‘It Was Crazy’ - Pro On First Time Playing With Tiger Woods
Austrian Matthias Schwab said he wasn’t prepared for the attention playing alongside Woods would bring
Tiger Woods carded an impressive 67 in the third round of the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club, and one man with a proverbial front row seat to witness Woods roll back the years as his playing partner was Matthias Schwab.
As World No.300, the Austrian is surely not used to the media circus and adulation that follows Woods’ every move. Nevertheless, having been given a taster, he admitted even his experiences playing with Rory McIlroy couldn’t compare. He said: “I mean, yeah, this was pretty extreme. I've played with Rory in Europe a few times and it was good crowds there, too. Yeah, this was another level.
“I thought it would be similar to what it was like with Rory in Switzerland I think I played with him, and maybe even at Wentworth. It was really busy there, too. I mean, I didn't know what I was getting into, but I mean, I was a little bit prepared. Yeah, it was crazy. I mean, people everywhere and we were the last group, we were one of the last groups out and still everybody comes to see him.”
Still, the occasion didn’t put Schwab off his game too much - at least after an initial bout of nerves. He said: “Well, when I saw the draw, I was really excited and yeah, I mean, I played solid today. The first tee shot I was pretty nervous, it felt like I almost missed the ball, but then from there on I played solid. Made two birdies, one bogey. Could have maybe made a few more birdies, but overall I'm happy with how I handled it. It was a lot going on, people screaming all the time, kind of like last week on 16, just every shot here."
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories.
He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game.
Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course.
Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.
-
Unearthed Ryder Cup Ticket Reveals Startlingly Low Cost Of Former Contest
Former pro, Ken Brown, has shared a ticket order form to social media which demonstrates how much the famed match-up used to cost
By Mike Hall Published
-
LIV Golf Responds Following Rules Incident At Promotions Event
During the third playoff hole of the second round, Ollie Schniederjans used the rules to his advantage but, following the incident, it caused some reaction online
By Matt Cradock Published