When he exploded onto the scene of professional golf in the 90s, Tiger Woods immediately set about changing the game forever.
Tiger Woods broke down barriers in golf, becoming a role model for young people of all backgrounds, and his superstardom brought golf into mainstream culture.
And on the course, his steely, intense approach to the game was unlike anything we had ever seen, and his sheer power has paved the way for the next generation of long-hitters.
Woods backed all of this up with unparalleled success, becoming the first player to hold all four major championships at the same time in 2001, and breaking the record for the most consecutive cuts made on the PGA Tour with 142.
But Woods’ approach didn’t sit well with everyone. Tom Watson, an eight-time major winner, was highly critical of the greatest golfer of all time, saying he should play more like the idol he was chasing, Jack Nicklaus.
Why Tom Watson said Tiger Woods should show more respect to golf
In 2010, Woods was at the low point of his golfing career. Controversies in his personal life and a series of injuries had put an end to his winning ways, and in 2009, he’d failed to win a major in a season for the first time in half a decade.
In February 2010, Watson was highly critical of the way Woods conducted himself on the golf course, urging him to play more like the legends who had come before him.
He said, “I feel that he has not carried the same stature as the other great players that have come along, like Jack [Nicklaus], Byron Nelson, [Ben] Hogan, in the sense that there was bad language and club throwing on the golf course.
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“You can grant that to somebody, a young person that has not been out there for a while, but I think he needs to clean up his act and show the respect for the game that the people before him have shown.”
Those comments sat with Woods for years, and the pair had to clear the air when Watson was selected as Team USA’s Ryder Cup captain.
“No, we haven’t spoken yet but I am sure as we have another year plus or about a year ahead of us, so there will be a lot of time between now and then to talk,” said Woods.
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Watson’s selection as captain immediately raised the question as to how he and Woods were going to be able to work together after Watson’s comments in 2014. All eyes were on Woods to see how he would react to the news.
Thankfully for Team USA, Woods took the high road, saying, “Tom knows what it takes to win, and that is our ultimate goal. I hope I have the privilege of joining him on the 2014 United States team”.
Watson responded: “He’s the best player maybe in the history of the game. And if he’s not on the team for any unforeseen reason [via automatic qualification], and I’m sure he will be, you can bet that he’s going to be No 1 on my pick list.
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“My relationship with Tiger is fine. Whatever has been said before is water under the bridge. No issues.”
Unfortunately for Woods, after an injury-riddled 2014 season where he missed the cut at the PGA Championship and was sidelined for The Masters, he ruled himself out of a Ryder Cup selection due to a lingering back injury.
Team USA went on to lose their third-straight Ryder Cup 16.5-11.5, and Watson’s captaincy was highly criticised by Woods’ rival. In the end, it was Phil Mickelson who gave Watson the biggest headache at the Ryder Cup, not Woods.
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