Taking part in alongside Tiger was enjoyable, says Ogilvy
WHILE most gamers discovered being paired with Tiger Woods in his prime a frightening proposition, Geoff Ogilvy, who gained the 2006 US Open, relished the chance to tee it up with the 15-time main winner.
“I appreciated enjoying with Tiger and principally performed effectively after I was with him,” Ogilvy instructed Subpar podcast’s Colt Knost and Drew Stolz.
“With him it was enjoyable since you knew you have been with among the best gamers of all time … not evaluating your recreation to his however seeing what you could possibly be taught and choose up.
“You have been hoping he’d do one thing Tiger Woods in entrance of you so you could possibly say ‘I used to be there when he did this’. To play with a man that good was fairly particular and we have been all lucky to play in that period.
“He may very well be enjoying garbage all day, however he would at all times hit the vital pictures effectively. In the event you have been on the Masters and he was enjoying garbage and lacking each fairway however then he would pipe one down 15, hit his method to eight toes, make eagle and repair his spherical.
“He by no means missed the shot that mattered. And each time there was excessive expectations for Tiger to do effectively, he’d go and win the event.
“We now have all performed with nice gamers like DJ (Dustin Johnson) and Brooks (Koepka), Scotty and Sergio who can play outrageous golf – and it was a excessive degree – however each time when the expectations have been excessive Tiger met or exceeded them.
“I don’t know the way you do this as a result of the most important anchor in golf is your personal expectations, however he simply beat it each time.
“Tiger was a genius at ending 72 holes in entrance of everybody else. He’d be fairly informal on Thursday and Friday, then on Saturday he’d be a bit extra severe and Sunday you couldn’t discuss to him.
“He simply wouldn’t look anybody within the eye. He was nearly meditating, strolling sluggish and measured. He simply one way or the other knew the right way to get to the top in entrance of everybody else.
“He was simply higher at it than everybody else.”
Ogilvy, who is eighteen months youthful than Woods, first encountered the American once they have been youngsters.
“Commentators have been saying ‘this child (Tiger) goes to be nice’ and we’re saying he can’t be that nice or pretty much as good as us (me or my mates),” Ogilvy laughed.
“However the first time I noticed him play for actual was on the Western Novice at Level O’ Woods GCC within the mid-Nineteen Nineties. We’re all bouncing drivers into the bushes on the finish of the vary and he was flying three-woods excessive of the bushes.
“He was hitting it 30 yards previous us. I’d by no means seen something prefer it and thought this man is one other degree.
“The subsequent 12 months I noticed him play on the British Open at Royal Lytham and watched him shoot 65 or 66 within the third spherical and thought ‘this child is completely different’.”
Tiger Woods went on to win 15 majors – 5 Masters, 4 US PGA titles, three US Open titles and three Open Championships. His final main win was on the 2008 US Open.
One other participant who loved duelling with Tiger was Ernie Els.
The truth is, when Tiger was nonetheless an novice in 1996, he sought the Huge Simple’s recommendation.
“Tiger and I am going again a great distance and I performed quite a lot of golf with him in 1994-95 when he was an novice. He was profitable the US Novice so he can be invited to the majors.
“I used to be having a beer within the locker room (on the 1996 Open Championship) and he requested me what I thought of his recreation and if I assumed he was prepared to show professional.
“I mentioned completely. I joke that I remorse saying that however he wouldn’t have listened to me if I’d mentioned he wasn’t prepared. Once I look again now, I ought to have instructed him he wasn’t ok and may wait one other 5 years,” laughed Ernie.
For the report, Tiger took Ernie’s recommendation and turned professional six weeks later.
“I did have some good battles with him, and I did beat him right here and there, however he was the perfect nearer of a event I’ve seen in my life.
“Tiger’s at all times been a very good buddy and one of many best opponents ever.”
