WATCH: A confident and ambitious Tiger Woods baffles Curtis Strange in his first interview as a pro in 1996
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Tiger Woods is one of the greatest legends of golf. The 13 Majors winner was the top-ranked golfer from 1999 to 2004 and again from 2005 to 2010. He is also an inductee of the World Golf Hall of Fame and is known for his incredible ambition and self-confidence.
Many may have doubted or even ridiculed Tiger Woods. However, he proved his critics utterly wrong with his performance and dedication. In his first interview as a pro in 1996, veteran golfer Curtis Strange was baffled by Tiger’s ambition and self-confidence. He would completely turn down the possibility that the then 20-year-old could be one of the bests in the sport. Indeed, Curtis must be looking back to that interview and regretting ever doubting Tiger Woods’ ability.
Before turning pro, Woods was already a legend in the making. By age 15, he was already the US Junior Amateur champion and was also named Southern California Amateur Player of the Year consecutively in 1990 and 1991. He had an interesting round of bouts for his college career as well and turned professional at the age of 20 in 1996.
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Tiger Woods once baffled Curtis Strange with his ambitions and confidence
Tiger Wood debuted at the Greater Milwaukee Open at the age of 20. Being a rookie and just starting his career then, people had often doubted his self-capabilities and ambition to perform his best. One of those was Curtis Strange, a former professional golfer from the United States.
When Woods appeared with Strange for his first interview, he appeared pretty cocky to the two-time Majors winner. When asked about his expectations from the Milwaukee Open, Tiger replied, “We’re off to a good start today. If I can do that for three more days, then I’ll be happy.”
However, this was not what ticked off Strange. When Woods described his ambitions for his victory, that seemed to have irritated Curtis Strange a bit. Seeing Woods’ ambition and the competitive nature of the Tour, Curtis Strange replies, “To me that comes off as a little cocky or brash.”
Strange argued with Woods, saying that it was unthinkable for a rookie to have large ambitions of winning against several pros in a much competitive tournament. Tiger Woods replies, “Why go to a tournament if you’re not going there to try and win?”
Now, 26 years later, Tiger Woods is an 82-time PGA Tour winner and a 15 Majors title holder. Years later, in 2016, Curtis Strange admitted to his mistake of assuming Tiger Woods. Woods is currently one of the greatest golfers of all time, perhaps even the name solely synonymous with the sport.
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