NORTON, Mass. — Tiger Woods planned to start the Labor Day weekend like millions of other people: parked in front of a screen Friday night watching the United States Open tennis match between Serena Williams and her older sister, Venus.
Woods, a 14-time major winner, came to know Serena, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, when she was living near him in Florida.
“We’re very close friends,” Woods said after shooting a one-over-par 72 in the first round of the Dell Technologies Championship on Friday.
Like the Williams sisters, Williams was raised by a father intent on cultivating a champion in a sport not known for a rich tapestry of minority competitors.