After reconstructive surgery repaired his left knee following his one-legged victory in the 2008 U.S. Open, where he won with torn ligaments in said knee and two fractures in the same leg, Tiger Woods spent the next seven weeks on the mend.
Following what he called “months upon months” of rehab, Woods returned to the PGA Tour at the 2009 World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play and tied for 17th. He tied for ninth in his next start at the WGC-CA Championship.
Then he won the Arnold Palmer Invitational with a 72nd-hole birdie from 15 feet.
The golf world was whole again.
But could Woods really win the Masters after just three starts in nine months? On an Augusta National golf course that now was 7,435 exacting yards long?
“Always,” Woods said two days before the Masters when asked if he expected to win despite his few reps.
2009 Masters: Final leaderboard
His win at Arnie’s place, however, solidified his way of thinking and altered the thought of his colleagues.
“I really wanted to get into contention and feel the rush again on the back nine,” he said of his win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. “I was not in it at Doral (CA Championship); I was on the periphery. I played my way into a backdoor top-10, so I was not really in it. This past week at Bay Hill was great, to feel that, and just to see how my body would react again.
“It’s been a while, and a lot of uncertainty over the months upon months of rehab, and it felt great to hit shots. Like the shot I hit on 18, that felt great, to be able to take something off that little 7-iron and be able to control the flight like that.
“That’s something that I’ve been missing.”
What was missing for Woods when the Masters teed off was a good start. Yes, he shot 70 in the first round but stood five back, then shot 72 and was seven back after 36. Another 70 in Saturday’s third round left him seven shots out of the lead.
And then, Secretariat and Man o’ War showed up for Sunday’s final round. Woods was paired with Phil Mickelson – you decide who was Secretariat and who was Man o’ War – and the two lit up Augusta National’s hallowed pastures on a Sunday Masters to remember.
First it was Mickelson who ignited roars with birdies on 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8 to get in the mix. Then Woods came firing down the lane with an eagle at 8 and then birdies at 13, 15 and 16.
But funny things happen on the back nine on a Sunday at the Masters. Mickelson was one shot out of the lead on the 12th tee before he rinsed his tee shot in Rae’s Creek. Woods was within two on the 17th tee but went bogey-bogey.
Mickelson finished fifth and Woods tied for sixth. In hindsight, Woods needs more reps.
Kenny Perry needed two pars. Perry, who shared the lead after 54 holes with Angel Cabrera, was two shots clear with two holes to play but, like Woods, went bogey-bogey. Perry was joined by Cabrera and Chad Campbell in a playoff that Cabrera won with a par on the second extra hole. It was Cabrera’s second major title, coming two years after he held off Woods and Jim Furyk by one shot in the U.S. Open at Oakmont.
This is the 15th story in a series looking at each of Tiger Woods’ appearances at the Masters. Catch up on the series here.
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