Presidents Cup 2019: Team USA players reveal playing alongside Tiger Woods brings out the best
Tiger Woods may never stride down our fairways again, so if this was to be his parting gesture then it was a special one as he inspired and carried his United States teammates to an unforgettable victory.
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If this was the last time Tiger Woods ever plays in Australia, then his parting gift was something special.
He was his team’s best player and his team’s inspiration.
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They see him all the time and were still in awe. So imagine how the rest of us feel.
Thousands every day craning their necks, bending like contortionists, phones extended, just trying to get a photo of him, walking, talking, playing, eating, even standing stoically as a captain surveying his soldiers on the battlefield.
“It was pretty awesome to play for the greatest player ever,” US veteran Matt Kuchar said.
“To have a chance to make a team captained by the greatest player ever that is also a player on the team. I can't tell you how unique, how cool of a thing that is, to not only play for him, but alongside of him.
“I think all of us will look back and have these pictures hanging on our walls and say, we played for and alongside Tiger Woods, the greatest player ever. It was awesome.”
Tony Finau, on his first US team, said his captain was even his inspiration when he fell four-down in his Sunday singles match to fight back for a tie.
“I can't give up on my teammates, my guys, my captain. Tiger, the story of his resilience, coming back from what he has with injuries and everything that he's been through,’ Finau said.
“We are very inspired to play for Tiger with Tiger and it's so satisfying to win this Cup because of that.”
The only disappointment was that Woods only played three times, skipping an entire Saturday, a decision which sucked the collective air out of a massive crowd who were carrying power packs to keep their phones charged to get that snap they would treasure forever.
There was still ample chances, Woods strolling the course like a boss, smiling like the new man he is.
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He cried too, when his “boys” secured the Cup, a trophy this version of Woods was ecstatic to share.
“I love seeing other people cry especially Tiger Woods,” US assistant captain Steve Stricker said.
No-one can predict the future, and Woods said he had at no stage even thought about the potential for it being his last time playing in Melbourne.
He’s always a “never say never” type of guy anyway.
Three years ago Woods never thought he’d even play again, but here he was, as brilliant as you could possibly want.
You have to have hope we get to see it again.