In a first, Obama plays golf with Tiger Woods

By Steve Holland

PALM CITY, Florida (Reuters) - President Barack Obama saw firsthand how golf is played at the highest level on Sunday, teeing off with Tiger Woods, the world's No. 2 golfer who is rebuilding a once-squeaky clean image tarnished by a messy 2010 divorce.

Obama, an avid weekend golfer, and Woods, who won his 75th title last month, played together for the first time at the exclusive Floridian Yacht and Golf Club, which was surrounded by a cordon of security.

"It's good to see you play well again," Obama told Woods, according to GolfDigest.com.

Less than a month after starting his second term, Obama is on a three-day golf getaway in Florida, while his wife, Michelle, and their daughters, Malia and Sasha, are skiing in Colorado. On Saturday he received instructional tips from Woods' former swing coach, Butch Harmon.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Obama and Woods were joined on the course by U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk and Jim Crane, the resort owner who also owns the Houston Astros baseball team.

Tim Rosaforte, a Golf Channel analyst and Golf Digest writer, broke the news, tweeting that Woods holed out from a greenside sand bunker on the first hole.

"Historic day in golf. Their first round," Rosaforte said.

There was no word on how Obama played.