Australian sports fans were still buzzing and pining for more of Tiger Woods after the world`s best golfer`s masterclass performance to win the Australian Masters at Kingston Heath.
|Last Updated: Nov 16, 2009, 03:42 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Melbourne: Australian sports fans were still buzzing and pining for more of Tiger Woods after the world`s best golfer`s masterclass performance to win the Australian Masters at Kingston Heath.
The 14-time major winner left the door open for a possible return next year to defend his Masters title after a week of unprecedented scenes for Australian golf.
The Masters moves to the nearby Victoria Golf Club next year and tournament officials along with the Victorian state government are likely to try and entice him back again after paying a reported three million US dollar fee for this year`s appearance.
Press reports on Monday speculated that the rich World Golf Championship tournament in Shanghai next November may help get Woods back to Melbourne to play in the Masters again.
Woods drew a huge roar from the crowd around the 18th green at Sunday`s Masters title presentation when he was asked if he would return to defend the title.
"I would love to," he said, while apologising for taking so long -- 11 years -- to come back to Australia."I`ve had a great time... this has been phenomenal," Woods said. "I`m sorry it took me so long to get back, I promise it won`t be as long (next time)."
Woods said he would decide on his 2010 playing schedule after his last tournament of the year at the Chevron World Challenge at Thousand Oaks, California, from December 3-6.
"I haven`t looked at next year`s tournament schedule yet, I will do that after the Chevron and get an idea of what I need to do for the entire year," he said.
In any event Woods, 33, is expected to come to Royal Melbourne with the American team for the 2011 President`s Cup.IMG, the Australian Masters` owner, has an agreement with the Victorian state government to have three of the top 25 players in the world in the event`s field, with press reports saying a player like American world number two Phil Mickelson could also be a target.
Woods claimed victory in the European Tour co-sanctioned tournament with a closing round of four-under 68 to finish the 72 holes at 14-under 274.
He beat Australian Greg Chalmers by two shots with Frenchman Francois Delamontagne and American Jason Dufner another two shots away in joint third.
The Australian Masters was a spectacular success with a total of 95,000 fans over the four days and a huge economic fillip for the sports-obsessed city.
Victorian Premier John Brumby told reporters the returns would far outweigh the outlays, adding that his government`s estimated economic benefits of 19 million dollars (17.7 million US) had been conservative.
City hotels reported full occupancy throughout the tournament and television ratings were well above what they had been in the previous years.
Another big attraction in luring Woods back Down Under is the reputation of Melbourne`s famed sandbelt golf courses.
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.