Tiger-mania down under: Photo gallery of Tiger Woods’ practice round for Australian Masters

November 10, 9:16 AMBoston Golf ExaminerEmily Kay

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Tiger Woods plays a practice round before Australia Masters

(Photo: AP/Andrew Brownbill)

November 10 -- Even Tiger Woods was astounded by the thousands of fans who showed up to watch the superstar golfer play a practice round for the Australian Masters.

• View photos of Tiger Woods playing a practice round for the Australian Masters

Woods, whose final-round play before similar crowds in China at last week's HSBC World Golf Championship was less than stellar, expressed disbelief that a gallery of 7,000 followed him and Craig Parry during their nine-hole practice on Tuesday (with a 16-hour time difference from Boston golf time, it’s already tomorrow in Australia).

In addition to the feet on the ground, TV helicopters whirring above Kingston Heath Golf Club, and the “Sold Out” sign on the ticket office, Aussie TV broadcast Woods’ first press conference nationwide.

“You don't normally see this many people on a practice round certainly,” Woods told reporters after his inaugural play on Kingston Heath. “Maybe in a major championship you might see this many people out here.”

The Australian Masters will be Woods’ fourth Aussie event and he’s hoping for a better outcome than the Shanghai tourney, in which he finished sixth after falling out of contention early in the final round.

Paying dividends. The Victorian government, which paid Woods a $3 million appearance fee, has already received a healthy return on its investment, according to John Brumby, Victoria’s premier.

Practice-round crowds, a quick sellout of the tournament’s 100,000 tickets, and an expected 380 million TV viewers should bring in far more than the estimated $19 million, Brumby told reporters.

Sun-baked. Woods had never played Kingston Heath, a 7,000-yard, par-72 layout in Melbourne. It didn’t take long for him to become enamored.

“Unbelievable golf course,” Woods said of the hard and quick conditions at Kingston Heath.

"I always have been a huge fan of the sandbelt courses," Woods continued. "The bunkering is just phenomenal. You never get a chance to see bunkering like this is any other place in the world."

Playing at slightly more than 7,000 yards, Kingston Heath is certainly not the longest course Woods and the guys have played. Length, however, is not the sole criterion for a challenging track, Woods pointed out.

"You don't need a golf course that is 7,500 yards for it to be hard," he said. "You can build it just like this and have it nice and tricky, and it's just a treat to play."

Mom on board. Woods’ mother, Kultida, arrived down under to take in the sights and watch her son play. Mother and son attended a $600-per-person Australian Masters dinner at the Crown Casino, according to Australia’s Daily Telegraph.

Australian Masters organizers hope Aussie fans will be more courteous to Woods than the camera-happy fans in China. Read about how officials have ordered a ban on cameras and cell phones from the Kingston Heath course.