So when it was announced earlier this year that the world’s number one golfer Tiger Woods was heading to Melbourne for the Australian Masters, Mudgee golf professional Mark Delaney knew he had to see the master in action.

Speaking from Kingston Heath on Wednesday, Delaney said the frenzy that’s ‘Tigermania’ was “unbelievable”.

“There are people everywhere. There were 7000 people just to watch him play a practice nine-hole round on Tuesday and today (Wednesday) there is about 10,000 to see him in the Pro-Am,” Delaney said.

Even Woods described the crowds “the biggest he has ever seen” for one of his practices.

Delaney and a few other Mudgee golf club members are in Melbourne for the Australian Masters.

As many as 100,000 people are expected to watch the Masters throughout the four rounds, which began yesterday (Thursday) and finishes on Sunday.

Many of those would just be watching Woods.

“It is really crazy, you can’t even get near him because of the crowds watching him and wanting autographs, and the bodyguards that surround him.

“Other top golfers like Adam Scott and [Stewart] Appleby have only a few hundred people, at most, watching them,” Delaney said.

Delaney says he is going watch Woods but only at certain holes.

“I’ll watch him at one hole and then move on to three or four holes in front of him, so I can get a good spot.

“You won’t be able to see anything if you follow him from hole-to-hole.”

He described the conditions in Melbourne as hot.

Temperatures are expected to be in high 20s, low 30s throughout the tournament.

But Delaney says the Kingston Heath course is magnificent.

“It really is one of the best courses in Australia. So green ... the fairway is like Mudgee’s 18th green, that’s how good it is.”

Delaney compared the Tiger frenzy to Greg Norman, when the Shark was in his prime.

“This is like Norman, when he was the top player. Every time he came back to play in Australia the crowds would just swarm to him.