Many high-profile golfers and sports stars wished Tiger Woods a happy 50th birthday on Tuesday.
Even arch-rival Phil Mickelson sent Woods a nice message, praising his contribution to the game of golf.
And the 50-year-old’s achievements are celebrated not only by his generation, but also by those who grew up watching him.
The long list of professional golfers who idolized Woods as children includes three-time PGA Tour winner Ben Griffin.
The world number eight recently shared his favorite Woods shot of all time, which changed his mind about the sport.
What is your favourite moment from Tiger Woods’ career?
The Tiger Woods shot that blew Ben Griffin’s mind
Ben Griffin is too young to have witnessed Tiger Woods’ prime in the early 2000s, but he does remember watching the 2008 US Open.
Despite injuries to his tibia and knee, Woods battled through the final round at Torrey Pines and needed a birdie on the last hole to force a playoff against Rocco Mediate.
Of course, Woods made the 12-foot putt to join Mediate at one under par and then beat him in a sudden-death playoff the following day.
Griffin, like many others, was in awe of Woods’ magical moment that helped him win his penultimate major championship.
“My favorite shot from Tiger’s career is, for sure, the birdie putt on the 18th hole to go into a playoff at the 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines,” Griffin told Golf Channel.
“I remember sitting on the bed with my dad, 12 years old at the time, and seeing that totally changed my viewpoint on golf and made it really, really cool.
“So, thank you for inspiring not only me but junior golfers everywhere.”
How many majors would Tiger Woods have won without his injuries?
Will Zalatoris names his favorite Tiger Woods moment
Will Zalatoris was also asked to name his favorite Tiger Woods shot as part of his birthday message.
However, Zalatoris chose an iconic moment rather than a shot that he will always remember fondly.
“[I’ve got] one that actually wasn’t a shot that he hit,” he said. “I was standing on the tee at the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews, and he was finishing on 18.
“They actually slowed up the plan for 10 minutes to let him finish. I stood on the tee and watched that happen, and it’s a memory I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.”
The crowd at St Andrews gave Woods an incredible sendoff, as they assumed it would be his last Open Championship at the home of golf.
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