“That’s When Jeter and I…”: When Golf Icon Tiger Woods Linked His Mercurial Rise to the New York Yankees Legend

Tiger Woods and Derek Jeter are the two renowned figures of the sports world that do not need any introduction. Having inspired countless fans and fellow athletes, the two have left an indelible mark on the world of sports. While MLB great Derek Jeter rose to prominence playing baseball, Woods did the same while playing golf. Jeter and Woods have been friends for a long time now and have gone through quite many things together as well.

As Derek lived and breathed baseball from his childhood, Woods, on the other hand, loved the sport as well. But as fate would have it, Woods did not have baseball in his heart, but golf. Aside from having mutual respect and admiration for each other’s achievements, the two of them share an uncanny link, which Woods looked back at a couple of years after Jeter retired from Major League Baseball.

MLB legend Derek Jeter lifted the baseball bat for the last time in 2014 when he bid farewell to the game. As he could not play the game that he loved anymore, Jeter took to golf. Notably, this brought him closer to Woods.

In November 2016, minutes after completing a nine-hole practice round of Golf, Woods recalled the link that he shared with Derek Jeter. While getting nostalgic, Woods spoke to ESPN and said, “Even though he’s older and spent a couple of years in the minors, we both came up in ’96. When I was having my run, he had his run. When Kobe [Bryant] had his run with Shaq [O’Neal], his three in a row, that’s when Jeter and I had our run. So we’re all the same age, we all came up together doing the same stuff.”