--- description: Michael Phelps has done it again with another viral face. Hear what the athlete was thinking as he watched Tiger Woods win the Masters. title: Michael Phelps on His Intense Stare Behind Tiger Woods image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0179f3324e23b37e/69894893e76ad295ef634830/michael-phelps-viral-tiger-woods-moment.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Newsfeed](/tag/time-section-newsfeed/) ## Newsfeed Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Michael Phelps Explains That Photo of His Hilariously Intense Stare He Made Right Behind Tiger Woods by [Rachel E. Greenspan](/author/rachel-e-greenspan/) ## Rachel E. Greenspan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 18, 2019 2:32 PM CUT  SCOTTSDALE, AZ - JANUARY 30: American Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps waves to the crowd on the sixteenth hole tee box during the Annexes Pro-Am prior to the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale on January 30, 2019 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR) SCOTTSDALE, AZ - JANUARY 30: American Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps waves to the crowd on the sixteenth hole tee box during the Annexes Pro-Am prior to the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale on January 30, 2019 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR)Ben Jared—US PGA TOUR by [Rachel E. Greenspan](/author/rachel-e-greenspan/) ## Rachel E. Greenspan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 18, 2019 2:32 PM CUT [Michael Phelps](http://time.com/5402066/michael-phelps-mental-health-activism/ "undefined") has done it again. No, not another Olympic medal: but another [viral](http://time.com/5572197/sydney-real-estate-ad-padstow-lj-hooker-video-couple/ "undefined") face. During Wednesday’s episode of _Today_, the most-decorated Olympic athlete of all time spoke about what it was like to watch [Tiger Woods’ iconic comeback](http://time.com/5570276/tiger-woods-completed-greatest-comebacks-sports/ "undefined") as he won the [Masters](http://time.com/5570289/tiger-woods-wins-2019-masters/ "undefined") on Sunday for the fifth time, but the first time in over a decade. Phelps, who had an amazing seat for the championship, called Woods’ win one of the “coolest things I’ve ever seen live in sports, and definitely in golf.” Phelps’ excitement definitely was visible. Some viewers of the Masters in Augusta, Georgia, which Phelps says was the first he’d ever attended, caught a pretty excellent (and soon viral) moment on camera. Phelps had a seat just behind Tiger for his shot at the 16th hole in the tournament. > [](https://twitter.com/JustRyCole/status/1117485568345034752) Phelps told _Today_ just how special that moment felt. “I mean, just watching Tiger come back, watching him be able to do that and get back on top of the mountain, it’s so cool.” And it was even cooler, the swimmer said, because he didn’t have his phone on him during the Masters. Afterwards, he did receive some texts from people who noticed him during the broadcast. [His wife, Nicole,](http://time.com/4551346/michael-phelps-wedding-photo/ "undefined") captured the moment in an Instagram post as she watched with their son, Boomer, on TV. During the 2016 Olympics in Rio, the internet fell in love with the [#PhelpsFace](http://time.com/4455032/rio-2016-olympics-michael-phelps-face-2/ "undefined"), an intensely meme-able mug he had on before competing against Olympian Chad le Clos. Watch the full _Today_ interview here. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5573099/michael-phelps-tiger-woods/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5573099/michael-phelps-tiger-woods/"},"headline":"Michael Phelps Explains That Photo of His Hilariously Intense Stare He Made Right Behind Tiger Woods","datePublished":"2019-04-18T14:32:42.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T07:58:41.153Z","description":"The athlete went viral again because Tiger Woods' win was just that special","url":"https://time.com/5573099/michael-phelps-tiger-woods/","keywords":["Newsfeed","viral","golf","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0179f3324e23b37e/69894893e76ad295ef634830/michael-phelps-viral-tiger-woods-moment.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Rachel E. 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