Unexpected question about Tiger Woods at presser had golf execs shifting in their seats

Tiger Woods earned one of his 14 majors titles at the 2005 Masters, where Phil Mickelson gave him the coveted green jacket. (Morry Gash/AP)

Tiger Woods is back and apparently he’s got a fan in the press pool that showed up to an event on Thursday ahead of the Latin America Amateur Championship in Panama City.

According to Golf Digest, a reporter asked the panel consisting of Augusta National chairman Billy Payne, USGA executive director Mike Davis and R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers, “Who will be the first one amongst you three to hand Tiger Woods his next trophy?”

Payne, Slumbers, and Davis asked who will be handing Tiger Woods his next major title. A lot of shaky laughter and shifty eyes.

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Woods, who hasn’t won a major title since 2008, may have returned to the circuit, but he’s far from top form. At the Hero World Challenge in December, his first tournament back since undergoing back surgery in 2015, Woods finished in 15th place out of 18 competitors. Woods is expected to make his next appearance on the PGA Tour at Torrey Pines in San Diego for the Farmers Insurance Open later this month.

Tiger Woods will return to the PGA Tour at a course filled with fond memories

Should he remain unhurt, Woods may continue on and his first major this season would be the Masters in April.

Slumbers reminded the room of that on Thursday, after the “shaky laughter” died down, which means …

“I’ll have the first chance,” Payne told the crowd. “I’ll have the first chance.”

“You know, if I could just say, I think it’s wonderful to see Tiger back playing,” he said (via Golf Digest). “When he played in the [Hero World Challenge] just before Christmas, I turned on the TV to watch an event I probably wouldn’t have watched had he not been playing, and I think it’s great for the game.”