Before Tiger Woods Really Controlled The Game

On the Monday of Open Championship Week at Royal Lytham & St Annes in 1996, by chance I called at McDonalds in Blackpool before making my way to the course to enjoy the arrival of the contenders who had already qualified.

A very personable young man, accompainied by an older man, entered and after ordering, sat beside me.

I recognised the younger, because I had watched The 1995 Walker Cup at Royal Porthcawl on television and in the singles he had lost to Gary Wolstenholme by 1 hole in a tremendous match. Tiger Woods at that time had won The US Amateur Championship three times in succession and was making his first entry as an amateur to The British Open.

It was natural our conversation concentrated on golf and the older man, who turned out to be Eldrick Woods was also visiting Lancashire for the first time.

The following day I  was a sole spectator behind the pair on the practice range and watched for almost two hours as Woods senior, seated on a shooting stick, quietly, made the odd comment as his son continuously played shot after shot with every club in the bag. I had never previously seen anyone concentrate so much during a practice session.

Tiger Woods returned four rounds of 75,66,70,70 to finish top amateur in joint 22nd place and won outright for the first time in 2000.

In the short space of 5 years he had achieved what many would have claimed to be impossible and since then has become one of the greatest golfers od all time.

Little did I know that particular Monday, I was in the presence of someone who would eventually become one of golf's icons.

Sadly, his father has died, but Tiger has retained the good manners and humility displayed by both, during our brief meeting.