When Tiger Woods turned 6 years old, there was a video recording of what he did on his birthday. Tiger, however, wasn’t at a party; though, he was the center of attention.
On Dec. 30, 1981, a small exhibition match took place at Redlands Country Club in Southern California. Tiger was one of the four participants, which also included his father, Earl, his instructor, Rudy Duran, and a 12-year-old, Michele Lyford.
The match – Team Woods vs. Duran/Lyford – was recorded on home video equipment but had never been seen by the public. Until now.
Golf Channel obtained footage of the exhibition as well as 6-year-old Tiger participating in a range session, while Duran narrates. An edited version, by Golf Films, will air Monday during “Live From the Masters,” which begins at 7 p.m. ET. You can view a clip below and check back here after the “Live From” airing for video of the full range session and additional footage from the exhibition match.
As for the exhibition, the now Michele Lyford-Sine relayed details in 2019 to the Redlands Community News.
“I was nervous,” Lyford-Sine told the news outlet. “I couldn’t let this 6-year-old beat me. I was twice as old as he was and he was half my size.”
As for who won, Lyford-Sine, who went on to have a successful amateur career, shot 41 over the nine holes while Tiger shot 51. And afterwards, there was a birthday celebration.
“I remember,” said Lyford-Sine, “we sang happy birthday to him and he blew out candles on a cake inside the restaurant at Redlands Country Club.”
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