‘I Decided Not To Do That’: With Elin Nordegren Admitted in the Hospital, Tiger Woods Battled Through Severe Illness To Famously Dominate a 2003 Event

Tiger Woods is widely considered the greatest golfer of all time. His hard work and determination led him to earn this title. Although the onlookers could mistake the journey towards his success as easy, the 15-time major champion has to cross many barriers to achieve it. And battling and winning a severe illness during an official event was one of them. 

“If I wasn’t in contention, I wouldn’t have gone,” the golfer disclosed to the media after winning the 2003 Bay Hill Invitational, the present Arnold Palmer Invitational. 

Woods had a massive five-shot lead after finishing the third round at the Orlando-based golf course in 2003. Hence, he had a chance to win the event and earn his fourth consecutive Bay Hill Invitational title. 

However, a bad pasta prepared by his beloved partner at the time, Elin Nordegren, made him sick the entire night before the final round. The illness haunted him throughout the Sunday game. However, the golfer didn’t lose his professionalism and stayed on the course until the end. 

Tiger Woods won the Bay Hill Invitational despite the food poisoning

Elin Nordegren, his girlfriend at the time, was hospitalized after she collapsed outside the clubhouse due to food poisoning. And Woods, who vomited all through Saturday night, decided the hospital visit was not an option for him. 

“The problem is, it’s so easy to check into a hospital,” he told the media why he didn’t go to the hospital like his girlfriend. According to him, the doctors wouldn’t have let him go easily and participate in the rest of the event. “So, I decided not to do that,” Woods added. 

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He was tired after not getting any sleep and felt sick while playing too on Sunday. However, the golf legend won the event with a massive lead. He scored 4-under 68 from the last round to finish in first place with an overall 19-under 269. 

Tiger Woods won the 2003 Bay Hill Invitational with an 11-stroke massive lead. American golfers Stewart Cink, Brad Faxon, Kenny Perry, and Kirk Triplett secure a T2 position with an overall 8-under 280. 

The 28-year-old Woods became the first player to win the Bay Hill Invitational four times in a row with the 2003 title. He is also the first since Gene Sarazen in the Miami Open (1926-30) to win the same event four times consecutively. 

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Going into the final round, Woods didn’t have the strength to even stand on his own. However, he battled through all of it and won the title, and broke a couple of records too.