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‘Tiger’ Tees Off as HBO’s Most-Watched Sports Doc in 2 Years

Part 1 of HBO’s Tiger Woods documentary, “Tiger,” hooked 639,000 total viewers across all platforms on Sunday.

That’s not amazing, but it is better than par for the course. The 639,000 total viewers mark the best performance for an HBO Sports doc since Bill Simmons’ “Andre the Giant” walked through the curtain back in April 2018.

The “Tiger” tally includes all platforms — so yes, streaming is counted here — and a TV encore. A spokesperson for HBO estimated there have been “about 15” HBO Sports titles in the genre between the two docs.

Part 2 of “Tiger” premieres this coming Sunday on HBO and HBO Max. Like the Part 1 debut, it will face competition about as stiff as it gets in the form of the primetime NFL Playoffs.

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Also Read: 'Tiger' Directors on Documentary's Powerful Opening Scene That Almost Didn't Happen

HBO’s two-part “Tiger” doc is driven (that’s a golf pun, get it?) by never-before-seen footage and revealing interviews with those who were once close with Woods, including his former caddy and close friend Steve Williams; father Earl Woods’ friend and biographer, Pete McDaniel; Tiger’s first love, Dina Parr; and Rachel Uchitel, the woman at the center of the sex scandal that forever altered Woods’ world.

“Tiger” hails from HBO Sports and Jigsaw Productions in association with Our Time Projects, boasts Uchitel’s first-ever sit-down interview about her relationship with Woods. Alex Gibney executive produced “Tiger” alongside Sam Pollard, Stacey Offman, Richard Perello, Armen Keteyian and Jeff Benedict. Matthew Heineman and Matt Hamachek directed the documentary.

Read TheWrap’s preview interview with Heineman and Hamachek here.

In our conversation, we had the guys break down Part 1’s excellent opening scene, in which Eldrick “Tiger” Woods’ dad, Earl, speaks glowingly about his boy at the Haskins Collegiate Awards Banquet. That VHS-captured moment is mixed with even older footage, as a childhood Tiger makes sure “daddy” just saw his brilliant iron shot from the fairway. Earl’s audio then continues over a signature Woods win at The Masters, and ultimately, is laid on top of police-station footage from Tiger’s 2017 DUI arrest.

“Tiger: Part 2” premieres this coming Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

Read original story ‘Tiger’ Tees Off as HBO’s Most-Watched Sports Doc in 2 Years At TheWrap