In the pantheon of golf, one name that roars is Tiger Woods. The 48-year-old golfer might not be in his best shape right now, but he has been the idol of several modern golfers. Among them is 27-year-old PGA Tour pro Sam Burns. What began as idolizing soon turned into the opportunity to tee off with the man he had watched play while he grew up.

At the 2018 Honda Classic, Sam Burns was paired with Mr. T to tee off. His reaction? Well, he blacked out for a second. “It was like everything was numb. It’s almost like I’m speechless. You see the guy on TV, you see him all over the place and you’re standing there next to him on the tee box and you’re like, ‘That’s Tiger Woods,’” exclaimed Burns. The PGA Tour pro has been starstruck by Woods, but in a surprising turn of events, Burns once even left Woods dumbstruck.

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Sam Burns was in disbelief as so many people followed while he played

Five years down the line, at the Albany Golf Course, Sam Burns once again got the opportunity to tee off with Tiger Woods at the Hero World Challenge. On December 3, 2023, Burns and Woods were the third pair, and well, he was once again better! While Tiger Woods was on even par, after carding an eagle, Burns carded an eagle and ended the round with 3 under 69.

Watching the duo play so intensely, the crowd that generally follows Woods, along with some intrigued spectators, were left in awe of the 27-year-old’s gameplay and followed them all across the course. After the tournament ended, in an interview with Identity Sports, the host revealed how Sam Burn left Tiger Woods dumbstruck by his statement when they first met.

“I cannot believe these many people have come out to watch me play”, said Sam Burns. Having turned pro in 2017, he was not used to seeing such a large crowd. On the other hand, Tiger Woods, being the legend that he is, is always followed by the crowd! Burn’s statement even made Tiger Woods laugh, which is a rare thing to happen.

While Sam Burns has been a Woods fan through and through, after their first round together at the Honda Classic 2018, Mr. T too had some great words for the winner of the Nicklaus award.

The time when Sam Burns left Tiger Woods stunned

At the 2018 Honda Classic, Sam Burns finished at T8  with Emiliano Grillo and Kelly Kraft with a score of 2-under. They were six strokes behind Justin Thomas, who won the championship. He had already been given several exemptions on the PGA Tour for that season, and playing at the Honda Classic was one of them.

Although he could not win, there is no doubt that the 4X PGA Tour winner did give his best, which helped secure a spot in the Top 10. This event left Woods impressed. “He played beautifully. Top-10 is big for him because it gets him into Tampa, the next official start, full-field event. He’s trying to build momentum and build his exempt status. Today and this week was a big step for him,” he said on Burns.

Well, no matter how many accolades the 27-year-old receives, pairing up with Woods for the first time will always be the one memory he will cherish!