When $50M-worth MLB legend revealed Tiger Woods's 'number one rule' while taking him on at-bats

MLB star player John Smoltz shared an interesting story of when Tiger Woods tried his hand at baseball. On April 20, 2024, the PGA Tour Champions shared a video of the Atlanta Braves legendary player talking about when Woods asked him to play baseball back in the 2000s.

Smoltz, who has a net worth of $50 million (via Celebrity Net Worth), had an interesting game with the legendary golfer. During the game, Tiger Woods had a few rules and asked Smoltz not to hold back and to throw his best ball. Sharing the story, Smoltz said:

"Brian McCann was catching, and we set it up. He (Tiger) goes, 'Number one rule—give me everything you have. Don't hold back. And I said, 'Tiger, this is the deal. I'm not worried about hitting you. I'm just worried about your thumb getting jammed when you hit. That could keep you out of golf for a while.'"

Smoltz further revealed that he "gave him fastballs" so that Woods could hit them. But when the golfer learned about it, he got "really mad."

"He got in there, and it would be like me thinking I could make the cut at The Masters this past year—no chance. At the end of the at-bat, I gave him fastballs that he could hit. When he found that out, he got really mad, but he declared himself 1-for-4 with a walk. So I let him roll with it," Smoltz added.

Tiger Woods has been phenomenal with his game in golf, winning over 100 professional tournaments. Now, even in his late 40s, despite struggling with multiple injuries, Woods still makes sure to play in golf events whenever he can. However, he has not played in any official PGA Tour event since The Open Championship 2024, and fans are eagerly waiting for his return.

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When could Tiger Woods play next?

In 2025, Tiger Woods has played in his tech-infused TGL series tournament but has yet to make a comeback on the PGA Tour. He was planning to play at the Genesis Invitational but later withdrew from the competition.

While fans were expecting to see him at The Players, he revealed earlier this month, on March 12, that he underwent surgery after rupturing his left Achilles tendon during a practice session at his home. Tiger Woods has been focused on his recovery and is expected to play at The Masters next month.

Last week, ahead of the Haog Classic, Fred Couples provided an update on Tiger Woods' injury, saying (via PGA Tour):

“He’s in great spirits for a ruptured Achilles… He’ll be fine."

As a former winner of The Masters, Woods holds a lifetime exemption to play in the major and will likely compete in the tournament, which is scheduled to take place from April 10 to 13, 2025, at the prestigious Augusta National.