Get to know the Tiger Tamer

AUSTIN, Texas – First thing to know about Lucas Bjerregaard, the Tiger Tamer?

It’s not an official nickname.

“I’m not sure you can quite call me that yet,” he said

And yet it was certainly appropriate after Saturday’s Quarterfinals of the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play, as the 27-year-old from Denmark upset three-time champ Tiger Woods 1-up.

It was a shocking finish, the match ending after Woods missing a 4-1/2 foot putt on the 18th hole that would’ve extended the match. Bjerregaard was still trying to come to grips a few minutes later with what had just transpired. “Been a pretty incredible day,” he said. “… Been emotional, that’s for sure.”

Although Bjerregaard is the 52nd-ranked player in the world, he rarely plays in America – he’s not a PGA TOUR member and until his start at The Honda Classic in early March, he had not played a tournament in the U.S. since the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay. It’s doubtful many gallery members in Austin knew much about him.

So here’s a few things that might be of interest:

Yes, people botch both the spelling and the pronunciation of his last name. Matt Kuchar, who will face Bjerregaard in Sunday’s Semifinals, was asked if he – a Georgia Tech grad – could spell his opponent’s last name.

“I don’t know,” Kuchar replied. “We’re a math school.”

As for saying it, Bjerregaard sounds like “beer-guard” – but, of course, many people simply extend that to “beer-garden.”

Lucas, as you might imagine, has heard it all – especially late on Saturday with a packed gallery that had been heavily hitting the concession areas.

“People lifting their beer up in the air and going, ‘This is you, man,’” Bjerregaard said. “I’ve heard all sorts of things, especially this afternoon where I think they’ve had a few of them.”

And yet he didn’t think the crowd was so one-sided to the point of it becoming a nuisance.

“Surprisingly a lot of support for me out there,” he said. “It wasn’t just Tiger’s name that was yelled.”

Perhaps that’s because …

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He considered attending the University of Texas. He once played in a junior amateur tournament in Austin, and during that trip, he took a visit to the UT campus. The Longhorns golf team had hoped to entice him to make Austin his collegiate home.

“I really liked it,” Bjerregaard said. “The campus was impressive, very impressive. Obviously a great school and a great team. So it was definitely up there with my last three or four schools, that’s for sure.”

Ultimately, he decided to take his career in a different route and not attend college at all.

“It would’ve been fun and it could’ve been good in a lot of ways, I’m sure,” he said. “But it’s worked out all right now.”

Indeed.

Tiger, naturally, was one of his big idols growing up. Like most young golfers, he dreamt of playing Tiger head-to-head.

“I didn’t think it was every going to come true,” he said. “But I’ve definitely seen myself on the practice putting green when I was 10 years old, making a putt to beat him in a major or something like that. I won’t lie.

“Obviously didn’t know if it was every going to come true. Just to get to play with him today was an experience for me.”

One of his big mentors, though, is a fellow Dane – Thomas Bjorn. Last year’s winning Ryder Cup captain, who won 15 times in his European Tour career, has been an inspiration for younger Danish golfers.

Bjorn’s hometown of Silkeborg is about 120 miles south of Frederikshavn, where Bjerregaard was born. Their friendship, Bjerregaard said, is much closer than the distance between their cities.

“I would say I’m quite close with Thomas,” he said. “And I’ve learned a lot from him, probably more than anyone in the game. He knows what it’s all about and the last few years, he’s been very happy to share it with me, and we’ve spent a lot of time together. So he’s definitely helped me out a lot.

“He’s seen it all. He’s played against them all. He’s played in all the big events. He knows what it’s all about. So I’ve made sure to ask him quite a bit in the last few years, and he’s been nothing but kind to me.”

Bjorn, meanwhile, was quick to celebrate Bjerregaard’s big win, particularly pleased with the eagle at 16 and birdie at 17 down the stretch.

Bjerregaard, though, now lives in much warmer climates. He and his fiancée Henriette – they’ve been a couple since their high school days and plan to get married in December -- live in Monaco. Their daughter Josephine is just over a year old

Henriette was outside the ropes Saturday afternoon in Austin, watching her future husband shock the golf world. Meanwhile, Josephine was comfortably in the clubhouse at the daycare center provided for players and their families.

As soon as the outcome was decided, Henriette rushed off to gather their daughter, the only kid in attendance this week.

“Kept the creche open another half-hour for our sake,” Bjerregaard said.

Not that many of the English-speaking journalists knew what he was talking about, evident by the confused looks on their faces.

“Childcare,” he explained.

No doubt his family provided normalcy in an tournament that can be grueling and stressful. “It’s great to have them here” Bjerregaard said.

It’s even better when you turn into the Tiger Tamer.