At the 1996 Masters, when Tiger Woods was still an amateur, the great Jack Nicklaus commented: 

“If he can handle all the attention, all the pressure from you folks, Tiger can be as good or better than anyone who has played the game.”

Prophetic words from the “Golden Bear”.

The very next year the 21-year-old Tiger won the Masters by a stunning 12 strokes and for more than a decade handled the pressure with apparent ease.

But the burden of fame and the accompanying stress eventually got to him, and as has been well documented, it all went pear-shaped in 2009.

Now he’s definitely back despite many golf fans doubting he would claim another major, let alone the Masters.

The media has been full of tributes to the scale of his achievement at Augusta last weekend.

The personal problems of the past and serious knee and back injuries would have finished off most golfers. For Tiger, this remarkable comeback victory at the age of 43 must truly feel like redemption.

It seems an appropriate time to remember that Tiger, who has a Thai mother, Kultida, played and won several tournaments in Thailand in his earlier years, giving great pleasure to local fans.

In 1994, the Johnnie Walker Classic at the Blue Canyon Country Club in Phuket was won by Australia’s Greg Norman.

Also in the field was a young American amateur who at the age of 18 was feeling very proud.

Tiger Woods had just made his first cut in a professional tournament and went on to finish in 34th place.

Although he was already a household name in the US because of his outstanding achievements as an amateur, it would be fair to say few people in Thailand had heard of him at that time.

Three years later, when he returned to Thailand for the 1997 Asian Honda Classic, EVERYBODY had heard of Tiger Woods.

Since his previous visit, he had won the PGA Rookie of the Year award, and what was to be the first of his 11 PGA Player of the Year trophies.

Tiger was now a huge international star and having a Thai mother naturally gave him a special status in the kingdom.

After an overwhelming welcome at Don Mueang airport, Tiger obliged on the Thai Country Club course by cruising to victory by 10 strokes.

Enthusiastic crowds chanted his name as he walked down the 18th fairway. People still talk about the time he drove the 406-yard par-4 10th. Tiger’s nameplate is still on the No.1 locker at the club.

After the win, Tiger struck a chord with the Thai people when he said: “Winning is great, but to win here in Thailand is something special. This is like home to me.”

He certainly tried to say the right things about his ancestry and his mother made sure he was brought up with basic Buddhist values.

But deep down, of course, he was American, born and raised in California, and understandably much preferred a hot dog to a khao phad.

On his next appearance in Thailand, at the Blue Canyon in the 1998 Johnnie Walker event, Tiger made an even bigger impact.

It turned out to be a true “classic” which climaxed with a tremendous play-off duel between Woods and Ernie Els. It was pure theatre.

Tiger had not been playing well and after two rounds had allowed Els to move 11 shots ahead of him.

On the final day he was eight shots behind, which still seemed too far back. Not for Tiger, however.

The already large gallery expanded by the minute as Tiger picked up shot after shot in one of the most extraordinary rounds seen in Thailand.

He finished with a majestic seven-under 65, but then had to wait in the clubhouse for two hours as Els stuttered on the back nine.

Tiger then finished Els off in a dramatic two-hole play-off. The gallery erupted as Tiger, in his red shirt, embraced his mother.

Two years later he returned for the 2000 Johnnie Walker tournament, this time at the Alpine Golf Club in Pathum Thani, just outside Bangkok.

Tiger shot successive 65s in his last three rounds to finish on an extraordinary 25-under, and beat Australia’s Geoff Ogilvy by three strokes.

It was his 10th title of the year and played in blisteringly hot conditions.

“I don’t think I have ever drunk so much water in my life,” admitted Tiger.

During the visit, Tiger received a honorary doctorate of philosophy in sports science from Kasetsart University.

Tiger’s last appearance in Thailand came briefly in November 2010 when he participated in a one-day skins tournament — the World Golf Salutes King Bhumibol –at Amata Spring Country Club in Chon Buri, with Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee, England’s Paul Casey and Colombia’s Camilo Villegas who won the event.

During the trip, he signed the get-well book for King Bhumibol Adulyadej at Siriraj Hospital where the King stayed at that time.

The beloved monarch passed away in 2016.

He also met then-prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva at Government House.

Of course Tiger’s career looked like it was over after the combination of a serious injury and his marital infidelity a decade ago.

Tom Watson summed up Tiger’s dire situation at the time: “He messed up. He knows he messed up. The whole world knows he messed up.”

But he is back again, and seeing him hugging his kids and mum on Sunday was a sight to behold.

Golf fans in Thailand also got an unexpected bonus on Sunday.

Because of bad weather the Augusta, tee-times were moved forward several hours which meant we could watch the live golf at a civilised time, with Tiger sinking his winning putt before 1.30am Thai time. Normally watching the Masters involves sacrificing a whole night’s sleep.

We might not witness Tiger perform in Thailand again, but you can be sure Thai golf fans will be glued to their sets for the three remaining majors this season. His success at the Masters has certainly made life a lot more interesting.

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Source: New York Post