Only a select few people can claim to have played an 18-hole round of golf with Tiger Woods.
The 15-time major winner is the highest-paid golfer of all time and arguably one of the world’s greatest-ever athletes.
Woods’ domination during the mid-2000s was unprecedented, and the 48-year-old also produced some scintillating form between 2018 and 2020, which saw him win the Tour Championship and eventually the Masters at Augusta National.
Woods’ fifth green jacket capped one of the great sporting comebacks, and England striker Harry Kane has claimed he knew the American’s good form was coming before the majority of the golfing world.
Tiger Woods shoots six under with Harry Kane just before 2019 Masters win
Speaking during the latest Rick Shiels Golf Show, Kane shared a story from 2018 where he initially played five holes with Woods during a vacation in the Bahamas.
The Englishman then revealed that he spent time talking to the 15-time major winner after his round.
“I was kind of just playing with him, without being able to say hello, so I got out to my ball and hit a high one green side. And as I hit the second shot, we walked with him and had a bit of chit-chat,” said Kane.
“Greenside, it’s a simple chip, and I chipped this ball, and you know, when you catch it a bit thin, I looked up quick, and I look up, and it stops three feet before the hole. I thought he thinks I’m a proper golfer now! Make birdie on the hole and I should have shook his hand there and then, I think he made par, and walked off. But then we played 16, 17 and 18, and I think I went bogey, par, bogey after that.”
Kane then revealed that Woods invited him for an 18-hole round the next day, where the five-time Masters champion would shoot six under.
“Go to the clubhouse, and we chatted after that, and we ended up meeting that night and got on really well. It’s funny because the golf was great, but chatting with him in the evening and we were talking about family,” Kane added.
“We spent a few hours there. Then as I was leaving he said I’m playing 18 tomorrow, do you want to play? And I ended up playing 18 with him the next morning. That 18 holes, he shot six under. So I knew before anyone else that he was playing really well. In 2018, he won the Tour Championship, and then in 2019, he won the Masters.”
Harry Kane doesn’t miss out on once-in-a-lifetime Tiger Woods chance
Kane is one of a few people who have been fortunate enough to play with Woods during a practice round.
Of course, many PGA Tour players have been grouped with the all-time greats, but tournament conditions probably make the experience less unique.
Furthermore, Kane caught a glimpse of Woods just before one of the greatest moments in sporting history occurred at Augusta National.
The 48-year-old’s return to glory on Augusta’s 18th green was one for the history books and marked a superb return to form for Woods.
Unfortunately, it’s difficult to see a similar scenario ever repeating itself with Woods once again returning from injury ahead of the 2025 PGA Tour season.
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