(CNN) -- There were high-profile tournaments on both the PGA and European Tours this weekend, yet the most talked about round of golf was undoubtedly shared by Tiger Woods and President Obama.
But as the 14-time major winner and current world No. 2 ambled round the Floridian course in Palm Beach with the leader of the free world, resentment was starting to build among the press corps.
Naturally, such a high profile two-ball was of huge interest to journalists the world over but the White House refused to sanction so much as a snap of the pair in action.
Obama's love for golf is well documented and the press have been able to capture some of his previous rounds with former President Bill Clinton and Republican House Speaker John Boehner.
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But on this occasion reporters weren't allowed access to the well defended Floridian complex, which drew criticism from the White House Correspondents Association.
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Tiger Woods, right, congratulates Rory McIlroy after Europe's remarkable victory over the U.S. on the final day of the 2012 Ryder Cup in September. The two are big rivals on the golf course, but a friendship has also blossomed this year.
Great sporting rivalries
It's own president, Ed Henry, said: "I can say a broad cross section of our members from print, radio, online and TV have today expressed extreme frustration to me about having absolutely no access to the President of the United States this entire weekend.
"There is a very simple but important principle we will continue to fight for today and in the days ahead: transparency."
Very few details emerged from Woods and Obama's round, but the fact that Golf Channel reporter Tim Rosaforte appeared to be tweeting from inside the complex only added to the WHCA's ire.
White House Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest responded by releasing a statement defending the secret nature of the meeting.
"The press access granted by the White House today is entirely consistent with the press access offered for previous presidential golf outings," it read.
"It's also consistent with the press access promised to the White House Press Corps prior to arrival in Florida on Friday evening."
On Saturday, Obama is reported to have spent time working on his swing with Woods' former coach Butch Harmon, who called it an "honor."
The 69-year-old tweeted: "What a great weekend. To spend it with the President and have my son Claude III by my side. It doesn't get any better than this."
Obama also played with U.S Trade Representative Ron Kirk and Jim Crane, a Democratic donor who owns the resort and the Houston Astros, according to reports.
Meanwhile, John Merrick won his first ever title on the PGA Tour after edging Charlie Beljan out in a playoff at the Northern Trust Open in Santa Monica, California.
The American, who attended UCLA, made par on the second extra hole, the 10th, while Beljan missed a five foot putt to prolong the playoff.
"To be able to play the tournament was a dream of mine," Merrick told the PGA Tour website. "But to win? I can't describe it. It's so much fun."
Elsewhere, the draw for the first World Golf Championships tournament of the year, the Accenture Match Play, has been made, pairing world No. 1 Rory McIlroy, who lost to Hunter Mahan in the final last year, against Irishman Shane Lowry.
Woods will play Charles Howell III in his opening round match while defending champion Mahan comes up against Italian teenager Matteo Manassero.
Luke Donald, the 2011 champion, begins his charge against Marcel Siem of Germany. Former British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa, the No. 4 seed, will play Richie Ramsay of Scotland.
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Woods signed a deal reportedly worth $40 million with Nike when he turned pro in 1996 and the firm built their golf business around him in the coming years. When he renegotiated in 2000, a five-year deal was said to have earned him $100m. But of late, his star has waned.
Conversely, McIlroy's star is on the rise. After grabbing his first major at the 2011 U.S. Open he took his second at the U.S. PGA Championship last year. He finished top of the money lists on both the PGA and European Tours, matching Luke Donald's feat from the 2011 season.
Despite being rivals on the course Woods and McIlroy's relationship off it has strengthened in recent years. They have been paired together numerous times at tournaments around the world, much to the delight of sponsors, marketers and spectators.
The pair are continually in demand and played an exhibition match in China, dubbed the "Duel at Jinsha Lake", for which they were reportedly paid $2 million. Both players clearly enjoyed each other's company.
They are following in golf's great tradition of rivalries -- most notably Jack Nicklaus, left, and Arnold Palmer. "The power of the mind and the capability of that mental discipline is what separates the good from the great," sports leadership expert Khoi Tu told CNN. "That might allow them to become friends with people off the course, but not on the course."
Formula One's greatest rivalry was between Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna. "They absolutely detested each other," Tu says. "They were two very different personalities, and often that's one of the features of great sporting rivalries: Fire and ice."
Fernando Alonso, left, has now twice been beaten to the F1 championship by Sebastian Vettel -- who is widely rumored to be his teammate at Ferrari come 2014. "When you get two No. 1 drivers together with no team rules, then the sparks can really fly," Tu says. "It's rare for them to be good mates. They may get along, they may trust and respect each other in a professional capacity, but hanging out is a different issue."
Former world champion Jackie Stewart, seen here playing with the children of F1 rival Graham Hill, was remarkably friendly with his peers, Tu says. "He was incredibly fond of a number of people who drove with him. That partly is because there was a clearer distinction of him being a number one and them being number two drivers."
A new rivalry has grown in tennis this year between U.S. Open and Olympic champion Andy Murray, left, and childhood friend Novak Djokovic, the world No. 1. "People say that Murray and Djokovic are close but I think it's rare," Tu says. "The best sporting rivalries are the ones where there are these very distinct, almost opposite personalities, but they're very close in terms of their competence."
Rafael Nadal, left, ended the tennis dominance of Roger Federer but they have publicly expressed their friendship despite reports of arguments about on-tour issues. "As people get older they've done so much, broken lots of records, I think that competitive edge is slightly dulled," Tu says. "That makes it easier to be friendlier. You can keep your dignity if you're not crying every time you lose to a younger, faster athlete."
Martina Navratilova, left, and Chris Evert had one of the biggest rivalries in women's tennis. "They ended up as good buddies, but that was when the battling had been done," Tu says. "All of the respect and friendship you get in sport comes through competence first -- ' I know how hard it is to be this good, so I respect them for that.' "
Fiery American John McEnroe, left, and ice-cool Swede Bjorn Borg created an iconic tennis rivalry. "When those two collided, at the height of tennis perfection, that's when the audience is really enthused and enthralled," Tu says. "To get that rivalry, they have to leave any friendship on the sidelines."
Sometimes you get two great athletes, but they are too close to be proper rivals -- such as tennis star Serena Williams, left, and her sister Venus. "The great things about sport is the sense of competition, the uncertainty of the outcome, the fairness of the playing field," Tu says. "You might be able to suspend enough of your fraternal or sisterly love to play a decent game of tennis but it won't reach the heights of the rivalries that make the sport."
Muhammad Ali, left, "demonized" Joe Frazier to hype up their fights despite being showed respect outside the ring by his rival. "He came up with the gorilla term to create a spectacle, which he knew was important, but it revved himself up too," Tu says. "He needed to have a real enemy. By the end of the (Manila) fight, he said that Frazier brought out the best of him."
Then there's modern football's greatest rivalry -- Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. "I'm not sure Messi is a rival with anyone, he still has that unique joy of just playing," Tu says. "But I think with Ronaldo, the truth is Messi is his nemesis -- and the fact that Messi doesn't care makes it even worse."
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