World number 12 Sahith Theegala joked that he ‘almost fainted’ after receiving a ‘birthday present’ from Tiger Woods in the Caribbean.
Theegala, who turned 27 on Wednesday, is in the Bahamas ahead of this week’s Hero World Challenge, a tournament hosted by Woods.
His girlfriend Juju R. Chan posted a photo on Instagram showing Theegala arm-in-arm with Woods in Albany.
“This is your gift,” she captioned the image. Chan also posted a screenshot of two text messages from her boyfriend.
“Tiger just came to pat me and said happy birthday big dog,” Theegala wrote. “I almost fainted.” Earlier on Thursday, Theegala was treated to a birthday cake after his pre-tournament press conference.
Woods, a 15-time Major League Championship champion, became a meme last year after a video emerged of him greeting his son Charlie’s young caddy by shaking his hand and calling him “big dog.”
Sahith Theegala poses with Tiger Woods as he celebrates his 27th birthday in the Bahamas
The world number 12 was also treated to a birthday cake during his pre-tournament press conference
Woods is in the Bahamas for the Hero World Challenge, which he hosts every year
Woods retired from playing in the Hero World Challenge this week, but he is still in the Bahamas for the tournament, which starts Thursday and features 20 of the world’s best players.
Woods has not played since leaving the Royal Troon Open Championship and undergoing microdecompression surgery on his back in September.
The 15-time major winner was asked this week if he had a goal in mind for returning to the course. But in a worrying update, Woods admitted: ‘I don’t do that’
He said, “I’m trying to test it gradually, keep making progress without messing it up. I don’t want to have any setbacks, just keep making progress and give myself the best possible chance going into next year.
“I feel like I’m getting stronger and more flexible, but I still have a long way to go before I can compete against these guys.”
“I’m not tournament sharp yet,” he added. ‘I’m still not there. These are 20 of the best players in the world and I’m not sharp enough to compete against them at this level. So if I’m ready to compete and play at this level, then I will.”