I was 5 feet away from him. I debated his good shot and how he had taken the "Tiger Line" with some stranger next to me (I sounded like a pro.. :-))I said "in the hole" (what a absolutely man's phrase!) along with the other people surrounding the green.
I saw him take his driver out on the 7th hole on Day 2, and hit a driver on the fairway to the green on a par 5. One lady said "he's taking out his big stick"... I was tempted to say "what big stick!?" ... luckily I saw the driver before I made that remark...
Tiger Woods is the epitome of pure sportsman. My friend, the Frenchman, a non-golfer, was hooked by his intensity on the course. He was so captivated on watching Tiger that he followed him on the course until he almost forgot to take his ride back to catch his flight. In Tiger, we saw his history as a young golfer, and the dedication to training. Most importantly he represented a winner - someone who is so mentally strong that opponents crumble.
Golf is an amazing individual sport - it is a challenge to oneself to master the sport, to conquer the course, and of course, to conquer oneself and rise to the challenge. I mentioned it to a friend, this is similar to running races - how you want to finish is up to you. Do not blame others if you did not practice or train enough. It is all in preparation and mental challenge.
Although Tiger did not win the matchplay, it was an experience watching him. I was 5 feet away from a champion.
Footnotes :
Photo Note 1: Tiger at the Accenture dinner after Round1 - he looks not too happy at having to entertain us bunch of consultants ...
Photo Note 2: Past champions of the matchplay.
Photo note 3: Aspiring champion at Carlsbad, California, for Accenture Matchplay (2nd round) in full golf gear, looking like a japanese golfer!
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