KEY POINTS

  • Tiger Woods named golf legend he thinks was more influential than him
  • Woods has been working on different things despite missing Arnold Palmer Invitational
  • Woods will join the 2021 World Golf Hall of Fame class

Tiger Woods said there was a golf legend who was more influential than him.

The world will never be confused as to who is the greatest golfer of all time. Everybody knows Woods is the best to ever do it but according to the legend himself, it the late Arnold Palmer who impacted the world through golf.

In relation to this year’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, PGA Tour looked back at how the good relationship between Woods and Palmer started.

It was during a summer visit to Orlando, Florida in 1991, when Woods first met the legendary Palmer, whose Bay Hill Club & Lodge was hosting the U.S. Junior Amateur. At the time, the young Woods was already motivated by Palmer. According to Woods, Palmer “was giving those guys medals and I said, ‘I’d like to one day play in as many Juniors as that.” Years later, Woods did not only played in three U.S. Juniors, he also won all of them.

Sadly, Palmer passed away in 2016. And in September of 2019, on what would have been Palmer’s 90th birthday, Woods told Steve DiMeglio of USA Today that golf became the sport it is today because of Palmer and it was also the late golfer who got everybody “hooked” to watching the sport via TV.

“Arnold meant everything to golf. Are you kidding me? I mean, without his charisma, without his personality in conjunction with TV, it was just the perfect symbiotic growth. You finally had someone who had this charisma and they’re capturing it on TV for the very first time,” Woods pointed out.

“Everyone got hooked to the game of golf via TV because of Arnold,” Woods added.

Despite suggesting that Palmer was more influential than him, Woods is still widely regarded as the man who revolutionized golf.

Tiger Woods struggled on the greens on the way to a five-over par 76 in the third round of the US PGA Tour Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club
Tiger Woods struggled on the greens on the way to a five-over par 76 in the third round of the US PGA Tour Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / CHRIS TROTMAN

Unfortunately, Woods was officially out of the Arnold Palmer Invitational this year but has kept himself working on different things.

The 15-time major champion teamed up with Popstroke, a golf entertainment venture that combines a putting course with food and cocktails.

Woods has reportedly been putting the finishing touches on a new Popstroke course, the first putting course for his TGR Design business. It’s a relatively new business venture for Woods, who announced last October that the two companies would be collaborating.

Not surprising at all, the 44-year-old is also elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame and will be part of the 2021 induction class