{"id":1471102,"date":"2022-01-23T07:59:51","date_gmt":"2022-01-23T12:59:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/?p=1471102"},"modified":"2022-01-23T07:59:53","modified_gmt":"2022-01-23T12:59:53","slug":"tiger-woods-rookie-pga-tour-season-10-million-2-iron-fluff-what-the-eff-was-that","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/tiger-woods-rookie-pga-tour-season-10-million-2-iron-fluff-what-the-eff-was-that\/","title":{"rendered":"Tiger Woods\u2019 Rookie PGA Tour Season: $10 Million, a 2-Iron, and \u2018Fluff, What the Eff Was That?\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Golfers<\/a> who\u2019ve played so much as a friendly round with Tiger Woods<\/a> have stories to tell their grandchildren, even if nothing memorable happened. Those on the PGA<\/a> Tour are more fortunate; Woods always seems to make things happen in pursuit of victories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

John Maginnes, now a golf analyst on Sirius XM, won\u2019t forget playing alongside with Woods shortly after the future winner of 15 major championships turned pro. One approach shot three holes into their round told him Woods was on his way to greatness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PGA pros\u2019 early resentment of Tiger Woods didn\u2019t last<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Tiger
Tiger Woods tosses his club during the second round of the 148th Open Championship held on the Dunluce Links at Royal Portrush Golf Club on July 19, 2019 in Portrush, United Kingdom. | Stuart Franklin\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Golf fans anticipated the arrival of Tiger Woods on the PGA Tour once he won the 1994 U.S. Amateur. But Woods opted to start his Stanford University education even if few believed he would stay four years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once Woods three-peated in the country\u2019s premier amateur event, turning pro became inevitable. With a huge Nike endorsement deal in his pocket, Woods possessed unprecedented financial comfort before hitting off the first tee for the first time. Not surprisingly, some established players resented the combination of money and hype.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe hated him,\u201d former PGA Tour pro John Maginnes said on the Golf.com \u00a0Subpar<\/em> podcast.<\/a> \u201cThe money \u2014 the rumor was $10 million \u00a0\u2014 that was beyond what a quarterback was making. This was an astronomical sum of money, so we resented him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The money issue resolved itself. The interest Woods generated brought an infusion of fresh sponsorship money, raising tournament purses for everyone. TV ratings soared when Woods played, pumping more money into players\u2019 pockets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, Woods handled the other hurdle to acceptance by himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is one of the funniest guys on the Tour,\u201d Maginnes said. \u201cThis guy is awesome, <\/em>and so you immediately love him. Tiger is beloved in the locker room.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for Maginnes, he had an up-and-down career before an elbow injury took him off the course for good in 2005. In retrospect, the injury didn\u2019t matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOnce I saw the game,\u201d he said of Woods, \u201cI knew everything that I\u2019d ever done in my entire life was in vain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Fluff, what the eff was that?\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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