Tiger-mania was in full swing at the 1998 Masters.
Tiger Woods arrived at Augusta National Golf Club determined to defend his 12-shot, historic victory from the previous year. He was the No. 1 player in the world and had five top-10s in seven starts leading to Magnolia Lane, including a victory in the Johnnie Walker Classic, where he overcame an 8-shot deficit on the final day to defeat Ernie Els in a playoff to claim his first European Tour title.
Woods was paired with reigning U.S. Amateur champion Matt Kuchar the first two rounds but never could call upon his best form. Woods never broke 70 and with rounds of 71-72-72-70, he finished in a tie for eighth place. While he made 18 birdies, he couldn’t overcome 13 bogeys to contend late on Sunday.
“I squeezed the towel dry and got everything I could out of my game,” Woods said after the tournament. “It just didn’t happen. I’m human. The only thing I can say about my game is I go out and give it everything I’ve got.
“Sometimes I’ll shoot like I did last year. Sometimes I’ll be like this year.”
But the 1998 Masters was not without lasting memories for Woods.
1998 MASTERS: Final leaderboard
In the final round, he was paired with Davis Love III, one group ahead of Ernie Els and Jack Nicklaus, who at age 58 was making a run for another green jacket 12 years after becoming the oldest Masters champion by winning his sixth in 1986.
Playing in his 40th Masters and with a noticeable limp, the Golden Bear made birdie on four of his first seven holes in the final round to get within two shots of the lead of Fred Couples. But he couldn’t recapture his back-nine magic from 1986 and finished with a 68 to tie for sixth.
But Woods will never forget Nicklaus’ charge.
“It was ungodly,” Woods said. “Davis and I were just listening that day. When we got to 12, the two of us were making a mess of things and we just wanted to make sure we didn’t get run over. Jack was making a run and could win the tournament, and the last thing we wanted to do was hold him up.
“We got a great view all day and every hole he was getting standing ovations, at every tee, every green. Down in Amen Corner, the echoes are so much louder and so cool. It was just so great that day, the atmosphere.”
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Woods also ended his day on a good note. He helped good friend Mark O’Meara slip on the green jacket. In his 15th start in the Masters, O’Meara became a major champion as he made three birdies in his final four holes to defeat Couples and David Duval by one shot.
O’Meara canned a nine-footer for birdie on the 17th hole and then sank his winning birdie putt from 20 feet on the last.
“I was a very proud friend,” Woods said. “It meant a lot to me and it will mean a lot to Mark to wear the jacket.”
This is the fourth story in a series looking at each of Tiger Woods’ appearances at the Masters.
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