Tiger Woods played his first match since the death of his mother at a TGL meet in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, on Tuesday.
It all ended in a proverbial New York minute for Woods and his Jupiter Links GC teammates Kevin Kisner and Tom Kim, who lost 10-3 in a one-sided rout at the hands of New York Golf Club.
The New York team, consisting of Rickie Fowler, Matt Fitzpatrick and Cameron Young, took an 8-0 lead before claiming its first win of the season in the indoor league played on a golf simulator.
Despite the result, Woods appeared to laugh a lot, fueling teammate Kisner’s mood, and the 15-time major champion looked more relaxed than he did in his TGL debut three weeks ago.
Tiger Woods, statements
His mother Kultida was in the stands that night, but died eight days later on Feb. 4 at the age of 80, prompting her son to withdraw from last week’s PGA Tour Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines, stating he was still processing the loss.
“She really enjoyed watching me play and it was awesome to have her in the stands,” Woods said of his mother’s presence at his previous TGL match. “It was a great moment and I’m so grateful for her presence. It took a lot for me to drive here. I hadn’t hit a golf ball since I played with President Trump on Feb. 9.
“It’s been a tough process. I haven’t really thought about golf, and I don’t think I’ll think about it for a while here.” Woods, Kisner and Tom Kim didn’t get into play until the ninth hole (of 15) on Tuesday. By then, the match was all but over, as New York improved to 1-2 for the season. Jupiter Links fell to 1-2.
Woods also admitted that the afternoon included “one of the most embarrassing moments of my golf career.” Due to a misunderstanding with his caddie, Woods hit his second shot on the 13th hole 100 yards when it was actually 199 yards from the green.
Woods’ teammates laughed out loud at the mistake. “I just screwed up. It was embarrassing”. Six teams compete in the inaugural season of this fast-paced league, which tries to attract a young audience by encouraging players, among other things, to allow themselves what is known in golf as “talking trash.”
“We’re here to have fun,” Kisner said just before hitting his tee shot into a bunker on the 14th hole. “That’s a lot more fun. It’s a lot more fun than the last two matches,” said Fowler, happy to be on the winning side.
Tennis World USA