Nelson (right) followed Woods' career from its early days

Woods revealed that Nelson, whose 11 straight tournament wins is still a record, had written to him and followed his career since his amateur days.

"A legend writing to some little amateur, a handwritten letter that was out of the blue. It shocked me. It's something I never forgot," said Woods.

Fellow American Jim Furyk said Nelson's death was "a sad day in golf".

As well as his individual success, Nelson was a three-time Ryder Cup winner, twice as a player and once as captain.

World number three Furyk, who was one of Woods' team-mates in this year's Ryder Cup, described Nelson's, legacy to golf as "phenomenal".

"I had dinner at his house at the Byron Nelson (tournament) this year - it was very special. It is a sad day in golf," he said.

Woods and Furyk are both competing at the World Golf Championship event at The Grove in Hertfordshire, starting on Thursday.

Woods is seeking a fifth win in the tournament in seven attempts, and after a practice round, predicted a low-scoring weekend.

"The course is in fantastic shape," he said.

"The greens are smooth so I figure the guys are going to make some putts and I would expect the scoring to be really low this week."