TIGER TRAPPED: Tiger Woods hits a 5-wood on the second hole during the third round of The Players Championship last weekend. When he pulled the club from the bag, the crowd roared, distracting Sergio Garcia and setting off a firestorm. (Getty Images)
Tiger Woods has hit balls out of divots, balls that were buried in the sand and laying up against the base of trees.
But his latest could be his worst lie yet — at least on a golf course.
Marshals from The Players Championship dispute Woods’ claim they told him Sergio Garcia had taken his shot on the second hole Saturday.
Garcia ripped Woods during the third round for grabbing his
5 wood out of the bag, which elicited a roar from the crowd excited Woods was going to go for the green with his second shot, as Garcia was making his swing. Garcia shanked his shot on the way to a bogey.
“[Woods] didn’t ask us nothing, and we didn’t say nothing. We’re told not to talk to the players,” the marshal with Woods and Garcia, Gary Anderson, told Golf.com.
Woods and Garcia — who do little to hide their contempt for each other — made headlines Saturday with the latest chapter in their rivalry.
“It’s not surprising he was complaining about something,” Woods said. “Obviously, he doesn’t know all the facts. The marshals told me he had already hit, so I pulled a club and was getting ready to play my shot.”
Anderson’s boss and chief marshal, John North, backed up Anderson’s claim that Woods was lying. North walked with the lead group for the first three holes Saturday.
“Nothing was said to us and we certainly said nothing to him,” he told the website. “I was disappointed to hear him make those remarks. We’re there to help the players and enhance the experience of the fans. He was saying what was good for him. It lacked character.”
It wouldn’t be the first time Woods has faced that accusation both personally and professionally.
Woods, who went on to win the TPC for the second time him in his career, is a month removed from making headlines at The Masters for an illegal drop that many people felt should have led to him being disqualified or withdrawing. Neither happened and Woods went on to finish tied for fourth at Augusta.
The Players Championship was Woods’ first event since the Masters.
Garcia fired the first shot during an interview with NBC during a rain delay.
“You have to pay attention to what’s going on because the other guy is hitting. You do something when you’re in the crowd and the crowd is going to respond,” Garcia said.
Woods and Garcia have a history of contentious incidents.
After Woods won the 2006 British Open at Hoylake, playing in the final round with Garcia, who was dressed in canary yellow, he reportedly texted some friends this message: “I just bludgeoned Tweety Bird.”
Woods also has tweaked Garcia for having not won a major championship, once saying he would have thought the Spaniard would have won a major by now.
“He’s been so close,” he said. “He’s been in the final group a few times and he’s been right there with a chance.”
Garcia, who has chided Woods for his poor Ryder Cup record, annoyed Woods with an over-the-top celebration when he beat Woods in a made-for-TV “Battle at Bighorn’’ exhibition in 2000.
In 19 rounds together in their PGA Tour careers, Woods has shot the lower score 12 times, they have shot the same score four times and Garcia has shot lower three times. On weekends when paired together, Woods is 6-0.
— With Mark Cannizzaro
david.satriano@nypost.com