One magical round: Tiger Woods’ improbable comeback had his competitors forgetting about their own play and soaking in the magnitude of the day
Editor’s note: While this year’s Masters won’t be played due to risks associated with the coronavirus pandemic, we think Tiger Woods’ historic come-from-behind victory is worth revisiting on the anniversary. Here’s a look at some of the key moments you may have forgotten in the voices of the players and caddie Joe LaCava.
In a charming corner of the Cathedral of Pines on Masters Sunday, Webb Simpson somehow took in a peaceful moment amid the roars ripping about the hallowed grounds of Augusta National Golf Club.
Standing on the tee of the final hole that is the sublime but precarious Amen Corner, Simpson, playing in the penultimate group and still very much in pursuit of the green jacket with six holes to play, glanced over to the green of the famous 12th hole.
There stood the resurrected figure of Tiger Woods.
“It’s his Sunday red on the 12th green of Augusta National, maybe the most famous picture in golf,” said Simpson, who 22 years earlier watched Woods play a practice round ahead of his historic Masters triumph in 1997. “I told myself, ‘You’re competing against Tiger Woods in the Masters. This is a childhood dream.’ That’s when as a player, you remove yourself for a second, and you take in the moment.”
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On a Sunday at Augusta National unlike any other to the players who witnessed it, memorable moments were abundant throughout the sensory explosion that is home to the first major championship of the year.
As much of the country was thawing from a long winter, last year’s Masters provided a warm embrace while becoming the epicenter of the sports world as Woods pursued his fifth green jacket and 15th major championship.
Just two years removed from telling fellow green jackets that he thought his career was over, Woods spectacularly capped his latest comeback from a shattered image, addiction to prescription painkillers and a persistent troublesome back by becoming a Masters champion again.
Playing in his 75th major as a professional, Woods, who won 14 majors in his first 46 attempts as a pro, hadn’t won a major in 28 starts. But he got in contention in the previous year’s British Open at Carnoustie before tying for sixth and finished runner-up to Brooks Koepka in the 2018 PGA Championship.
A few weeks later, he won the Tour Championship, his first Tour victory since 2013. Seven months later, at 43, he became the second-oldest player to win the Masters, trailing just Jack Nicklaus, who won the 1986 Masters at 46.
In his run-up to the Masters, which he previously won in 1997, 2001, 2002 and 2005, Woods teed up hints that he was ready to win a major again as he played well in five starts. He tied for fifth in the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play in his last start ahead of the Masters.
The week before the Masters, Woods made a reconnaissance trip to Augusta National and, in his lone round, shot 65 with a three-putt bogey on the first his only blemish. When he arrived at Augusta National for the 83rd Masters, Woods knew he could win.
In the gripping final round, six players held at least a share of the lead: Woods, Francesco Molinari, Patrick Cantlay, Dustin Johnson, Xander Schauffele and Brooks Koepka. Koepka had won three of the previous seven major championships played. Woods took the outright lead with a birdie on 15 and never relinquished his advantage.
Schauffele, who joked that “someone stole the thunder there,” had his chances on the back nine to claim his first green jacket but finished in a tie for second. His lasting memory from the 2019 Masters was Woods.
“No one thought he could do it. Except for him, probably,” Schauffele said. “It was cool to witness golf history. I totally forgot about golf and just witnessed history. When I think back to that tournament, I think of Tiger winning.”