'He Was Like A Trophy That Needed To Be Polished. The Raw Talent And Self-Confidence Of The Young Man Were Amazing' - Quote Of The Day On Momentous Tiger Woods Anniversary
30 years on from Tiger's professional debut, we share a quote from his long-time coach, Butch Harmon, about how he started shaping the raw talent into a phenom
On Monday 27th 1996, a star was born into the game of golf.
Tiger Woods turned heads with a stellar amateur career, winning the Junior World Golf Championships six times, including four consecutively, as well as becoming the only three-time winner of the US Junior Amateur in history.
Before winning his first US Amateur title in 1994, Woods was already the name on everyone's lips - but he had also forged an alliance with one of the world's greatest coaches, Butch Harmon.
Upon meeting Tiger Woods, Butch Harmon said:
"When I first saw Tiger swing a club, standing there was a tremendous amount of natural, raw talent. He was like a trophy that needed to be polished.
"The natural ability needed to be brought along, but the raw talent and self-confidence of the young man were amazing,”
That relationship would propel Tiger to defending the US Amateur (and win a third) and appear at both the Masters (T41 - 1995) and the Open Championship (Silver Medal winner - 1996) before turning pro in August 1996.
The quote of the day celebrates that 30 year journey; one that would change the landscape of men's professional golf forever as one of the greatest players of all time emerged and dominated the sport for decades to come.
Tiger Woods Anniversary: 30 Years On From Turning Pro
After turning professional in August 1996, Tiger was swiftly rising to stardom.
Lucrative deals with Nike and Titleist showcased the commercial appeal of this exciting young talent, while his golf did the talking on the course as he claimed two PGA Tour titles in his inaugural season and a record-breaking first Major at The Masters a year later.
Tiger became the youngest ever winner of the Green Jacket in the process and became World No.1 in June of 1997 - less than a year after turning professional.
Tiger's Masters win in 1997 could be the greatest ever Major victory
But, head back four years and it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows for Tiger Woods. In 1993, he lost in the second round of the US Amateur Championship - a result which prompted his father, Earl, to seek the services of Butch Harmon.
That first meeting, which included Harmon recording Tiger's raw talent on a camcorder, showcased just how good Tiger was for his age - but that didn't mean he didn't need help.
Tiger Woods dominated world golf with Butch Harmon in his corner
Butch added, "In those days, he did not have the ability to work the ball both ways. He just hit the ball and found it, hit it and found it and then made the putt. That was his theory and he was pretty damned good at it.”
Tiger's naturally aggressive style of play as a younger player had earned him the respect of his peers and plenty of accolades, but Butch saw the 'trophy that needed to be polished'... and man did he do a good job of that!
From the first win in Las Vegas, to the 82nd at the ZOZO Championship, Tiger Woods has rewritten the history books throughout his incredible career
With 82 PGA Tour titles and 15 Major wins, Tiger Woods is not only one of the greatest golfers to ever play the game but also a legendary figure and icon in world sport.
The 10-year partnership with Harmon yielded 8 Major Championship wins and the historic Tiger Slam - the likes of which, I believe, we will never see again.
Question is, will we ever see him competing at the top level again? After years of debilitating injuries and incidents away from the course, it seems highly unlikely. But, as an obsessed Tiger fan boy, part of me still holds the smallest amount of hope.
Miracles can happen, right? Let's go, Tiger.
