Tiger's Augusta par-3 promise
GM's Neil Tappin with the latest from Augusta as Tiger Woods prepares to play the par-3 tournament, perhaps the first sign that he's willing to make himself more accessible to his fans
For the first time in six years Tiger Woods will play in the pre-tournament par-3 competition at Augusta. This is perhaps the clearest sign yet that he intends to make himself more accessible to the millions of sports fans that harbour more than just a passing interest in him.
But as Tiger continues his attempt at drawing a line under the events that have thrust him into world's celebrity spotlight, yet more revelations have broken. The latest issue of Vanity Fair magazine features an article with in-depth interviews with a number of his alleged mistresses. For the press within this media centre this has added fuel to a fire that already had no sign of dying out.
Monday's press conference was a unique event and as the dust has settled the general view within the media centre is that there are more questions than answers. One uncertainty that perpetuates is this, "if Tiger is going to become more open and honest, why are so many of the events in November and December still shrouded in mystery?"
While some believe that Tiger is back on the right path, there is a significant portion of the press corps that feel that nothing has changed. Time will tell.
The good news for Woods is that tomorrow morning the Masters finally begins and attention will naturally shift towards the action on the course. Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus will take their place as honorary starters and the army of hopeful Europeans will begin their bid to win a Green Jacket. Tiger's story will at last become the sub-plot - that is, unless he wins!
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In July 2023, Neil became just the 9th editor in Golf Monthly's 112-year history. Originally working with the best coaches in the UK to produce instruction content, he has also presented many Golf Monthly videos looking at all areas of the game from Tour player interviews to the rules of golf.
Throughout his time with the brand he has also covered equipment launches that date back well over a decade. He clearly remembers the launch of the Callaway and Nike square drivers as well as the white TaylorMade driver families, such as the RocketBallz! If you take a look at the Golf Monthly YouTube channel, you'll see his equipment videos dating back over a decade! He has also conducted 'What's In The Bag' interviews with many of the game's best players like Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm. Over the years, Neil has tested a vast array of products in each category and at drastically different price-points.
Neil is currently playing: Driver: TaylorMade Stealth Plus Fairway Wood: Titleist TSR2 Hybrid: Titleist TS3 Irons: PING Blueprint S (4&5), PING Blueprint T (6-PW) Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM7 50˚, 54˚, 60˚ Putter: Odyssey Triple Track Ten Ball: Titleist Pro V1X
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