Understandably, the 1982 meeting between the six-year-old and the veteran of 70, meant more to Tiger Woods than to Sam Snead. As the Virginian recalled: "I was in California and Tiger and his dad walked up and his dad asked if Tiger could play a couple of holes with me. I said sure. His swing was as fast then as it is today."

That recollection came on Monday last. Later this week, Woods took up the story: "Sam was playing an exhibition at Calabassas CC (about 40 miles north of Los Angeles) where he had a new group of playing partners every two holes. And I got the chance to play with him on the last two."

He went on: "On the first of them, a par three, there was a creek in front of the green which I couldn't carry. I tried to hit the cart path and bounce it over the creek but it didn't work. I missed it by a few yards to the right, according to my dad.

"Well, it was a pretty rocky creek but the ball was sitting up and I got in to play it. But behind me Sam yells: `What are you doing? You can't play that. Just pick it up and drop it and let's go on.' But I didn't like that very much and I remember turning around, looking at my ball and thinking I had to hit it. A drop would have meant a penalty.

"So, all wet, I hit a seven-iron on to the green and two-putted for a bogey. And I bogeyed the last. I went bogey, bogey and Sam beat me par, par." And another seed of potential greatness was sown.