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The Hero World Challenge might feel like a relaxed vacation in the Bahamas for a few, but not for Alex Noren. The 43-year-old Swede is actively hunting down a trophy against the world’s best and currently sits tied for third at 14-under par after three rounds. Surprisingly, his best moment of the week didn’t actually come during the 54 holes he has played so far; it happened on the practice range when Tiger Woods unexpectedly arrived before his round started.

“Yeah, it’s amazing. I grew up idolizing Tiger. That was a perfect time in my life; I was 18 in 2000 and 16 in ’98 when he came on. So yeah, I mean, I have so much respect and admiration for him. And seeing him out there and asking questions—not that he’s asking questions for his own, but I think he just loves golf, and it was good to talk to him,” Alex Noren told the media when they asked him about seeing him up close on the range.

What Tiger Woods did to golf in 1997-1998 is impeccable. He turned pro in ’97 and didn’t just win tournaments; he rewrote the rules of golf.  Following his historic 12-stroke victory at the 1997 Masters, Woods recorded 17 top-25 finishes in 20 tournaments he played in 1998, including his victory at the BellSouth Classic. In 2000, Woods won the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach by 15 strokes. That remains the largest victory margin in major championship history to this day. Noren witnessed all of this as an aspiring pro and was inspired.

There was a photo of Noren’s hand that went viral. His hands had become so gnarled, and the golfer attributed it to “a mix of hard training and dedication but also a lot of anxiety.” Then in 2022, he spoke about the photo on a podcast hosted by his former college coach at Oklahoma State, Mike McGraw. He shared that not long after the photo was posted, his idol, Tiger Woods, approached him in the locker room at a tour event.

“Alex, can I see your hands?” [Tiger said.] and I was like, ‘Yeah, sure,’ to my idol, Tiger. So, I showed him, and he goes, ‘Yeah, not too bad,’ and I was like, ‘There we go, finally somebody who’s not impressed by my hands or not disgusted by them. He was like, ‘I understand.’”

Now, Noren isn’t just there for nostalgia or autographs. He is currently playing some of the absolute best golf of his life. He ended a painful seven-year drought by winning the British Masters in August. Then he captured the massive BMW PGA Championship just a month later. That huge win at Wentworth secured his PGA Tour card for the 2026 season. So, this “second prime” makes his performance at Albany even more impressive.

Not just Noren, but many golfers have grown up idolizing the 82x PGA Tour winner, and some still do.

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Even established golfers admire Tiger Woods

Even World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler got awestruck after watching Woods hitting balls without divots.

“Hey, what’s up with the no divots?” Scheffler asked. The 15-time major champion’s response was once-in-a-generation. “What?” Woods continued. “Why do you need to take a divot? … When I’m swinging well, I don’t take divots.”

“Some of the records are just, like, ridiculous,” said Ludvig Aberg of Woods’s records. The young Swede was not even born when Woods won his first Masters. “Or you just shake your head, and you’re like, ‘Is that really true?’” The entire field knows they are walking in the shadow of Tiger Woods.

Now shift the focus to the Sunday showdown in the Hero Championship Trophy at Albany. Sepp Straka leads the pack at 17-under after a flawless 64 and holds a slim one-shot lead over the defending champion, Scottie Scheffler. Scottie sits at 16-under but left the course fuming yesterday. A bogey on the 18th hole clearly ruined his mood and momentum. And Noren? He lurks just three shots back and is ready to pounce.