Arguably, the men’s first major gets the most hype. The 2020 season was not different, but the patrons couldn’t be at Augusta National because of COVID-19 restrictions. Thus, the golfers were alone without any cheers or to witness Tiger Woods’s career-worst shot. If you have forgotten, Woods was the defending champion, and at the age of 44, people still expected him to win another. However, the 15-time major winner was nowhere close to contending, and that got worse as he shot 10 at the par-3 12th hole. Although patrons weren’t there to watch it, it was still all over the news. And rightfully so.
But one person who watched it all on Augusta National was Andy Ogletree. The LIV Golf pro played the first two rounds with Woods, made the cut, and was given the lower amateur in 2020. He was the latest guest at the Fairway to Heaven podcast, and when Su Ann Heng asked him about the interaction with Woods from 2020, he particularly remembered the 10-stroke shot of the 48-year-old. Ogletree narrated that after he finished his final round and was told about getting the lower amateur, he was taken to the Butler’s Cabin, where he talked with his family and debriefed about his week. At that moment, someone slapped his back, and as he turned around, he was surprised to find Woods standing there. “‘He’s like, congrats, man.’ It was really cool,” Ogletree recalled.
Then, the 26-year-old discussed his final round and contemplated how he could’ve done better. Then, Ogletree forgot about Woods’s worst shot and asked about his round. And the 48-year-old asked him, “‘You haven’t heard?” Instead of admitting that he had, under that pressure, the LIV golfer pretended that he hadn’t and asked him to elaborate. Ogletree said, “He went through every shot. He’s like, in the back bunker, and I blade it in the water, and then I hit you know.” But in his mind, he thought about how he had watched it all and laughingly said, “I just completely put my foot in my mouth and asked Tiger Woods how he made a ten.”
But who would not get a little nervous when talking to the 5-time Masters winner for the first time? After all, he is a legendary golfer, and his presence had always been pretty intimidating for many. Having a little embarrassing moment in front of Woods is predictable, and Ogletree was not alone in that; even Jon Rahm cried when he first met Woods.
Jon Rahm retells the story of meeting Tiger WoodsIt was the 2018 season, and Jon Rahm was making his Ryder Cup debut. The European Team was leading as they entered Sunday Singles, and who was against Rahm? It was Tiger Woods. The 2-time major winner told the PGA Tour in 2020 about how his first meeting with Woods was at the Albatros Course of Le Golf National in Guyancourt. Woods was the then-TOUR Championship winner and was 0-3 in that Ryder Cup, while Rahm was 0-2.
He recalled that he was not playing his best game, but the 48-year-old was in his best form and surely wanted to win. The Spaniard discussed everything with a mental coach until he reached the venue and thought about how he would play flawlessly and beat Woods at his game. As the two reached the 17th hole, right before a birdie putt, Rahm recounted someone screaming in Spanish, “Do it for Seve.” With that motivation, Rahm drained the 5-footer and defeated Woods.
When he turned around, Woods was walking towards him, and Rahm didn’t know what to do, so he apologized, but the 48-year-old said, “‘Man, don’t even worry; you played great.’ I started crying in front of Tiger. It was such an emotional moment. I saw him win a great deal of events, grew up with a dream of someday beating him, and to do it on the Sunday of a Ryder Cup—it was extremely special,” said the 2-time major winner. In the end, the Europeans won, and Rahm made one of the best memories of his golf career.
Just like Andy Ogletree, Jon Rahm was flustered by Woods too, but as in the previous case, the 15-time major winner had been anything but welcoming to the young stars and showed why he is one of the greatest golfers.
