Tiger Woods has made his comeback to competitive golf and it seems as though he’s got fans everywhere, including the press.
This past Thursday, Augusta National chairman Billy Payne, USGA executive director Mike Davis and R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers were at a press conference to promote the Latin America Amateur Championship in Panama City. One of the first questions asked threw them off completely, making the entire gallery fall silent.
Even when Tiger isn’t in the field, he’s still a hot topic of conversation. The question asked: Who will be the first one amongst you three to hand Tiger Woods his next trophy?
Payne, Slumbers, and Davis asked who will be handing Tiger Woods his next major title. A lot of shaky laughter and shifty eyes.
— Nick Menta (@NickMentaGC) January 12, 2017
These important people in golf were at a loss for words, probably thinking that they would never be handing this guy a trophy again.
Tiger Woods hasn’t won a major since 2008. While he may have returned to golf, his opening performance was less than remarkable after finishing 15th in a field of 18 players at the Hero World Challenge.
The response:
“I believe the Masters is first,” answered Slumbers.
“Yeah, I’ll have the first chance,” Payne remarked. “I’ll have the first chance.”
Without really answering the question, Slumbers saved the day by making a general statement for the crew.
“You know, if I could just say, I think it’s wonderful to see Tiger back playing. When he played in the event just before Christmas, I turned on the TV to watch an event I probably wouldn’t have watched had he not been playing, and I think it’s great for the game.”
Tiger is expected to play again at Torrey Pines in San Diego for the Farmers Insurance Open later this month.
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