Playing golf with Tiger Woods must be one of the most intimidating and awe inspiring moments for any young golfer and going back to 2013, it looks like Jordan Spieth very much got luck with his first ‘Tiger Experience’.
Woods is arguably the most well known golfer to have ever graced the sport and while he might not have his best stuff to show in the modern era, back in the 2000s, he was still at his peak.
Playing with Woods, then, was a big deal for many and for young golfers emerging at the time like Jordan Spieth, the first time with Tiger was always going to be memorable.
Hearing stories of what happened when people played with Woods is always interesting and looking back to what Spieth experienced, it seems he had quite the time.
Jordan Spieth’s first time playing with Tiger Woods left him humbled
Back in 2013, Jordan Spieth was the talk of the town having emerged onto the PGA Tour as a young player with huge potential.
As we know, Spieth would need just two years to land his first major titles, winning The Masters and US Open in 2015.
However, going back to his emergence on the US golf scene, Spieth has previously recalled how his first ever round with Woods went ahead of the 2013 Presidents Cup.
‘We had a little 12-hole match, Tiger and Kuch [Matt Kuchar] versus Steve Stricker and I the practice day before the 2013 Presidents Cup,” Spieth recalled.
“We started on No 7, and on our [par-three] sixth hole, Tiger hit an 8‑iron and it looked like he went after it, so I went ahead and hit kind of a smooth 7. It was 173 into a little breeze, played 175, 176, and started at the flag and never really left it … and all of a sudden, it dropped. Everybody’s hands went up, so our arms went up, and it was really cool; a cool environment that we had that many people around.
“We were all just giving each other high‑fives and the next hole we were talking about how many [aces] each other had and I realised it was a lot more humbling because they all have a lot more than I do.”
How Nelly Korda was left in awe of Tiger Woods
Meeting and playing with Tiger Woods is quite the experience and even for some of the best players in the world, it’s still a nervous time.
While Spieth recounts a memory here and how happy he was, Woods’ star power was on display when Nelly Korda first met him.
Korda recounted how she asked Woods for a picture the first time they met, while she’s also spoken on just how much he meant to her growing up.
“Every single time I watch that video of me approaching Tiger I get like bright red as a tomato, it’s a little embarrassing,” Korda has said.
“But he was my idol and I know that people look up to me and hopefully they can see the love I have for the game and I can give them a little something here and there and hopefully they can pass it along too.
“At the end of the day it’s all about growing the game and Tiger did so much for my generation, the generation before. And that’s all you want is to share the love and hopefully continue growing it.”
Given Korda’s own impact on the women’s game, there is little reason for her or others to be so intimidated.
But, with Woods being the main man in golf, there’s also an element of understanding and hearing Spieth’s story of simply enjoying golf together with Tiger is nice to see.
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