Tiger Woods prepares for Honda Classic, draws a crowd at practice

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. - Tiger Woods has been the talk of the town for the last few weeks surrounding the Honda Classic. On Tuesday, fans finally got their first glimpse of the pro golfer.

Despite it just being a practice round, hundreds flocked to watch Woods before even more are expected to pack into the grounds of PGA National.

"He draws the crowd, he drew us out here and everybody wants to see him, he is a tiger," said Evelyn Jude, a Woods fan.

Jude, like the hundreds of other Woods fans who turned out, did so on a day when performance did not matter. Woods played the back nine of the PGA National just as practice.

"Yeah, it's just a practice round, but any chance to see Tiger is definitely worth coming out for," said James White, a Woods fan.

At moments during the practice, the situation got a little tense. People began pushing when Woods appeared at the 18th hole.

But for the most part, the appearance by Woods was used by fans as a chance to watch their favorite player at peace.

"I took the day off of work just to watch Tiger without the big crowds," said Jo Ann Peterson, a Woods fan.

Most who attended the practice, if not all, said they have managed to push past the off course controversy surrounding Woods.

They point to the positive attributes he has on the tournament.

"Certainly Tiger is a good draw, and we'll be looking at him and hoping he does well," said John Mangieii, a Woods fan.

Tiger Woods is expected to appear next at the Kenny G Pro-Am. His tee time is set for 6:45 a.m.