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Back in 1994, Tiger Woods was just an 18 year old kid, but he had already started making waves on the golf course. He was gradually cementing his name as a dominant presence in the amateur golf circuit. In an interview that year, Woods gave an insight into his mindset.
He started 1994 with victories in several prestigious amateur events like the Southern California and the Pacific Northwest Amateur. He also had a notable performance at the U.S. Amateur Championship. Woods won the event at TPC Sawgrass, and became the youngest U.S. Amateur champion at the time.
When he did an interview with Paul Higgins, Woods was just a senior at Western High School. As they engaged in different topics, Higgins asked Woods how he handled expectations.
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Tiger Woods had a bold and pretty straightforward answer to this question. The video was shared by aimsports in September 2010 (2:20 onwards)
"Well, that's fine. They can expect all they want. But I've always had this one bonus to my personality. My expectations are so high, no matter what anybody else expects, it's going to be lesser than what I expect of myself."
"So that's a big bonus. And plus, I really don't give a darn what they think."
Tiger Woods' mentality at a young age reflected the image of a future golfing great. 1994 was one of the most critical years in Woods' career, ashe was making his way into national and international fields. This was way before he won 82 PGA Tour events and 15 golf majors.
However, his incredible mindset of never giving up was already there. Woods had one of the most dominant comebacks at the U.S. Amateur Championship. He was falling behind Trip Kuehne by six holes after the morning round. At the end of the tournament, Woods' relentless efforts earned him the victory.
When 18-YO Tiger Woods revealed more insights on his game
During the same interview, Tiger Woods was asked by Higgins how other rising golfers could just be like him. Tiger's status might not have been of a PGA Tour pro at that point, but in 1994, he was already showcasing his iron mentality, strong shot-making capability, and incredible swing power.
Woods explained that he had to work very hard to reach that point (3:38).
"Well... I was given a gift from God, an early start, I guess. And I've made the most of it. I've worked very hard on and off the golf course. And it's paid dividends. You've got to be very patient, too."
While talking about his game, Woods gave a detailed insight: (4:06)
"I'd have to say it's the mental side. I can hit the ball a long ways. I tend to hit it crooked every now and then. And I can bail myself out. But I think it has to do with the mental side. I'm very tough... I don't let a lot of things get to me."
In the later part of 1994, Tiger Woods went on to participate in three PGA Tour events as an amateur. In the 1994 Buick Classic, he recorded his first under par round with a score of 70. During fall, Woods started playing collegiate golf for Stanford University, which earned him titles like Golf World's Man Of The Year.
