It looks like young prodigy Holden Bautista is one to watch out for in the future and it’s clear his two aces at the TGR Jr Invitational left a real impression on Tiger Woods.
Golf icon Tiger Woods couldn’t hide his surprise after the 11-year-old prodigy achieved the incredible feat of playing two holes in one in the same round.
The legendary 15-time Major champion was among those watching as young Holden Bautista left the audience speechless after his remarkable performance at the TGR Jr Invitational. After making his first ace on the Hay Short Course at Pebble Beach, he would repeat his heroics with another on the eighth hole.
The competition was organized by Woods himself and the 47-year-old was one of the first to congratulate the young prodigy after he entered the ring of a lifetime. The former world number one shook the prospect’s hand before telling him:
“Proud of you,” adding “keep trying.”
A beaming Bautista seemed a bit surprised when he realized he had achieved the achievement, but the boy remained calm as he politely replied:
“THANK.”
When the two met for a Q&A session, Bautista didn’t hesitate and asked the legendary Woods a cheeky question regarding his trump card. He say:
“Well, first, have you ever played two holes in a round? I mean, you’re the GOAT, I feel like that’s normal.”
The question caused a burst of laughter in the room, rumors had apparently spread about the boy’s amazing feats earlier in the day. Clearly amused by the young man’s confidence, Woods bowed his head and laughed loudly at the question before answering simply:
“Did he just blurt that out on the mic to everyone?”
But Bautista didn’t stop there and he also asked his idol another question during the reception, taking the opportunity to get some advice. He asks:
“But also, after something like a hole in one or like a chip in. What is your mentality as you approach the next hole?
From there, Woods will take a more serious tone as he clearly sees an opportunity to leave the boy with important words of wisdom. In a final nod to the prodigy’s feat, he joked:
“Yeah, you gotta go, double-in-one. OK, I’ll give you that.”
He then replied:
“Um, no, but seriously, on a more serious note, when I get a high score on making an eagle or a hole or get a low score on hitting a 10, it’s about, like I said before, now it’s a matter of staying here.”
Woods is said to be a possibility to succeed Zach Johnson as captain of the US team participating in the next Ryder Cup. His compatriots suffered a listless defeat to Europe in this year’s tournament in his absence, as he continues to recover from a car crash that left him with a broken ankle in February 2022.