With 15 major championships and 82 PGA Tour wins on his resume, The competitive prowess of Tiger Woods it’s already the stuff of legends. But that universal commitment to winning was not limited to registered tournaments. As two-time Super Bowl champion and Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning recently explained to GOLF’s Michael Bamberger, Woods’ burning desire to beat his opponents extends to the pro-ams as well.
Manning sat down to chat with Bamberger on Zoom to talk about the tournament he’s chaired for six years but has been around for 34: the Smith Colewhich is held at Cherry Hills Country Club and attracts pro-member teams from clubs such as Cypress Point, Seminole, Augusta National and more, who are then paired with pro-member teams from Cherry Hills for a three-day competition.
In the course of their conversation, the topic turned to Woods, with whom Manning has played many times over the past 15 years. His beloved favorite story with the Big Cat, however, involved a rather impressive twist.
“I was playing with Tiger and Stevie was his caddy, and we got to the 13th hole at Bay Hill,” Manning began. “Tiger says, ‘Okay, I’m 4 up to you.’ You will play from here for 100 bucks.
“I said, easy. I’m done. This thing is over. I had a banker from the sponsor who was my caddy, who was just to be in the group with Tiger. He didn’t know anything about golf. Stevie read all my putts.
“We’re on the 13th green. I had a 20-foot birdie putt. I said, Stevie, what do you like? I think it’s going left. Deadpan. All right? Deadpan. I’ll make it straight, Stevie. Deadpan.
“‘The boss says you all have a bet, there’s no more help.’
“Thank you very much,” Manning continued. “I said, Banker Bob, what do you think? It’s like, I have no idea. Thank you very much.
“Who do you think won that match? Tiger Woods. If that doesn’t tell you how competitive that guy is, I don’t know a better example.”
For more from Manning, including additional details on the Smith Cole, as well as Jack Nicklaus stories, check out the full interview below.