Tiger Woods meets with the president

[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/04/20/art.botiger0420.gi.jpg caption="Golf great Tiger Woods met with President Obama at the White House Monday."]
WASHINGTON (CNN) - President Barack Obama met Monday in the White House with golf star Tiger Woods, who got the lowdown on one of the commander in chief's poorer days on the golf course.

The president agreed to meet with Woods after learning the golfer was in town to promote his upcoming charity tournament in the Washington area, according to White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.

Gibbs told CNN that he had a brief meeting with Woods as well, and White House aide Marvin Nicholson decided to introduce the press secretary as "the guy who's taken the most money from the president while golfing."

The press secretary told Woods about a rare time during the presidential campaign when Obama, Gibbs, Nicholson and personal aide Reggie Love quietly had a fierce competition on a Nevada golf course.

"We snuck away to play golf late one afternoon," recalled Gibbs. "Reggie and I beat (Obama) and Marvin."

But Gibbs was careful not to brag too much around Woods. "Given what he does, I wouldn't call what I do 'golfing,'" joked Gibbs. "He's the best in the world."

While Obama showed himself to be a pretty good golfer during his Hawaiian vacation during the presidential transition, his meeting with Woods was also expected to be a chance for two men who have shattered racial barriers in their respective fields to visit for a while on more serious matters.

White House aides say Woods then stuck around for a tour of the West Wing, with photographers anxiously staking out the building hoping to get a glimpse.