Tony Jones is the face of Melbourne sports reporting for Channel Nine.

  Have your say on Tiger's trip Down Under.

While Tiger Woods was the big winner at Kingston Heath in Melbourne, Victorian Premier John Brumby might also lay claim to a significant victory.

It was the Brumby Government which led with the chin by daring to dip into the public purse and cough up half of Tiger's $3 million appearance fee.

Now, given ongoing problems with the health system, public transport and other social issues, it was a big call by Brumby.

But having watched the euphoria created by one man for almost a full week, I reckon even the Premier's greatest detractors might now be conceding defeat.

Tiger was money well spent.

The visit to Melbourne itself though was priceless.

Never before has Australian golf seen anything like it. Who would've thought that one man could generate the hype of a Melbourne Cup or Grand Final?

But from the moment his private jet touched down at Essendon Airport last Monday, the city was in the grip of Tiger-mania.

How would Tiger himself react to the hype? Would it be treated with the sheer arrogance of other visiting superstars, beit of the sporting, acting or music varierty?

Those fears were allayed when Woods walked into what was going to be his one and only media conference the following day.

The world No1 was all class, treating each question with the same respect it was delivered and giving the impression that he was genuinely moved by the welcome mat which Melbourne had rolled out for him.

Journalists had been told that he wouldn't be giving another media conference unless he won on the Sunday.

What transpired was quite a surprise. Tiger fronted the media not only on the Tuesday.... but on the Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and the Sunday as well!

As much as one would try to find a chink in his character, there just wasn't one.

The only hint of superstardom was his ever present bodyguard.

This fellow was never too far from Tiger and sometimes went to extraordinary lengths to protect his privacy and minimise any discomfort.

Two examples come to mind.

After one of the media conferences, Tiger needed to answer nature's call and the closest toilet was at the back of the media centre. He strolled through the room, out the back sliding doors and "did his thing". All the while, his minder was standing at those sliding doors, arms folded.

I'm not sure what would've happened if anyone else wanted to answer nature's call at the same time. Maybe crossed legs were a better option than crossed words with the Tiger-minder.

The other example was a little stranger.

The desk where golfers sit for their media conferences is lit by two mini-spotlights either side of stage.

When they leave, they walk directly in the path of one of those lights before turning right to walk out.

When Tiger embarked on his departure, his minder would put one hand up to the spotlight to ensure the boss wouldn't be blinded by the spotlight.

A little over the top maybe, but hey, this is Tiger!

And in the eyes of just about everyone, he could do no wrong.

Having finally conquered Kingston Heath and a field of potential party poopers, Tiger slipped on that gold jacket. Whether it hangs alongside the four green ones he's collected over the years, only Tiger would know.

One thing's for certain, Melbourne wants him to come back in a year and try for another.

But would we, as Victorian taxpayers, cop Mr Brumby writing out another fat cheque to bring him out here?

Ah, what the hell.... it wouldn't be the same if the 8.24am from Frankston wasn't 20 minutes late.

Come back Tiger!

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