Even at this stage of his career, Tiger Woods remains arguably the most popular golfer on the planet with fans desperate to catch a glimpse of arguably the greatest talent to ever play the game.
Tiger Woods transformed the PGA Tour when he burst onto the scene in the mid-1990s.
His rivals often had to be aware of when Woods may be hitting, even if they were on a completely different hole. The reaction from the crowds to his shots always had the potential to knock another player off their stride.
So you can imagine how much it meant to international fans whenever Woods would tee it up outside of the United States.
Why Adam Scott did not want Australian fans to cheer for Tiger Woods in 2019
While it was always great for the tournament to have the 15-time major champion involved, there was one occasion where Adam Scott felt compelled to urge the Australian fans to temper their excitement about seeing Woods.
Woods was set to be the captain of Team USA at the 2019 Presidents Cup. He went on to pick himself as a player.
The International team were looking to bounce back from a 19-11 thrashing in 2017. They had also come agonisingly close to winning in Korea two years earlier.
With that, Scott clearly sensed that Ernie Els‘ side needed all the help they could get. And speaking to the Herald Sun, Scott called for a big change from the previous occasion Royal Melbourne hosted the event in 2011.
“Last time it was too friendly,” he said.
“Quite bluntly, we want the home-crowd advantage, and I’ll be disappointed if they are cheering enthusiastically for Tiger or anyone on the US team.
“I’m not saying be a poor sport, but one challenge our team has always had is gaining a home-soil advantage because it’s rare that stars like Tiger and DJ [Dustin Johnson] come to Australia or Korea where we play these things, and the locals are excited to see them as much as anyone on our team.
“But while we appreciate them very much, we don’t have to cheer for them.”
How Tiger Woods performed at the 2019 Presidents Cup
It was so nearly a historic week for the International team. They went into the final session leading 10-8 and needing to win 5.5 points in the singles for only their second ever Presidents Cup victory.
However, Woods’ men fought back in superb fashion. The home side ended up winning just two of the 12 singles matches.
Scott lost 2&1 to Xander Schauffele.
Woods, meanwhile, would complete a hugely successful week with a 4&3 win over Abraham Ancer – capped off with the American skipper going to shake hands with the Mexican before the winning putt had even dropped.
He would win all three matches he played that week. Woods was the only player to leave Australia with a perfect record.
The International team, meanwhile, are still awaiting that second victory.
Receive exclusive golf news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
