“I beat him by about eight strokes”- When Samuel Jackson beat Tiger Woods by ‘complete accident‘

Not many amateur players can boast of beating Tiger Woods, even when the 15-time major champion was playing in that category. Famous actor Samuel L. Jackson is one of the exceptions.

Jackson himself shared this unique anecdote during a guest appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in 2022. The actor called his feat a "total accident." This is how he put it:

"Complete accident. The first time I ever played St. Andrews, they paired me with him...and I was a 16 [handicap]. So, they gave me my 16 shots, and I shot 78, because he said, 'follow me'. And I stayed as close to him as I could, and I shot 78, which means I beat him by about 8 strokes." [4:15 - 4:43]

Even though Samuel L. Jackson's "victory" over Tiger Woods was marked by the handicap, it is still a remarkable fact, as a score of 78 is extremely good for a 16 handicapper.

Samuel L. Jackson is a well-known amateur golfer. Golfweek put his handicap at 8.6 in 2020, and his passion for the game is so great that it is said his movie contracts always include a clause that allows him to go golfing several times a week.

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When will Tiger Woods play again?

Tiger Woods ended his 2024 season after missing the cut at the Open Championship. After his second round at Royal Troon, Woods said he would not play any more tournaments until the Hero World Challenge, which he hosts in Albany, Bahamas, in November. He will then play the PNC Championship in December, teaming with his son Charlie.

Starting in the 2024 season, Tiger Woods said he would work a schedule based on a tournament every month. This would have allowed him to play the Arnold Palmer Invitational or the Players in March, then play the four majors between April and June.

At the end of the season, however, Tiger Woods explained that his recovery plans included increasing his competitive activity. This is how he talked about it after his performance at The Open (via ASAP Sports):

"I've gotten better, even though my results really haven't shown it, but physically I've gotten better, which is great. I just need to keep progressing like that and then eventually start playing more competitively and start getting into kind of the competitive flow again."

Last June, the PGA Tour Policy Board established a rule that grants lifetime exemptions from all Signature Events to players with more than 80 tour victories. Currently, only Woods meets this criteria.

By taking advantage of this exemption, Woods could significantly increase his competitive activity in 2025. This exemption opens the door to eight closed-field events such as The Sentry, RBC Heritage and the Memorial Tournament.