Tiger Woods didn’t need a major championship on the line to get competitive, according to Peyton Manning.
Manning, a two-time Super Bowl champion and Pro Football Hall of Famer, recently shared one of his favorite stories about playing golf with Woods during an interview with GOLF’s Michael Bamberger. Manning has played alongside Woods several times over the past 15 years, but one pro-am round at Bay Hill still stands out.
Woods found himself four holes down to Manning on the 13th hole. Instead of accepting Manning’s advantage, Woods decided to make things more interesting.
“I was playing with Tiger and Stevie was his caddie, and we get on the 13th hole at Bay Hill,” Manning told GOLF. “Tiger says, ‘All right, I’m 4 down to you. I’ll play you from here on in for 100 bucks.’”
Manning quickly agreed to the bet.
He would soon find out that Woods had changed more than just the stakes.
Tiger Woods’ Caddie Suddenly Stopped Helping Peyton Manning
Before the bet, Woods’ longtime caddie Steve Williams had been helping Manning read his putts. Manning’s own caddie for the pro-am was a banker connected to the tournament sponsor who wasn’t there for his golf expertise.
“I said, easy. I’m done. This thing’s over,” Manning recalled. “I had a banker from the sponsor who was my caddie, that was just there to be in the group with Tiger. He knew nothing about golf. Stevie was reading all my putts.”
That arrangement abruptly ended once Woods put $100 on the match.
Manning recalled having a 20-foot birdie putt on the 13th green and turning to Williams for the same help he had received earlier in the round.
“We get on the 13th green. I got a 20-foot birdie putt. I said, Stevie, what do you like? I think it’s going left. Deadpan. It’s going right? Deadpan. I’m gonna hit it straight, Stevie. Deadpan.”
Williams finally explained why he had gone silent.
“Boss says y’all got a bet, no more help,” Manning recalled Williams telling him.
Manning was suddenly on his own.
“Thanks a lot,” he continued. “I said, Banker Bob, what do you think? He’s like, I have no clue. Thank you very much.”
Peyton Manning Says Tiger Woods Came Back to Win the Match
Manning didn’t reveal exactly how Woods erased the four-hole deficit over the closing stretch, but he made the outcome clear.
“Who do you think won that match? Tiger Woods,” Manning said. “If that doesn’t tell you how competitive that guy is, I don’t know a better example.”
The story came up while Manning spoke with Bamberger about the Smith Cole Invitational, a tournament he has chaired for the past six years.
The event, held for 34 years, takes place at Cherry Hills Country Club. It brings together pro-member teams from clubs including Cypress Point, Seminole and Augusta National, pairing them with Cherry Hills teams for a three-day competition.
Peyton Manning Thought He Had Tiger Woods Beat — Then a $100 Bet Changed Everything