Tiger Learns to Love Augusta
Tiger’s first appearance at The Masters came in 1995, earning the honor as the U.S. Amateur Champion. Though not yet a pro, he made a respectable showing at Augusta National, making the cut and shooting 5 over par. Woods would go on to repeat as the USGA Amateur Champ, but he failed to make the cut at the 1996 Masters. Since then, Tiger Woods has not missed the weekend rounds of The Masters.
Tiger’s performance in his first Masters as a professional was truly a memorable performance. Over the course of the 1997 Masters, the young prodigy lived up to and surpassed all but the most superlative laden hype. He dismantled Augusta National and the field by going -13 on the par fives alone. Wood’s finished at 18 under par, 12 strokes ahead of runner up, Tom Kite.
Between 1997 and 2000 Tiger’s best golf was played away from Augusta; however, he finished outside the top 10 just once out of the three Masters tournaments. He returned to the top of the Augusta leader board in 2001. Tiger shot -16 to achieve a two stroke victory over David Duval, becoming the first golfer to be, simultaneously the reigning champion of all four PGA major championships. The key to his success in 2001 was his four round driving distance average of 305.5 yards. Augusta’s lightning fast greens are not as intimidating if a player is able get off the tee like that.
Augusta Attempts to Adapt to Tiger’s Power
Following the 2001 Masters, Augusta National would literally never be the same, as tournament officials decided to “Tiger Proof” the course. Tom Fazio was brought in prior to the 2002 event in order to lengthen half of Augusta’s 18 holes. The additional yardage was no matter for Tiger Woods, however, as he would repeat as Masters Champion in 2002. Woods shot -12 to earn his third green jacket, this time besting Retief Goosen by three strokes.
Tiger would struggle with Augusta National in 2003 and 2004, finishing +2 in both events. He was less invincible elsewhere also, but this was due to Tiger breaking in a new swing. Of course, for Woods to have a down season simply means that he did not win any major tournaments. Much to the dismay of pro golfers everywhere, Tiger broke out of his slump in 2005.
Tiger Solidifies His Position as a Masters Legend
Before 2005 there were two golfers, legends both, to possess four green jackets: Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. At the conclusion of the 2005 Masters, Tiger Woods became the third. He did so by defeating a surging Chirs DiMarco in a playoff.
Tiger had entered the final round with a three stroke lead thanks to string of seven birdies during his third round. Woods thrilled the audience around the 16th green with an unbelievable chip-in; the shot made a 90 degree break and paused at the edge of the cup long enough to get a still view of the Nike logo on his ball. He backed into the playoff, finishing his final round with two bogies; however, Tiger proved to be too much for DiMarco, requiring only one hole to conclude the tournament.
Though Woods would not add any more green jackets to his wardrobe in 2006 or 2007, he did provide fans of professional golf with some memorable moments. They were busy and tragic years for Tiger, having lost his father, gotten married, and welcomed his first child into the world. Tiger will enter this year’s Masters with at least two victories on the season, and an apparently unshakable focus on the golf course. Should Tiger Woods win the 2008 Masters, it would surprise very few.
Sources:
Shonka, Kristy. “DiMarco feels bite of Tiger’s victory.” The Augusta Chronicle. 11 Apr. 2005. 9 Nov. 2008. http://www.augusta.com/masters/stories/041105/new_3862990.shtml.
Tucker, Brandon. “The Tiger era: Ten years in and golf will never be the same.” WorldGolf.com – Golfing the Globe. 28 Aug. 2006. 7 Nov. 2008. http://www.worldgolf.com/features/tiger-woods-era-10-years-pga-3423.htm.
“Course Profile: Augusta National Golf Course.” PGA.com. 8 Nov. 2008. http://dyn.pga.com/play/find-a-course/courseprofile.cfm?LCOURSEID=8901.
“Tiger Woods.” Augusta.com – Masters 2008. 8 Nov. 2008. http://www.augusta.com/masters/players/bios/bio184.shtml.
 |
