Mark O’Meara‘s 1998 season was beautiful. The golfer made his first major win in 56 major starts at the Masters and then followed it with a British Open win. But besides that Masters win, O’Meara remembers one strange moment he shared with the G.O.A.T. The two first met at the Masters and again at the 1998 Cisco World Match Play Championship. There, the one-time Masters champion won against Tiger Woods in the final. Rivals on the greens? Yes. So, what went down?
Recently, Mark O’Meara sat down for a discussion on Golf’s Subpar podcast about his Masters moment. Discussing his win, the golfer recalled a little moment he shared with Tiger Woods during the winning ceremony. “And I stand up, and Tiger stands up behind me. You know, he has the green jacket. And he’s standing behind me, but he’s a little taller than I am, right? So, I’m trying to get my arm into the green jacket, and he’s got it up so freaking high, I can’t get my arm in there. I am, like, trying. I’m kind of swinging. Finally, I look back. I’m, like, ‘Hey, bud.” And he’s like, ‘What?’ I said, ‘You got to lower the jacket.’ He lowers the jacket, and I kind of get my right arm, my left arm in. And, you know, he gives me a hug.”
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time Mark O’Meara shared this story with us. In 2023, the former Masters champion shared the same with GOLF.com. However, what happens after that encounter is funnier! O’Meara turns to Woods and asks him, “What was that all about?” Woods awkwardly replied, “I’ve never put a sport coat or jacket on anybody. How the hell would I know how to do that?” The hosts, Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz, and O’Meara laugh. The host suggests Woods might have done that joke around. O’Meara smiles and replies, “Yeah, I mean you know him. He’s a practical joker.”
ORLANDO, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 16: Mark O’Meara of the United States looks on from the ninth green during the first round of the PNC Championship at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club on December 16, 2023 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)
Mark O’Meara and Tiger Woods have shared a long-standing friendship that began when a young Woods moved next door to O’Meara in Orlando’s exclusive Isleworth enclave. It was then that O’Meara started calling Woods “little brother.” Throughout his career, O’Meara won 34 tournaments and was inducted into the Golf Hall of Fame in 2015, before retiring in 2024. However, Augusta National witnessed another awkward green jacket moment 18 years after the O’Meara-Woods encounter. Here’s a look at it.
Something very awkward happened at the 2016 Masters green jacket ceremony
Back then, the defending champion, Jordan Spieth, was playing pretty well at the 2016 Masters Tournament. Well, at least, until he wasn’t. So, what went wrong for Jordan Spieth? Starting the back nine on Masters Sunday with a five-shot lead, 22-year-old Spieth seemed poised to win his second green jacket. However, he suffered a major six-shot drop over three holes, including a quadruple bogey at the 12th. The consequence of these mistakes? England’s Danny Willett secured his first Major title with an impressive 67. Spieth was heartbroken, as any other golfer would be.
After the loss, he a visibly disappointed Jordan Spieth requested some privacy from the cameras while signing his scorecard. However, he soon re-appeared and decided to give the interview. And it was then that Jordan Spieth accepted how hard the loss felt to him. “It was a very tough 30 minutes for me. I hope I never experience it again,” Spieth said during the 2016 post-round Masters interview. However, another awkward moment came during the green jacket ceremony.
In any other sporting event, Jordan Spieth could have left the course to drink away his sorrow, but due to Masters tradition, he was required to present Danny Willett with the green jacket. The 2015 Masters champion appeared out of place and near tears throughout the ceremony, adding to the awkwardness of the moment, especially since he had to present Willett with the jacket twice—first in Butler Cabin and then again for the crowd at the course. Without a smile on his face, Spieth clearly did not look happy about Willett’s win. Well, at least Mark O’Meara’s win was slightly better! But the question is: will we see something like these moments again?
The post ‘Practical Joker’ Tiger Woods Nearly Spoiled Rival’s Masters Victory as 1x Green Jacket Winner Opens Up appeared first on EssentiallySports.
