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Woods may skip British Open for his child's birth

Tiger Woods is willing to skip the British Open to be with his wife, Elin, for the birth of their first child, but perhaps by then he'll want the Claret Jug for a christening mug.

"July sometime," was as far as Woods would go Wednesday when asked the expected due date, but he made it clear that the birth would take precedence over any tournament.

"Just don't go," Woods said of his plans for coping with any expected arrival during a tournament week, even if it's the British Open July 19-22 at Carnoustie.

"If she's going to have it during the week of the Open, just don't go," he said. "That [the birth] is the most important thing, not another golf tournament."

Of course, Woods and his wife likely have a more precise due date for the baby, which they have already seen on ultrasound.

Woods, however, was keeping some details to himself, and although he referred to the infant as "he" he said that he and Elin did not know the baby's sex.

Woods claimed an emotional British Open victory at Royal Liverpool last July, 11 weeks after the death of his father, Earl.

As he prepared to launch his 2007 season with a bid for a third straight Buick Invitational title at Torrey Pines, Woods compared his feelings with those of last year at the same time, when he knew his father's health was failing.

"This year, I'm looking forward to the year and what's going to transpire," unlike last year, he said.

"It will be interesting to try to figure out my tournament schedule, preparation, my commitments I have to my sponsors -- trying to balance that with adding a new family member, that's going to be the challenge for myself and for Elin as well," he said.

Not many of Woods' rivals expect fatherhood to crimp his style on the course.

"I don't see that happening," father of three Phil Mickelson said. "He has always been able to balance so many different areas of his life that I think this will just be another area that he adds into the mix, and a very rewarding part of his life."

John Daly agreed.

"It will change his life," Daly said. "It definitely does. Your responsibilities get a little more focused on the children than it does on your game sometimes."

"But Tiger, the way he manages himself and the good people around him, it's not going to affect his game, I promise you," Daly said.
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