Chase Johnson lived his dream at the Genesis Invitational. He met his idol Tiger Woods at the Riviera Golf Course. The Ohio-born golfer always used to copy his idol’s playing style and routines, so meeting him for the first time was his moment of life.
The 28-year-old American golfer is a mini-tour pro and was rewarded with a Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption by Woods to participate in the third PGA Tour signature event. Although the tournament offers the last finishing golfers a $52,000 paycheck, having a chat with the 15-time major champion was greater than money for Johnson.
Chase Johnson Shares His Experience Of Meeting Tiger Woods At Genesis Invitational
On Friday, the Ohio-born golfer shot a four-foot par putt that got him inside the cutline to proceed into the weekend’s play. Making it inside the cutline already guaranteed him at least a $52,000 paycheck which would be his career-best earning in a single tournament.
However, Chase Johnson was not concerned about the money. All that got him excited was Tiger Woods taking some time off to meet him at the back of the locker room to have a chat. Although he met with the 82-time PGA Tour champ before, that meeting was quick and very short. This time he talked to him about golf stuff and got his father, Mel, to meet the legendary golfer.
As quoted by Golf Digest, the 28-year-old American golfer said,
“My dad… he nearly lost it.” Johnson said, “He was, like, ‘Anybody get a picture of that?’ He was very excited, and I was excited, too. I met my idol.”
Chase Johnson was looking like young Tiger Woods when he competed at the Firestone Country Club. Since then, he had been seeking autographs from the 15-time major champion. When asked if he received an autograph from Woods, he replied.
“Didn’t get it.” Johnosn added, “Had a glove, but didn’t have a Sharpie. I was asking around, anybody got a Sharpie? There were 20 people there and no one did. Tiger said, don’t worry, we’ll take care of you by the end of the week. Obviously, there were unforeseen circumstances.”
Chase Johnson currently plays on the APGA Tour and has made his fifth start on the PGA Tour. Although he could not get an autograph from his idol Tiger Woods, his golfing journey has just begun. If he performs well, who knows, he might turn out to become a great golfer like his idol.
