A string of back procedures and surgeries, an accident in 2021 and its subsequent complications, and plantar fasciitis. The legend of the game sure has been through a lot over the years. Regardless of any injuries or health concerns that Tiger Woods may or may not face when he plays a tournament over four days, one thing the 48-year-old will try to avoid at all costs is using a golf cart. The reason? Well, it’s all thanks to the 15-time major champ’s proud mentality, as revealed by a fellow PGA Tour Pro.
Collin Morikawa was spotted in an interview ahead of the upcoming signature event, the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday. He mentioned how the 48-year-old feels about riding the vehicle on the course, all the while divulging how tough it would be to display the competitive nature he used to showcase back when he was free of his health issues.
To use or not to use golf carts: A Tiger Woods conundrum
“The skill and the feel is still all there,” admitted Morikawa in a press conference when asked about his experience sharing the course with Woods. The two were spotted together teeing it up at the Tiger Jam Golf Outing at the Shadow Creek Golf Course for the 21st edition of the annual charity event on May 31, Friday. The 27-year-old, meanwhile, also recounted how Mr. T hit a hook shot spectacularly: “He hit a hook and I swear he was aiming like 3 feet from the line of people that were on the right side.”
The two-time major champ, however, was realistic in his analysis of the professional’s condition as he said, “But you add that over time, over 18 holes, over a course of 72 holes, the entire week of prep, look, the guy’s been through a lot.”As a fan, the golfer was convinced that Woods needed to use a cart, without which, Woods would struggle to stay in top condition on the course. “I mean, yeah,” acknowledged the 2021 Open champ before pointing out how his attitude wouldn’t allow him to do so, “His ego’s pretty big, you know, as is all of ours. I just think he wants to keep doing it until he can’t, and maybe there’s something about a golf cart that’s just, you know, ain’t it. I would be taking a golf cart if they allowed me. I would love to.”
If you were to ask the five-time Masters champ, he’d also refuse strongly to use the same on PGA Tour-sanctioned events. “On the PGA Tour, no,” said an adamant Woods after his WD from the 2022 Hero World Challenge. But he had no problem turning to the vehicle for other tournaments; “On the sanctioned events where it’s allowed? Yes. Which is the Champions Tour, the PNC, things of that nature.”
USA Today via Reuters
Feb 15, 2024; Pacific Palisades, California, USA; Tiger Woods on the tenth hole during the first round of The Genesis Invitational golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports
Although Morikawa did convey his agreement with Woods taking a cart for an event, contrary to the legend’s opinion, he didn’t shy away from expressing his awe for the 82-time PGA Tour champ. The athlete went ahead to how special it was sharing the greens with the 1997 Masters Tournament winner at the Shadow Creek Golf Course.
A ‘cool’ moment for Woods fanboy Morikawa
“He was making fun of me not being able to hit a draw, so I hit a draw,” recounted Morikawa before narrating how Woods then went ahead to hit the hook shot. The 27-year-old pro also disclosed how fortunate he was to be able to play with his idol, “I’m very lucky to have that opportunity to go and do something like that, to talk to him, to hang out.”
The two-time major champ also recollected the moment while describing it as something he wouldn’t have imagined when he was young; “You go back and you look at your 15-year-old self, your 10-year-old self and you say, yeah, you’re going to go spend a few hours with Tiger playing poker, hitting golf balls on the range, picking his brain, screwing around, like, that’s — you know, that’s a dream, right? So that’s pretty cool.” It appears the athlete really had a big fanboy moment when the duo were spotted with each other during the Tiger Jam Annual Charity event.
While many in the community do want the golfer to use carts, others agree with the pro’s opinion of walking being an integral part of the game. Regardless of public opinion, if the past has taught us anything, Tiger Woods would surely aim to walk the course, even at the upcoming U.S. Open at Pinehurst!
