Woods felt Michael Jordan influence as they drew | Sports News

Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan joined forces for a pro-am occasion previous to the 2007 Wachovia Championship, and the celebrity duo carried out precisely as most would count on. The two American sporting legends drew a enormous crowd at Quail Hollow Club in North Carolina, the venue internet hosting this 12 months’s Truist Championship after a one-year break whereas the course was being ready for the 2025 PGA Championship.

At that time, Woods was already a 12-time main winner and the most important attract golf, whereas Jordan, freshly retired from the NBA, remained one of probably the most recognizable athletes on the planet. Their joint look gave spectators a uncommon alternative to watch two all-time greats in motion.

Despite his critical demeanor, Woods advised that Jordan had drawn him back into the identical playful habits the 2 first skilled when they performed their inaugural spherical collectively in Chicago in 1997, the identical 12 months Woods received his first Masters victory and one earlier than Jordan’s sixth and last NBA title with the Chicago Bulls.

“Whether it’s playing golf or playing cards or just hanging out, whatever it is, we’re always having a great time, always needling each other,” Woods mentioned. “There’s always a wager of some sort on anything we do because we always want to one-up one another, and that’s the nature of how we are, and I think that’s also one of the reasons why we’ve been able to accomplish the things that we’ve been able to accomplish.”

While no concrete proof emerged of Woods and Jordan inserting bets during the pro-am spherical, the six-time NBA champion’s well-known repute on the golf course left little doubt about what was seemingly going down. When pressed on whether or not any wagers had been made, Woods responded: “We’re not allowed to bet on the Tour.”

However, successful money on the golf course calls for the power to carry out underneath strain. Regardless of how masterfully Jordan demonstrated that high quality on the basketball courtroom, it proved to be a appreciable problem when competing in opposition to arguably the best golfer of all time.

Despite Jordan being the older of the 2 — he was 44 on the time, whereas Woods was simply 31 — the five-time Masters champion nonetheless praised his buddy’s spectacular athleticism.

“His golf game is a lot better than my basketball,” Woods mentioned of Jordan.

“He’s still MJ on the court when he shoots; he just can’t do it for 48 minutes. It’s now like five minutes. But the shots, you know, the fadeaway, the drop step, he has it all still.”

No official document exists of how the duo carried out within the pro-am, although Woods went on to say victory on the Wachovia Championship that weekend, securing his 57th PGA Tour title.