By Frank Pingue
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida (Reuters) -Tiger Woods, whose talent and charisma elevated golf to new heights during his prime, embarked on a new challenge on Tuesday when he made his debut in the tech-infused indoor team golf league he co-founded with Rory McIlroy.
Woods, 49, was not at his best on a night when his Jupiter Links Golf Club were thrashed 12-1 by Los Angeles Golf Club but the greatest player of his generation still enjoyed the fast-paced twist to the age-old game.
“We were entertaining. We hit a lot of shots. I think the people here, they got to see how bad pros can be,” a smiling Woods told reporters. “It was just a boat race. Oh, my goodness. But we had a great time.”
One week after its launch, TGL rolled out the biggest name on its roster with hopes that Woods can help the sport cultivate a newer and younger audience.
Woods, with his mother and son Charlie among the capacity crowd of 1,500, arrived on the field of play sporting a red shirt and white pants and without any introduction but simply “Eye of the Tiger” blaring through the speakers.
And while a vastly different environment than pristine Augusta National, where Woods has won five Masters titles, the 15-time major winner still commanded the attention of the arena throughout the two-hour match even if he was far from his best.
“It’s really neat, and it was intimate. I think that’s one of the cool things about it,” said Woods. “It’s about entertaining. We had a laugh.”
After missing the cut at the 2024 British Open, Woods had back surgery in September and did not compete again until playing alongside his son during a 36-hole event in December.
Prior to hitting the night’s opening shot at a five-storey simulator screen Woods did his part to pump up the crowd as he utilized “The Hammer”, doubling the value of the par-four first hole to two points.
Woods, playing alternate shot with teammates Kevin Kisner and Max Homa, then found the fairway with a 270-yard shot before splitting the hole with the Los Angeles trio of Justin Rose, Collin Morikawa and Sahith Theegala.
Despite being on the wrong end of a rout, Jupiter Links were able to have some fun at their own expense with Kisner jokingly asking Woods’s son if he wanted to play.
Woods tied Rose on the opening hole of their two-hole, head-to-head “singles” clash but dropped the second where he found water off the tee and then hit a bunker shot into the same hazard.
“This is unique. This is something that golf has never seen before,” said Woods. “To have an arena like this and to be able to go out there with great guys, entertain everyone, just have fun.
“The new tech with — I know my family were blown away of the enormity of the space, and then on top of that, the rotating green. It’s really neat, and it was intimate.”
(Reporting by Frank Pingue; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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