” Woods said after his victory. Tiger’s quote went viral after the matches.
Ancer simply wanted to be a better player, and he knew going up against Woods would help him do just that.
“I just a little thrown off by some of the comments,” Ancer said ahead of this week’s Sony Open, his 2020 debut. “Yeah, I don’t know. I try for them not to get to me because it was such a great week, such a great experience. I feel like I played some good golf. But, yeah, definitely didn’t like how it got twisted the way I said things for sure.
“I learned a lot about media and how it can get twisted,” Ancer added in regards to the backlash he faced after the Presidents Cup. “Yeah, definitely got twisted and just the context how I said things. And maybe Tiger didn’t know the way I said it. He just kind of took it from what he was reading or what he heard, which is fine.”
The 28-year-old rising star has a busy schedule ahead after his coming out party in Australia, with plans to play next week at the American Express, followed by the Genesis Invitational at Riviera and then the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship in Mexico City.
What an honor to be the first Mexican to compete in the @PresidentsCup, play for Captain @TheBig_Easy and compete against one of my idols growing up, @TigerWoods.
We came up short, but I am so proud of how hard we fought. Can't wait until 2021! #IntlTeam #TeamAncer 🇲🇽 pic.twitter.com/8uDUDXpCUd
— Abraham Ancer (@Abraham_Ancer) December 15, 2019
Ancer’s also keeping rather busy off the course with his and partner Aron Marquez’s new tequila company, Fletcha Azul.
“We’re both Mexican. Both love tequila. We just said, ‘You know what? Let’s give it a whirl.'” It’s been in the works for over a year, and we’re really excited,” Ancer said of his new brand that’ll hit shelves in Texas “in about a month.”
“I really wanted to put my name on something that I’m really passionate about, something I will enjoy, and actually something that I drink. I don’t really drink anything else,” said Ancer. “Everybody that knows me knows that if I’m going to drink I’m going to drink tequila on the rocks and that’s it.”
Flecha Azul, translated to Blue Arrow, has five different classifications of the popular liquor: Blanco, Reposado, Anejo, Cristalino.
“Cristalino is the one I’m really passionate about. It’s just so smooth. People when they try it they are like, ‘Wow.’”
Just like with his comments on Woods, Ancer wants to clarify and “remove the stigma” people have with tequila.
“When (people are) in college and they’re already kind of drunk, and then they have tequila shots that are pretty bad and then you mix it and end up throwing up, you wake up with the worst hangover,” explained Ancer. “What you remember is like, ‘Wow that tequila got me.’ Yeah, we’re trying to get the culture to really understand how tequila works and good it can be.
“If you just have on the rocks and don’t mix it with anything — I mean, I can throw down — for my size (listed at 5-foot-7, 160 pounds), I can throw down some tequila and the next day 7:00 in the morning I’m hitting balls and I’m completely fine, which is amazing.”
Amazing indeed, just like his recent run of form.
Ancer struggled in his first four events since making the Tour Championship at the end of last season, starting his 2019-20 PGA Tour campaign missed cut, missed cut, T-57, T-41.
Then he got hot, finishing T-4 at the WGC-HSBC Champions and T-8 two weeks later at Mayakoba. Ancer then tied Sungjae Im for most points for the Internationals at the Presidents Cup, earning 3.5 points via a 3-1-1 record with his only loss coming against Woods.
Ancer begins 2020 with a newfound confidence as he chases that elusive first PGA Tour victory, with an endless array of opportunities ahead.
[opinary poll=”which-golfer-had-the-more-memorable-2019″ customer=”golfweek”]
[lawrence-related id=778019055,778019048,778018986,778019030]