Before Tiger Woods became a professional golfer in 1996, he was already a dominant name.

When he did enter the professional course, he “annoyed” the existing players. But Thomas Bjorn had a different perspective. 

Talking to Dan Rappaport, Bjorn revealed, “The first time you saw him play, for actually the first time you’re in his presence or playing yourself, you’re like, ‘Yeah, okay. This is different.’ But I’ll also say this, as much as it sometimes annoyed you that every time you showed up at the majors and the World Golf Championships, after one or two rounds, you realize, ‘Okay, he’s got that game this week.’”

“And then he’s probably gonna win. That would annoy you at times, because you felt like for the rest of us, it was a bit of a let down.”

This dejected feeling got heavier because the professionals didn’t believe Woods would be such a strong force upon his arrival. Many hyped up amateurs witnessed disappointment as they got a reality check upon their debut. And the professionals believed Woods would be a similar case. 

Bjorn continued, “But then on the other hand, the privilege of playing at a time where he played at his best, I’m very grateful that I experienced that.” 

But there’s more to the list that Bjorn can be grateful to Tiger Woods for. 

Thomas Bjorn Even Learned From Tiger Woods

“One of the greatest things I ever heard from Tiger was that he looked at 72 holes as one long round of golf with three big breaks,” Bjorn once revealed. “So when you get to five-under in the first round, you don’t panic as you’ve got to get to 19 for the week. So what’s to panic about when you’re at five? Keep going.”

Additionally, this practice can keep one satisfied and accept reality more easily. For example, if one reaches their targeted number by five, one can take it as success even if someone surpasses them. 

Bjorn, along with many others, respected Woods’ dominance and embraced the challenge. He learned mindset lessons that reshaped how he approached tournaments, pressure, and long-term success.

You can read more at Daily Club Golf!

Written by

Krushna Pattnaik

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu