Reigning Masters champion Tiger Woods had a relaxed dinner with loved ones on Tuesday instead of the Masters Champions Dinner he was once scheduled to host Tuesday at Augusta National.
The Masters has been postponed to November by the coronavirus pandemic, with Woods, a 15-time major winner and five-time Masters champion, among those staying home to try and slow the spread of the deadly virus.
So instead of hosting past Masters winners at Augusta National, Woods had a meal at his South Florida home and tweeted a photo of himself with his “guests” – girlfriend Erica Herman, his daughter Sam and his son Charlie.
“Masters Champions Dinner quarantine style. Nothing better than being with family,” Woods tweeted.
Woods was wearing his Masters green jacket with a red shirt, his typical final-round shirt, and the Masters champion’s trophy, a replica of the course’s famed clubhouse, on the table in front of him.
Food was only seen at the edges of the photo but it looked to be the same meal Woods said in February that he planned to serve at the Champions Dinner.
“Being born and raised in SoCal (Southern California), having fajitas and sushi was a part of my entire childhood,” Woods said of his menu plans in a Masters conference call.
“I’m going back to what I had in 2006. So we’ll have steak and chicken fajitas, and we’ll have sushi and sashimi out on the deck, and I hope the guys will enjoy it.”
There was no sign of another treat Woods had put on a prior menu – milkshakes. He included those in 1998, the year after his first Masters and major win, to wash down his menu selection of cheeseburgers.
“I’m debating whether or not to have milkshakes as deserts because that was one of the most great memories – to see Gene Sarazen and Sam Snead having milkshakes that night in ’98.”
With the Masters rescheduled for November 12-15, Woods could have the chance to host a true Champions Dinner at Augusta National on November 12.
Woods, 44, has not played since February, when he finished 82nd at the Genesis Invitational at Riviera. He skipped the Players Championship due to a back injury.
“There are a lot more important things in life than a golf tournament right now,” Woods tweeted last month after the PGA Tour shut down due to the deadly virus outbreak.
“We need to be safe, smart and do what is best for ourselves, our loved ones and our community.”
Immelman says Masters in November presents new challenge
Trevor Immelman may not be putting the finishing touches on his Masters preparations this week but the former champion already has a good understanding of what to expect should the postponed tournament be contested in November.
Augusta National Golf Club said on Monday that it had identified November 9-15 as possible dates for this year’s Masters, which was postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Immelman, speaking on a conference call to discuss being named captain of the International team for the 2021 Presidents Cup, said the biggest wildcard of a November Masters will be Mother Nature.
“If you look at the golf course in a bubble, I think the course itself won’t play all that differently. They have ways to control it from an agronomy standpoint,” said Immelman.
“But playing in November, which I have done a number of times, the scoring won’t quite be as low as it has been the last few years.”
According to the 2008 Masters champion, lower temperatures along with a northerly wind will make a number of holes play longer than they would in April and that should result in fewer birdies and eagles.
Had the Masters, which was supposed to begin on Thursday, not been postponed Immelman would have been gearing up for the traditional Champions Dinner at Augusta National on Tuesday.
Immelman said the dinner, which this year would have been hosted by defending champion Tiger Woods, is one of the things he misses most about not being at Augusta National this week.
“For me over the last 10 or 11 years to have been able to be a part of that group in that room with players that quite frankly I’ve idolised and been my heroes ever since I started playing this game as a five-year-old in South Africa is just – it’s second to none,” said Immelman.
The 40-year-old, who tied for 51st at the Masters in 2019 having missed the cut in each of the previous five years, said Magnolia Lane, the tree-lined drive that members use to enter the grounds, is what he misses most.
“Every player that has designs on being a professional, that drive down Magnolia Lane is something that they will never forget,” said Immelman. “It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve been there.” (Reuters)
Tiger Woods and family celebrate his 2019 Masters win at home in Florida on Tuesday. (Twitter/@TigerWoods)
