Tiger Woods interview caused CBS reporter to \’lose sleep,\’ and her legs shook \’uncontrollably\’
CBS sports television reporter Amanda Balionis says an interview with Tiger Woods would have a physical effect on her leading up to and during the interviews.
The 39-year-old reporter told Links Magazine she would lose sleep before interviewing Woods when asked who she was most nervous to interview, adding that, during her interviews, her legs constantly shook. “I’m so grateful the camera captured me from the waist up, my legs were shaking with excitement and I couldn’t control it. “I’ve been pretty sleep deprived leading up to this interview,” Balionis said.
Tiger Woods of the United States before the 152nd British Open Championship at Royal Troon, Troon, Scotland, July 15, 2024. (Kevin K. Cox/Getty Images)
Balionis’ first interview with Woods took place shortly after she began working for PGATour.com as an on-air host in 2011. This was only his second interview with the site. She joined CBS in 2017. In 2011, Woods, 35, was attempting to return from a two-year hiatus from golf. Woods took a voluntary hiatus from professional golf from December 2009 to early April 2010 while he sought to resolve marital issues with his then-wife, Elin. Woods admitted to several marital infidelities, and the couple eventually divorced.
His performance that year was poor, and he suffered a foot injury at the Masters. He fell to No. 58 in the world rankings in November 2011.
Still, he did have some good moments. That year he won the Chevron World Challenge by one stroke, his first victory in two years, and won the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne, Australia, beating Aaron Baddeley 4-3 to lead Team USA to a 19-15 victory in the final.
American Tiger Woods lifts the trophy after defeating Rocco Mediate in a sudden-death playoff match during the 108th U.S. Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego on June 16, 2008. (Robin Beck/AFP via Getty Images)
Woods himself has been having trouble sleeping lately. In the week after the July 13 assassination attempt on Donald Trump, Woods told BBC Sport that seeing the news had left him feeling unwell and unable to sleep. \ “It was a long night (for the attempt of assassination), and that’s the only thing we always saw here,” Woods was an open championship in Scotland’s Royalto Golf Club. He talked about the trip. \ “I didn’t sleep at all during the flight, so I just climbed the golf course. \
Woods is 15 major winners, including three victories in British Open, the last victory in 2006. But his recent performance over the past two years has raised concerns about his future in the sport.
This year will be the first time since 2019 that Woods will play in all four majors. Although he set a Masters record with his 24th consecutive qualifying appearance at Augusta National, he later dropped out of the PGA Championship and the U.S. Open. Opening next weekend.
