Watch: What happened when Tiger Woods took on a golf challenge with Ellen (throwback)
US golfer Tiger Woods is widely regarded as one of the greatest golfers of all time. With a whopping 82 wins, he is tied for the highest number of PGA Tour titles with Sam Snead. The World Golf Hall of Fame inductee is ranked second in the most major tournament wins. He can easily be considered the poster boy of golf.
Watching world-class athletes get out of their usual habitats and get candid on talk shows is always fun. One memorable episode was when Tiger Woods appeared on Ellen DeGeneres' The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2012.
Ellen gave Woods a golf challenge wherein both had to hit golf balls through five marked blue circles on a green curtain. The goal was for them to shoot three combined balls through the holes. If they achieved their goal, the audience would get a present.
Ellen went first and missed the mark as she swung the ball inches away from the top right hole. Woods took out his driver and went next. He nicely hit through the middle hole. However, the most significant moment of the challenge was yet to come.
As the crowd cheered, Ellen changed her putter and nervously approached the golf ball. And to everyone's utter surprise, she shot through and through the top right hole in a brilliant stroke.
Ellen looked happily shocked as an elated Tiger Woods gave her a high-five. The live audience had already gone crazy as they stood on their feet to offer Ellen a standing ovation. Woods and Ellen's combined efforts reaped two total successful hits and left only one more to shoot through the hole. Ellen told Woods:
"One more for you!"
Woods looked happy with what had just happened, and as the audience took their seats waiting for Woods' turn, Ellen excitedly told him:
"I shocked myself."
As Woods took his position, he still didn't seem to be over Ellen's swing as he made the audience laugh when he said:
"That was so cool."
Tiger Woods did well in his turn and hit a good shot through the middle hole. Ellen and the audience were thrilled as the viewers again gave a standing ovation. As promised, Ellen gifted all of them a video game.
Online viewers love the golf challenge between Tiger Woods and Ellen DeGeneres
Nothing is better than when special talk show segments receive love and appreciation from the live audience and online viewers. And indeed, people love to revisit these segments years later.
The golf challenge between Tiger Woods and Ellen DeGeneres on 'The Ellen Show' received many positive comments on YouTube. People loved the game, Woods' ease with the golf strokes, and Ellen's big moment.
One user noted that while Tiger Woods enjoyed the audience's reaction when he was off the course, he was focused while competing. A trait the user claimed differentiated Woods from the rest of the field.
"You can clearly see how Tiger was enjoying the crowd when he is off the course but totally focused during his tournaments. He can control his emotions well and thats what seperates him from the rest of the pack."
Another thought Woods was always serious when he held a golf club, even if it was just a fun segment.
"Tiger cannot help himself but to be all business when he takes out a club. His routine of even taking the club out of the bag is still present, even when being on a funny talkshow."
One user was surprised as they thought Tiger Woods' golfing abilities wouldn't translate well into this fun challenge.
"I honestly thought that his ability to land a ball on a green from hundreds of yards away wouldnt translate too well into the ability to hit a small spot like that...I was wrong."
One user was left awe-struck by the speed at which Tiger Woods was hitting the golf balls.
"He hits those golf balls so hard and fast.....you don't even have to blink! Like you just miss it without blinking."
Coming to Ellen's big moment, one user commented that they were afraid that she would accidentally let go of her club.
"About halfway through, when Ellen was getting ready for her second shot, I started to get afraid that she would accidentally let go of her club and hit someone in the audience in the head with it."
Another user commended the technique Ellen presented.
"Look at that experience Ellen exhibited. She positioned her body over it, the wrapping of her hands around the shaft while controlling the head, leading to the upward direction of the balls and resulting in a picture perfect finish. Nice job."
One user noted how Ellen took every fun challenge seriously.
"When it comes to competition ellen turns to a professional."
The appreciation flowed in—no wonder the golf challenge became such a memorable segment.