Melbourne watches Tiger Woods

Last Updated: Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:41:00 +1100

Before he'd even begun competing in the Australian Masters, the 14-time major winner, in his first visit to Australia's courses in 11 years, had drawn thousands to the Kingston Heath golf club.

And Woods told a press conference after his practice round - which, in another indication of the interest in his visit, was broadcast live on television and radio - he was taken aback by the hype.

"You don't normally see this many people at a practice round certainly, maybe at a major championship you might see this many people," he said.

"But I was telling the guys today, it's unbelievable how nice the people are here and how understanding they are about the game of golf. That's the biggest difference I've seen, I've played all around the world.

"Here and obviously in Scotland, we get a chance to play there at the Open championship, the knowledge people have, they know what a good shot is. That's the cool part about playing in front of people who understand the game of golf."

With all four days of competition sold out, and crowds six-deep watching every stroke of Tiger Woods' game, the Masters has become just the latest spectacle in sports-obsessed Melbourne.

It comes just a week after the 'race that stops a nation' - the Melbourne Cup - which forms a centrepience of the city's Spring Racing Carnival, and tops off year of major sporting competitions, including the Australian Open, the Formula 1 Grand Prix and the AFL Grand Final which draw massive crowds from within Australia and overseas.

The series of annual and one-off events hosted by Melbourne saw it this week win the title of Sports City at the SportBusiness Sports Event Management Awards, held at Lord's Cricket Ground in London.

The Victorian Tourism Minister Tim Holding has welcomed the award win.

"This award confirms what we have all known for a long time - no other city puts on a major sporting event like Melbourne," Mr Holding said.

And the footy obsessed city has been given another team to cheer on, with the decision to grant the city Australia's fifth Rugby Union team.

ARU Managing Director John O'Neill says the decision, to award the 15th team in the Super Rugby competition to Australia, is a victory for common sense.

"It only made sense to have the team in Melbourne," he said.

The new team - 'the Rebels' - will join the state's 10 AFL teams, one A-League soccer team, with another on the way, and defending champions of the National Rugby League competition - and is leaving some people questioning how much more football - and indeed how much more sport - Melbourne and Victoria can handle.

But with future sporting events include a Socceroos match in the lead-up to next year's South Africa World Cup, the UCI Road World Cycling Championships and the 2011 Presidents Cup golf tournament - which is expected to see Tiger Woods return - the city's obsession with sport seems unlikely to fade any time soon.

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