The legend of Aquaman still alive at the Royal Montreal

A legend has lived near the lake on the 14th hole of the Royal Montreal Blue Course since 2007. That of Aquaman. If we call this edition the most successful in the history of the Presidents Cup, Woody Austin’s water stunt is one of its chapters. Seventeen years later, that famous September dip in gloomy weather is still fresh in the American’s memories.

It is impossible to remember this tournament without this episode which revolves around the funny moments of the sporting highlights since time. It automatically brings a smile.

Flashback to when Austin, 43, was a rookie on Team USA.

Submerged

On the second day of competition, Austin teams up with David Toms to face Trevor Immelman and Rory Sabbatini in a 4-ball format. Already trailing on the 14th tee^e hole, a short par 4 where Sabbatini had already placed his ball close to the green from the tees, the balls from the tee shots of the two Americans fell into the water.

Located near the shore, Austin’s can be played.

“She’s completely submerged. We had no other option but to play to avoid giving the hole to the other team. I could hit her and try to get her out of the water, my caddie urged me, in order to hope to tie the hole later with a perfect cut approach. But it didn’t happen like that,” he laughs in an exclusive interview with The Journal a few weeks before the tournament returns to Montreal.

“It was my first time in such a situation. I didn’t realize that the ball was resting on rocks. When my stick cut through the water, I heard the sound of the rocks hitting it and that’s when I lost my balance and slipped into the water,” he recalls with a laugh.

“I was soaked from head to toe. The ball hadn’t even moved and when I looked up, everyone around me was laughing.”

World tour

Indeed, his teammate Jim Furyk was dying of laughter, hiding his head in his cap. The Americans, the Internationals and the spectators were all grinning from ear to ear.

“Woody found a way to make fun of it afterwards, he didn’t feel bad or embarrassed,” Furyk, now captain of the American team, said of one of his main memories. “I gave him my jersey and my coat so he could finish the game.”

Which Austin did with panache, as he lined up three consecutive birdies to tie the duel and he collected half a point despite his mishap.

“I was obviously immediately teased by both sides. I took it as a joke, because it’s part of my personality. I wasn’t embarrassed at all,” says the now 60-year-old golfer, who is still active on the Champions Tour.

The very next day, he made fun of his dip by showing up at the Royal Montreal with his mask and snorkel, like a real diver. From there, his new nickname was born: Aquaman. Even Barbara, the wife of American captain and sports legend Jack Nicklaus, had jumped in on the game.

This chapter had greatly contributed to the synergy in the American clan, especially since the oldest of the team showed himself to be tough and combative throughout the competition.

Nothing new

The Aquaman label still sticks to him. Because 17 years later, when he walks near lakes or performs a daring stunt, spectators do not hesitate to tease him by throwing him warnings. As for his peers, they have moved on.

“Over the 17 years, I’ve heard all the jokes. There’s nothing new anymore. They’ve been around,” he says heartily. “But those who still annoy me, I immediately ask them what I did next. Often, they don’t remember.

“I’m proud of those three birdies to tie the match at the end. It was super important and in my eyes, it’s still huge.”

8 PGA wins, 1 fame

A simple Google or YouTube search will show that Woody Austin found his fame in the world of professional golf in his adventures in Montreal. This dip in the pond between the 14^e and 15^e holes is ahead of his eight PGA Tour titles and his fairway success in his 775 starts.

“This reality does not bother me at all. I have won four times on the PGA Tour and four more on the Champions Tour, but I believe that these eight victories are not big enough in the balance to make us forget this funny moment in Montreal,” maintains the man who had contributed to pocketing 2.5 points in the United States table.

“It happened in a major tournament that was broadcast around the world,” Austin continued. “It’s a huge stage for an embarrassing moment. That’s why I think I’m recognized for my dive rather than my performance. I’m not embarrassed or bitter about it at all.”

With Tiger

Austin won his first professional championship in 1995 at the Buick Open, when a certain Tiger Woods was already making his debut on the tour. He also played in the third round of the Greater Milwaukee Open in late August 1996, the very place where the young Tiger said “hello” to the world.

And in 2007, a few months before the Presidents Cup, he battled with him for the title of the PGA Championship of America in Southern Hills, Oklahoma. A performance that also allowed him to really earn his place on the American roster in the Montreal epic.

Having finally made it onto the PGA Tour at age 31, Austin struggled for a long time and overcame many obstacles, including injuries. Through perseverance, he lived out one of his dreams: competing as a team representing his country.

He then won the Sanderson Farms Championship in 2013, at the age of 49. On the Champions Tour, he enjoyed three conquests in 2016 and another in 2018.

He would have liked to support Jim Furyk this week, but the captain did not retain his services offered as a joke.

In his opinion, Aquaman would have been more of a distraction on the sidelines at Royal Montreal.