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It only took a few moments for Brendan Jones to realise what a torrid time he faced when he battled Tiger Woods at the WGC-Match Play Championship on Wednesday.
The 33-year-old Australian was almost lost in the media crush walking off the first tee at Dove Mountain, just another face in the crowd attending the great man’s comeback, and had to listen to speculation about how quickly he would lose.
“It was just mayhem, because everyone was running and I was walking among everybody,” Jones said.
“When I heard one of the media say `another nine holes to go for a 10 and 8′ (Woods victory), I gave him a bit of a spray.
“It was pretty much every man for himself and that annoyed me to a point, and my caddie just said `don’t worry, take it easy’.”
“Things did get better but Tiger’s path was a little easier to walk than mine.
“There was no one (security) person to look after me and if there was he didn’t do a very good job.”
Jones was not trying to have a whinge, just honestly answering questions, and he was surprisingly upbeat after what he hopes will not be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Beaten 3 and 2, Jones was among the majority of Australians who bowed out on the first day with only Geoff Ogilvy and Mathew Goggin of the eight-man contingent advancing.
Woods, returning after eight months out recovering from a left knee reconstruction, made a near perfect start, with a birdie at No.1 and eagle at No.2, quickly jumping to a 2-up lead.
The world No.1 could not maintain such brilliance, bogeying three of the next five holes.
Jones, however, could not capitalise on his chances, and never really threatened as the top seed prevailed comfortably.
“I’ve been laying in bed the last week or so thinking about how is the first tee going to be and how is meeting Tiger going to be, and it’s always worse when you’re laying in bed,” Jones said.
“He was very pleasant. There wasn’t a lot of chat, but he’s here to win another tournament, so I’ve been told he doesn’t talk a lot on the course.”
Jones has freely admitted that he has no ambition to be a world top 10 player, content to make a million bucks a year in Japan, live in Australia, and play the odd big event in the US or Britain.
But perhaps the prospect of playing more regularly with Woods at the highest level will make him re-think.
“His ball flight is different to pretty much everybody else’s and it was fun to see different trajectories that he hits the ball at,” said Jones.
“I hope this isn’t the last time I get this opportunity (to play Woods). I’d like to finish in this No.64 (seeding) spot again. I feel this is going to better my game.
“I know where I can improve and that when I’m put on the biggest stage there is, I can handle myself.
“Overall, I’m very, very proud of the way I hung in there.”
If Jones was blown away by the mayhem on the first hole, it was business as usual for Woods.
“Waiting on the first tee, I was in my own little world,” said Woods, who was delighted not just with his form, but also the way his rebuilt knee held up to the rigours of competition.
“I hit the ball well starting out, hit a couple of loose irons in the middle part of my round but other than that hit it pretty good all day,” said Woods who advanced to a second round clash with Australian Open champion Tim Clark of South Africa.
“I’ve come back from surgery before but never this long. This was a lot harder, away from the competitive environment, trying to get back to this.
“I’m very pleased at how the knee felt all day. I thought it would be more stiff on 15 tee when I had to hit after that long wait, but it felt fine.”
Tasmania’s Goggin scored a minor upset, 2 and 1 over 10th seed Kenny Perry, while Ogilvy outlasted Kevin Sutherland 1 up after 19 holes.
Four Australians – Adam Scott, Robert Allenby, Stuart Appleby and Aaron Baddeley – lost narrowly 1-down, while Colombian Camilo Villegas eliminated Rob Pampling before the sun had even passed over the yardarm, 7 and 6.