Lincoln Riley schedules USC practice so he can watch Tiger Woods in the Masters

LOS ANGELES – USC held a spring football practice session at 3:40 p.m. PDT Thursday, late in the day in Augusta, Ga. The Trojans won’t practice Friday. They will practice Saturday morning, then have Sunday off.

There is a purpose to that schedule: USC coach Lincoln Riley is watching Tiger Woods play in the Masters.

“I’m a big Tiger guy,” Riley said this week. “I love watching him play golf. He’s probably my favorite athlete ever. Him or Michael (Jordan). … If he’s playing, I’m watching. If he’s not playing, it could be a huge tournament, I hardly even pay attention. He moves the needle for me in golf.”

Tiger Woods won his first Masters 25 years ago, about the time a 13-year-old in west Texas began to get interested in golf. Riley has grown up to be one of the most prominent people in college football. Yet, when he sees Woods play golf, he becomes a teen all over again.

“I don’t ever feel starstruck with football or even basketball guys,” Riley said. “Even here, all the Hall-of-Famers you meet here, it’s awesome. I think Tiger’s the one athlete that if I met, I’d be starstruck. He’s the one guy I would (think), ‘What would I really do?’ Anybody else, I wouldn’t even think ahead like that. That’s the guy.”

Riley never has met Woods. Now that Riley is in the Pac-12, though, there’s a chance their paths may cross. Woods grew up in the Los Angeles area and went to Stanford. He remains a devoted fan of the Cardinal, one of USC’s main rivals. USC plays at Stanford on September 10.

No telling if Woods will be there, but Riley has four months to prepare.