Dubai: In an ideal world, Tiger Woods would have just finished defending his title in the 2020 Masters Tournament, the first of golf’s four Majors, which was scheduled to be played at the August National Golf Club in Georgia.
Instead, with the tournament having been postponed to November 12-15 due to the coronavirus pandemic, Woods spent the last five days hitting golf balls and getting ‘some fresh air’ at his home club Medalist in Florida.
Medalist, which was designed by Greg Norman and Pete Dye in 1995, is a popular 18-hole course that is frequently used as a training ground by many of the PGA Tour’s top players.
So even though he wasn’t able to defend his Masters’ Title — his fifth overall after wins in 1997, 2001, 2002, 2005 and 2019 — the American says he has been able to continue playing golf throughout the coronavirus shutdown.
Speaking to CBS’s Jim Natz, who has anchored coverage of the Masters since 1989, Woods talked about how has been able to keep the focus and the faith.
“It’s been difficult — just like everyone else, I know a number of people who have gotten the virus,” golf.com reported. “The whole country’s shutting down.”
Woods also revealed the strict precautions are in place at Medalist should golfers wish to use the club’s facilities during the coronavirus shutdown where the driving range is spaced out to ensure social distancing and only one player to a cart. Nobody is allowed to touch golf pins or bunker rakes.
In another interview with Golf TV’s Henni Zuel, a former golf analyst for Sky Sports who is now the online broadcaster for Golf TV, Woods talked about the unsure future of the sport and if and when he will play his next tournament.
“Every course, virtually, to the south of us is closed, but we remain open so it’s been nice to get there and hit golf balls and play a little bit, at least get some fresh air,” he told Zuel, who also played on the professional Ladies European Tour.
“Obviously we have our social distancing — we can’t touch rakes or touch the flags, one person per cart — but at least the members and their kids are able to get out there and play and do something active,” he said.
After the sun goes down Woods, 44, returns home to challenge his son Charlie, 11, in a putting match at his “Jupiter Island Practice Facility,” golf.com reported.
And guess what’s at stake. The winner gets to keep one of Woods’ five green Masters’ jackets in his closet for a day.
“Occasionally it’s gone into his closet,” Woods confessed. “There’s no wins that are given in this family — you earn all your wins. It’s been fun to see him tease me about beating me and being able to wear the jacket and have it in his closet — where he says it belongs.”
Woods also joins his daughter Sam Alexis, 12, and partner Erica Herman, in playing puzzles.
