WOODS IS TRUMPED
Trump to award Woods the Presidential Medal of Freedom after Masters win completed incredible comeback
Golfing great scooped victory at Augusta and has now landed the USA’s highest civilian honour
DONALD TRUMP will give Masters champion Tiger Woods the Presidential Medal of Freedom — the USA’s highest civilian honour.
The American President tweeted: “Spoke to Tiger Woods to congratulate him on the great victory he had.
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“Because of his incredible comeback in golf and, more importantly, life, I will present him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.”
The medal is an award that is only handed out by the President of the United States, and was established by President John Kennedy.
Previous recipients include Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair, Nelson Mandela, Mother Theresa, Aretha Franklin, Robert De Niro, Bob Dylan and Elvis Presley.
The only other golfers to receive the award are Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Charles Sifford, the first African American to play on the professional tour in the 1950s.
Nicklaus meanwhile has admitted he is afraid Woods will beat his record 18 Major victories.
The comeback king took his haul to 15 Majors with Sunday’s emotional comeback at Augusta and is just three behind Nicklaus’ seemingly untouchable record.
The point about whether Tiger could still beat my total is one I get asked about all the time — and after this, he has got me shaking in my boots
Jack Nicklaus
And Nicklaus, who cut short a fishing trip to watch the final-round drama unfold on TV, admits Tiger has him “shaking in my boots”.
The Golden Bear pointed out the next two Majors are at courses where Woods has won previously — the USPGA at Bethpage and the US Open at Pebble Beach.
If he continues in the form that brought him his fifth Green Jacket, Woods could turn up at Portrush for The Open in July with the chance to tie Nicklaus’ tally.
You can get 150-1 against the 43-year-old completing the clean sweep this year.
But those fancy odds are unlikely to last long as Tiger’s army of fans pile on, sensing he is back on course to replace Nicklaus as the greatest golfer of all time.
He was 50-1 to reach 19 before he beat Dustin Johnson, Xander Schauffele and Brooks Koepka by a shot to end his 11-year Major drought.
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Bookies go as low as 3-1 about that possibility now — and Nicklaus understands why.
The 79-year-old said: “The point about whether Tiger could still beat my total is one I get asked about all the time — and after this, he has got me shaking in my boots!
“I have been saying for a while that as long as Tiger was healthy — and he certainly seems fine right now — then I always thought he still had the game to win more Majors.
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“I have felt for a long time that this win was coming. And the next two Majors are at Bethpage, where he has won a Major, and Pebble Beach, where he has won a Major.
“Nobody wants their records to be beaten but I never pull against any golfer.
“I am glad to see Tiger healthy and playing great golf again and I wish him well.”
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