The Tiger Effect | PGA TOUR Originals

In every sport there are athletes that rise above, break barriers, and disrupt the status quo. In golf, that's Tiger Woods. Tiger's competitive fire and energy not only launched golf into the modern era, but also sparked a fandom unlike any other. He brought so much life to the game. He changed how it's played. Tiger's influence goes far beyond just the game of golf. He has mentored and inspired a new generation of athletes. We are willing to do whatever we can to be better than the people that we're competing against. The Tiger effect will continue to reverberate for decades to come, inspiring us all to reach for greatness. He's been able to do things that are absolutely unthinkable. You know what's crazy? He's not even done yet. Tiger announced that he's coming back. Just your thoughts on going up against him at Riviera? He's playing Riv? Mm-hmm. Nice. That's actually really good news, so I'm actually really happy about that. It's really awesome. He's playing a tour event, especially his event, and you know, one of my favorites, so I'm stoked to see him back out there. As a big fan of Tiger, you know, it's going to be awesome for him to be in the field. Through all he's gone through, any time Tiger can be present on the golf course playing makes a tournament even better. Welcome, Tiger Woods, tournament host of the Genesis Invitational. The leg is better than it was last year, and I'm excited to go out there and compete. I would not have put myself out here if I didn't think I could beat these guys and win the event. That's my mentality. And with the mindset of a champion, the 82-time PGA Tour winner headed to the first tee and joined an all-star group including Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas. And now what we've all been waiting for. There's nothing like coming game time, just the feeling of the butterflies and trying to calm all that stuff down. The return of Tiger this season to the PGA Tour. It was nice that I had this unbelievable pairing. Two great guys, two great friends. Think of all the star power you have these three teeing it up together at the Genesis Invitational. Feeding off the energy, Woods didn't miss a beat and began competing. Birdie on the first hole for Tiger. Here we go. The adrenaline in the ball goes further. I happened to actually hit some good shots finally and made a couple plots and I was able to kind of get it going and it was a nice finish. See how this crowd feels about Tiger. As one of the most recognizable athletes of all time, golf fans have always been extra for Tiger Woods. Anytime you see Tiger Woods in the field, the crowds are unbelievable. And this year, the Roars returned to Riviera as a Los Angeles crowd showed their support. The amount of people that came out in support of this event was off the charts. See the crowds lining that fairway three and four deep. We come from Phoenix, we drove all through the night to make it. Obviously here to see Tiger Woods, always love to see him play. You don't know how many more tournaments he's going to have in him, so just make sure that he knows that he's being fully supported. So many people trying to get a view of Tiger. It's nice to be out here for my son to experience this. He's a legend. He's a goat, you know? So I try to bring my son out here to inspire him to work hard and accomplish his dreams. Tiger, Tiger Woods, y'all. Obviously he's the goat of golf. One of the goats of all sports combined and just like what he's done to the game of golf, how much he's grown it. It's just incredible. So we got to come out and see him. The people were obviously very supportive. They were just cheering all of us on which was great and he just made this whole tournament better. And with the crowd at his back, Tiger made the cut on the number. I was so focused on what I was trying to do. I probably should have appreciated the fans more than I did, but there was so much going on in my head trying to get the ball in the correct spots and the correct feels just because I haven't done this in a while. With his laser-like focus on moving day, Tiger posted his best round with the 4 under 67, but the 47-year-old wasn't able to capitalize on Sunday. It was progress, but obviously I didn't win. My streak continues here at RIF. This is a big event to have all the top players here playing like this. It means a lot to me as a player, but also as a host. This tournament has been here for, you know, over 50-some odd years and I watched numerous LA Opens here and now to actually be the host of the event, I couldn't have it more perfect because this is SoCal. This is where it all started for me. This is where it all happened and then to be able to host these guys is just absolutely incredible. This week's got a very special feel to it just in that this is Tiger's event and Riviera is, I would say, the purest test of golf that we play on the PGA Tour. So the combination of those two things, I think, make this tournament very special. One of Tiger's biggest responsibilities as host is handing out the trophy, an added bonus for the winner. Anytime you can perform in front of Tiger Woods or even interact with him and get a congratulations or a good playing, what a special, special week. I want to win the tournament and, you know, at the end of the day it would be more special if it's Tiger's event. It'd be very special for me to have a trophy handed to me by Tiger Woods. It's something I've dreamed about, I think, as a kid, you know, not only playing alongside Tiger, but anything to do with having Tiger give you a trophy would be a special thing for me. I've wanted that moment for quite a bit. This is a prestigious event. It's a prestigious golf course with the legacy of Tiger Woods, right? So I think everything together adds up to a very, very unique trophy ceremony. Let's go, John. Let's go, John. With the trophy in reach, John Rahm headed to the final round of the Genesis Invitational, holding a three-shot lead. I'm aware of the magnitude of this moment. Of course, we feel nervous. I'm a human being, after all. And Rahm's humanity is what makes him so fun to watch. Yes, I compete with a lot of passion, a lot of fire. I want to win. I work extremely hard every single day to make sure I can hit the best shot I can at each point. It matters. It matters to me a lot. He's pretty emotional. If you harness that and use it in a positive way, it can be nothing but good. The 28-year-old's passion for victory is evident with every winning putt. At the hole, into the bottom, and a fist pump from the big Spaniard. Oh, baby, is he excited or what? Somebody who feels his emotion to the fullest. That's where you're going to get great moments, like making the last putt and going a little crazy. Rahm has consistently won on the PGA Tour, racking up seven wins in six years. But after 2022, he knew he had more to give. I didn't play golf to the level I know I could. Even though my game hasn't shown it, I think I've improved in a lot of ways. So hopefully for years to come, I can show it. And in this 2023 season, Rahm put his true potential on full display. John Rahm has won the 2023 The American Express. It's his second win on the PGA Tour in a row. With a victory on the horizon at the Genesis Invitational, Rahm was on the verge of winning three events in his last six PGA Tour starts. I'm just more proud of myself of kind of resetting when things got difficult, knowing that if I were to somehow save par there and finish the last 500 par, I was most likely going to be a champion. As Rahm looked to finish strong, 2021 Genesis Invitational champion Max Homa turned up the pressure down the stretch with one last chance to overtake Rahm on the 18th green. Oh, my goodness. And with the par putt, Rahm secured his third win of the season. It's all about John Rahm in the game of golf. Soak it all in, John. Kind of relieved that it's over. Thankful that I have basically two putts from two feet to be able to win the tournament. I've never had three PGA Tour wins in a season. And to do it this early on is incredible. I've been able to appreciate Tiger for a very long time and admire him, but it's taken me six years as a professional to get to this point, to see that he did it so quickly and so many times is really remarkable. Tiger Woods set a high benchmark, but John Rahm continued his own unique climb to greatness, coming from behind to win the Masters, securing his second major title for a total of four wins in 2023. Rahm has a passion for golf, which has allowed him to get better each and every year and allow him to win tournaments. I'm seeing the dividends of a lot of the hard work over the years. Just keep doing the small things and keep enjoying and having fun. He is on some kind of run right now. I was 11 years old, playing Navy golf course, and I'd never beat my dad before. I made a putt from about 20 feet on 17, make it even, playing last hole. Last I went right at it and hit it probably about 15 feet just behind it. Dad hit left of it, and so he hit about 20 foot or so. He putted first. He missed, and I knew what it was for. I'm sure he knew what it was for. He's got the scorecard in the cart. I'm sure he's adding it up. I made the putt and then gave my first fist pump. I don't know what came about and why I even did it, but it was such a big monumental moment at that time to have beat my dad. This is the same person that we'd all play from the same team, and it'd take me two drives to not get to his drive, to now where, hey, now we're competing on the same level. So we had a lot of great battles. And little did young Tiger Woods know that the fist pump he discovered that day will light the fuse of the Tiger Effect, bringing so much excitement to the sport and opening the door for others to show their emotions. And the fist pump. That is priceless. And add it to the highlight package. It gives me chills, honestly, even watching some old Tiger videos where he's just full-on fist pumping. Just something about his competitiveness is, it's crazy. You just hope that you put yourself in positions to be able to throw fist pumps like that. Love this reaction right here. You see that red and black on Sunday and fist pumps going, crowds going wild. You're like, gosh, that's cool. We're not practicing just putting. We're practicing putting and the fist The iconicness of the fist pump and then what it meant or in what situations, how he did it, when he did it, you know, stuff like that sticks with you. And we just wanted to copy him. I don't know where it comes from, how it even comes out. This comes out in all different forms, you know, the energy of the fans. It's kind of a crescendo effect. And then all of a sudden, this huge explosion happens. Little fist pump. Been a while since we've seen one of those. Yeah, he knows he's right in there. Tiger, he made it big, so we're just carrying the torch now. A fist pump is definitely something that a lot of guys do. I do it, but none of us want to go full fist pump just because we know that's Tiger's. Right in the middle and the fist pump. Tiger's a standard when it comes to the fist pump. I'm just curious if he was ever in a ring and he threw one of those fist pumps uppercuts, how high the guy would be flying. I don't know how he didn't throw out his shoulder when he fist pumped. He brought so much life to the game. He changed how it's played. He made fist pumping cool. He made people come out to watch, which makes being excited cool. He's just been such a dominant force in the game of golf for us for a very, very long time. Iconic name in golf. I probably copied everything that he did like a lot of kids my age did, but I think that's the fun part about a fist pump is you just don't know what it's going to be. It's just it truly is emotion and it just happens. Tiger fist pumps it in. We all looked up to him. We all wanted to be him. We do the fist pumps or just impersonations or try to dress like him. I mean he he was the one that created all this for us. He's the one that's elevated the game to where it is now. Along with his patented fist pump, Tiger's head cover, better known as Frank, carries his own importance. With his humble appearance, orange fur, and black stripes, it represents the greatest golfer to play. Through the years, Frank was steadfast through the tough times and witness to golf's most iconic moments. And this unassuming stuffed Tiger was born from a simple gesture of motherly love. The Tiger head cover came about because she wasn't able to travel to all the tournaments that my dad and I went to. Once I left the Southern California area and started playing more national events, she wasn't there. So in order for her to feel like she was there, she gave me a head cover and she embroidered Love Always Mom. So she's at every single tournament I ever go to. My mom is always there with me no matter what and that's one of the things that she wanted to make sure that her little son, her only son, is never alone. While the head cover is symbol of his mother's affection, the values instilled in him by his parents at home grounded him on his journey to the top. My mom was hard. My mom was very difficult. She was the disciplinarian in the family. She was either black or white. There was absolutely no gray. My dad had wiggle room. He was all about gray. So my mom was not. So I can negotiate with my dad and my mom was, there was absolutely no wiggle room. Earl Woods, his father, is known for molding Tiger into a champion on the course, while his mother Tita shaped him into a champion in the classroom. She was the one that really made sure that I got my homework done. It was family first, education, then whatever sport I played. I guess hello world, huh? The only thing lacking in Tiger's world when he said hello in 1996 was a peer group. During the tour at that time was different because no one was doing it at 20 years old. Most of the players were either going through college all the way through and then go through the mini tours to get on tour and if they didn't make Q school it would take a little bit of time to get on tour. Tiger didn't have a buddy to hang out with or a friend to give him advice or even a hard time. Most of my friends didn't come out until probably like 23. When I won the masters I should have my junior year. So it was just a different type of crowd at the time. It was much older. It was just different than it is now. Very different. And he was different, but even goats need mentoring as kids. For young Tiger Woods, that role was filled by Freddie Couples. I've known him since he was 17 years old. I knew Tiger Woods won so many junior events and so many U.S. amateurs, but when you physically see it and then for me it was more let's play, you know, let's do this, let's do that. He was my mentor. So I got a chance to play with Freddie in the 95 masters in my first practice round. He invited me to play and it's built from there. I have only played with him maybe six or seven rounds in tournaments. Fred Couples playing in the group with Tiger Woods. To win seven, eight times in a year when you're only playing 16 or 18 times. Again Tiger Woods prevails. I in golf had never seen anything like that and we talk about that a lot. I always felt like this guy is the greatest player that I've ever seen play. When you watch Tiger in person, it's pretty darn good stuff. He just is a winner. You know, the guy is a complete winner. When I played in 98 in the President's Cup, he was my partner. Fred Couples and Tiger Woods give the United States their first points. And that is built from there to the point where he was my captain and then he was my vice captain when I was a President's Cup captain. Freddie's professional mentorship eventually molded into a fatherly bond and all that entails, including the worrying. As I got older, it was more about his back. You know, you got to be careful. I know your kids are small, but they're running at you and jumping your arms. You know, wear tennis shoes. Forget these dress shoes. When you go to these black tie events, wear dark tennis shoes. You know, no one cares what you're wearing, but you can't wear those shoes. And so I became his dad in a roundabout way, except for when you talk golf. With Tiger, it's a little family-oriented and it's a lot of, how are you feeling? Now, the torch has passed and Tiger is embracing the part. Players have asked me the good and the bad. I'm very open to that. You know, that just means I'm old. There was that transition part of it where I learned from all the other older guys like Freddie and that's the beauty of the game of golf. We pass on the knowledge. As Tiger Woods turns his attention to the next generation of PGA Tour pros, for one young player, Tiger was once his hero, but is now family. If you would have told me when I was nine or ten years old that Tiger Woods would be referring to me as a little brother at some point in my life, I probably wouldn't believe you. I'm very, very fortunate to have the relationship that we do. Living near each other in Florida, what began as an unofficial mentorship has evolved into a brotherhood. He'll come over to the house and we'll go out in the backyard and we'll chip and punt or we'll just come hang out, have dinner. He's become like my little younger brother and I will do anything for him to always make sure that he's good to go. It really feels like we've been friends forever and we just, we get along, we needle each other. Tiger playing with Justin Thomas and he's looking at the ball as if to say, uh, Justin, is that you? Yep, the guy out drove you. Any chance you can needle the young guys, you gotta take it. We just get it, the banter back and forth. It just never stops, which is great. That's how it should be. We're straight up with each other and I think that's why we get along so well. And at the 2019 President's Cup, their brotherly bond made one of the most memorable moments of the event. Tiger likes to joke that that's the only putt I had him read in two days and of course it was one that I made. Naturally, he likes to take credit and that he carried me. An instant classic from Justin Thomas and Tiger Woods. It was a phenomenal moment and it was priceless. I'm glad we were able to experience it together. It was a very surreal moment. This is my childhood hero and now a mentor and one of my best friends and to be able to make that putt and just kind of go unconscious and celebrate with them, it was really, really cool. Sharing moments on and off the course, these two elite players have much in common, but their competitive drive continues to push them. We are willing to do whatever we can to be better than the people that we're competing against and that's something that I admire of his and I think a reason that we get along pretty well. He always wants to learn and he's always trying to get better and that's one of the neat things about being around him is that he's always trying to find that little bit to get a little bit better and you don't become great overnight. It takes time and he's worked at it. I couldn't be more proud of him because I know the work that that entailed to get to that point. To think differently, to think bigger, showing that impossible is possible. Pushing the barriers and trying to do something beyond belief. When I hear the word GOAT, I think of people that are the best in what they do. It takes dedication, hard work and the commitment and you see that in Tiger Woods, the greatest of all time. Tiger is so unique in so many ways. His power, his swing, his ability to get it done. Every small little detail that you can possibly imagine and think of, he's already five steps ahead of you. He has this type of swagger and when he's on the golf course, he's out for blood. He's ready to compete. I never watched golf until Tiger played and I never really saw people pumping their fists. To see him bring that to golf was just so cool. What Tiger has done for golf is just something I think will be very hard to replicate. He's been able to do things that are absolutely unthinkable and that's what we love. There's still so much left in this guy. He's going to continue to push himself. GOATs are like that. The moniker greatest of all time requires a lifetime of dedication and focus. What Tiger Woods has accomplished in his career to date is astonishing. I was a fighter. I was consistent and I'm very proud of that. I teed up every event. I gave everything I possibly had. Woods started out his career strong. From 1997 to 2014, Tiger held the number one position in the official world golf rankings for 683 weeks. In other words, Tiger was number one in the world for 13 out of 17 years. 683, I can't fathom. It's unbelievable. I just don't think anyone can speak highly enough of what Tiger did over that stretch of golf. It was just insane. In order to be number one, you have to win. In order to win, you have to make it around for the cut. So it all feeds into each other. I think that attitude has led me into the cut streak. From 1998 to 2005, Woods did not miss a cut. He holds the streak for the longest consecutive cuts made of 142 events. Seven years of not missing a cut. I mean, that's insane. You can't win a tournament unless you play on the weekend. So the first step is getting to the weekend so you can win the tournament. If you're cut, you can't win. So I'm very proud that I was beat that consistent for that long. What he did for that long will probably never be done again. I mean, that alone, and then you just keep going down the list of stats. It's pretty insane. Golf is a physically demanding sport, particularly due to the amount of walking required. An average PGA Tour player walks approximately five miles per round during a That's 6,685 miles, or roughly the distance of walking from Boston to San Francisco and back. Tiger's just the most disciplined human potentially in his craft that's ever played a sport. The dedication that he had to his game, when you see the amount of hours that he put into his game, doing all the little things which added up to being an amazing golfer. Yes, I hit the ball here and there, but more importantly, what got me to that level was my will to not give a shot back. I hated making bogeys. I still do. I just hate making a bogey. And I think making a par putt from 10 feet is more important than making a birdie putt. You never drop that shot. Winning breeds winning. Once you understand how to win, you do it more often. And Tiger knows how to win. From 1999 to 2013, he had 10 seasons with five or more victories. I had some good runs in my career. I'm very proud of that. Just to be that consistent and that on your game for that long, it's mind-boggling. And out of 373 PGA Tour tournaments played, Tiger has won 82 times for a winning percentage of 22 percent. Simply put, Tiger wins one out of every five times he plays. With one more PGA Tour victory, he will become the winningest golfer of all time. It's unbelievable to have that many wins in the time frame he's done it. It's amazing. It's really cool to kind of see what he's done throughout his entire career. I'm proud because it takes a career to get there. It's not going to happen overnight. It's going to have to take a lot of good fortune, a lot of consistent play, and it's going to take a career to do it. You can measure the amount of wins, majors, just his stats. You can measure all those things. But how many lives he's impacted in the game of golf is truly measurable, and that's, I think, his ultimate legacy. Tiger Woods' pursuit of excellence throughout his entire career earned him a rightful place in the World Golf Hall of Fame. There have been athletes who entertain us with their feats of greatness, those who inspire us, visionaries who serve as caretakers of the game, and trailblazers who change the game in ways we could never have imagined. Tiger Woods is demonstrative and emotionally charged. He's not half bad with a golf club in his hand. That is better than most. Better than most. Tiger was a transcendent athlete who resonated across time zones, cultures, and borders. This is why you deserve this, because you're a fighter. You've defied the odds every time, being the first Black and Asian golfer to win a major, being able to win your fifth Masters after multiple back surgeries, and being able to walk just a few months after your crash. And they said, this guy's got to be a really good player. I said, okay, let's just see what happens. Well, we've seen what happened. We grew up watching one of the best athletes of all time dominate, and we watched him have no mercy on anybody, just tear apart golf tournaments and golf courses. I've gone through, you know, the YouTube rabbit hole watching Tiger highlights. He really is just kind of larger than life. It's pretty insane what he's been able to accomplish out here, and such an amazing talent to watch. He could do things that nobody else has ever done, and nobody's done since. Just phenomenal to watch, and I feel privileged to be a member of the tour during the Tiger Woods era to compete against Tiger with a true honor. I don't know how you rank his accomplishments anywhere below what anyone else has ever done. Tiger's accomplishments are so impressive that if broken down into three separate time periods, each era is a Hall of Fame caliber career, each containing 20 plus wins and five majors. Dad, I inducted you into Dad Hall of Fame a long time ago. I am so proud to present my dad, Tiger Woods, into the World Golf Hall of Fame. I didn't get here alone. I had unbelievable parents, mentors, friends who allowed me and supported me in the toughest times, darkest of times. And celebrated the highest of times. All of you allowed me to get here. I just want to say thank you very much from the bottom of my heart. You can feel Tiger's legacy and influence in every facet of the game. I, for one, can't wait to see what's next. I'm Will Lowry, and thanks for watching.