Brag: Beat Tiger Woods in Match Play

golfnutt · #1 11-05-2007, 02:45 PM

I can say I beat the greatest player ever heads-up in match play. It was Long Beach Junior Match play quarter finals in 1989. I had heard of him, but didn't think too much of it. I was nearly 18 years old and he was 12. What the heck was a kid doing playing in my age group anyway?

I beat him on hole 17. His dad watched the entire match, but I don't recall giving him any advice. Skinny kid who hit it long and was an incredible putter. I think I shot 68 and he was one under or something.

Wish I had kept the score card and took a picture. Had no idea that he would become that damn good.

Now I am a 3.7 index and he is like a plus 11.

tuq · #2 11-05-2007, 03:17 PM

Hmmm, you shoulda posted this in that brag thread started by westhoff. I can move it there if you want (I think).

I may have mentioned this before, but in 1990 a 14-year-old Woods ran over the field at Junior World for the 13-14 age group and then the next week beat the 15-17 age group winner, Notah Begay, up at the US Junior at Lake Merced in San Francisco. My friend who I followed barely lost to Begay in the previous round or he would have played Tiger. So only one year previous (he would have been 13, not 12) beating him was no small feat, regardless of your age. He and Begay ended up being teammates at Stanford. Pretty amazing feat, beating the champion in the age group above him, but that's our Eldrick.

golfnutt · #3 11-05-2007, 05:13 PM

Move it anywhere. I wish I had the signed scorecard. I had known at the time that he was on the Michael Douglas show, but that is all I knew about him. I just didn't think a 12-year old could be that damn good. I just remember what I was like at 12. During the match, I went 3 under for a four-hole stretch and only picked up one hole.

I got a lot of congrats the next day. And I lost the next match in the semi-finals. Little did I know, that was the top of my golf life. I have finished runner-up in the Club Championship at my club but nothing ever good. Oh, I did qualify for the SCGA Amateur which isn't an easy tournament to get into.

Proline Fiend · #4 11-06-2007, 12:03 AM

that scorecard could of been worth a lot of money [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

ntnBO · #5 11-06-2007, 12:54 AM

[ QUOTE ]
He and Begay ended up being teammates at Stanford. Pretty amazing feat, beating the champion in the age group above him, but that's our Eldrick.

[/ QUOTE ]
They had a decent starting five Tiger's freshman year. Tiger, Notah Begay, Casey Martin, Jerry Chang, and Will Yanagisawa. Scary thing is they lost in a playoff to Oklahoma State for the NCAA title.

BO

21SuicideKing21 · #6 11-06-2007, 04:13 AM

very nice, you beat a 12 year old, how did that feel huh? What course was that?

thisnamedoesntfi · #7 11-06-2007, 10:14 AM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
He and Begay ended up being teammates at Stanford. Pretty amazing feat, beating the champion in the age group above him, but that's our Eldrick.

[/ QUOTE ]
They had a decent starting five Tiger's freshman year. Tiger, Notah Begay, Casey Martin, Jerry Chang, and Will Yanagisawa. Scary thing is they lost in a playoff to Oklahoma State for the NCAA title.

BO

[/ QUOTE ]

Played with Will in College and recently at the Australian Q-School (two years ago). Nice fella.

golfnutt · #8 11-06-2007, 03:02 PM

[ QUOTE ]
very nice, you beat a 12 year old, how did that feel huh? What course was that?

[/ QUOTE ]

El Dorado in Long Beach. Pretty easy course. I think they redid it.

I am also good at beating up old ladies.

Butcho22 · #9 11-06-2007, 10:15 PM

Cool

<font color="white"> F U </font>

Mark1808 · #10 11-07-2007, 02:00 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I can say I beat the greatest player ever heads-up in match play. It was Long Beach Junior Match play quarter finals in 1989. I had heard of him, but didn't think too much of it. I was nearly 18 years old and he was 12. What the heck was a kid doing playing in my age group anyway?

I beat him on hole 17. His dad watched the entire match, but I don't recall giving him any advice. Skinny kid who hit it long and was an incredible putter. I think I shot 68 and he was one under or something.

Wish I had kept the score card and took a picture. Had no idea that he would become that damn good.

Now I am a 3.7 index and he is like a plus 11.

[/ QUOTE ]

Despite the age differance that does put you in a select group of people who have beat Tiger in match play. I rememember Amatuer wise Ed Cuff beat him in the State Am and he lost in the Western Am to an Asian player who's name I can't recall. Did you play in college too? If you qualified for the SCGA and you are a 3.7 you must be a sand bagger now!! LOL.