At a golf course of his own design in Asheville, N.C., Tiger Woods was demonstrating on the course when he suddenly sliced two balls in a row into the trees. In jest, he asked the gathered crowd if anyone would like to try and do better. Nobody answered, everybody looked at each other, trying not to make eye contact with Tiger. Then, one brave soul raised their hand and would take up the best golfer in the world’s challenge. Tiger handed the driver over to……a 12-year-old Philadelphia boy!
Out of the entire crowd only a 12-year-old boy would take the challenge. Mark Benevento Jr. accepted the club, stepped up to the tee and smoothly struck a ball down the fairway 200 yards, easily out driving the stunned Tiger Woods. And what did young Mark do when Tiger asked him to do it again? Hit the ball straight down the fairway again 200 yards. The crowd loves it and so does Tiger. Mark casually steps back and Tiger (doing what any great athlete should do) congratulates the boy, says he’s proud of him and shakes his hand. That would be easily be the highlight of any golfer’s life and this boy gets it at 12. A great moment and luckily cameras were around to see it.
Tiger handled the situation magnificently. He encouraged the boy and was extremely gracious in defeat. He built the boys confidence up even more and that’s what youth sports is all about. Mark’s dad was also in the crowd and that moment must have been great. To see his boy step up to Tiger Woods and win would have to fill him with pride. I love the boys’ courage to step up when nobody else was going to and answer the challenge from the current (and perhaps all-time) best golfer in the world. The fact that he did it twice under pressure speaks volumes for Mark, remember his name because you may just be reading about him in the future.
