Tiger Woods Masters: Michael Phelps Cheers After Near Hole-in-1

Getty Michael Phelps of Team USA and Nick Jonas of Team USA look on during the celebrity challenge match ahead of the 2018 Ryder Cup.

Tiger Woods almost clinched the 2019 Masters with a hole-in-one on the 16th hole, as his drive just whizzed past the Par-3 hole. He would birdie the ensuing putt to take a 2-stroke lead over the rest of the pack, including Xander Schauffele, Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka.

The crowd erupted on both shots. One of the spectators in attendance was 23-time gold medal Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps.

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Phelps frequents various golf events, as he was also in attendance at the 2018 Ryder Cup, as well as the 2018 Waste Management Open. His goal after snagging all those gold medals? Become a scratch golfer.

In an interview with The Loop in 2017, he talked about how he bet a friend that he could get below a 5-handicap.

The first goal for Phelps, though, is to get his 12 handicap down into the single digits. And he’s got plenty of motivation in the form of a bet with a friend that he can’t get to a 5-handicap in a year. Even one of the greatest athletes ever realizes how tricky that will be.

“My wife will never see me if I’m getting down to a 5. It’s going to take a lot of grinding,” Phelps said at an event for Krave Jerky at Chelsea Piers in NYC on Thursday. “If I want to get better, I really have to put in the time. So we’ll see how much time I’m allowed.”

Stay tuned for Tiger’s search for his first major championship since 2008.