Tag: Masters

Tiger Woods at the Masters (1998): Tiger-mania in full swing

Tiger Woods didn’t have his A game in 1998, but Masters week was not without lasting memories, as 58-year-old Jack Nicklaus made a run.

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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Tiger Woods devours Augusta National in 1997 for first Masters win

Tiger Woods’ Masters victory in 1997 not only changed the landscape of golf, but it also inspired a future generation of Tiger hopefuls.

After saying “Hello, world,” when he turned professional in 1996, Tiger Woods said goodbye to his colleagues in the 1997 Masters.

Playing his first major championship as a pro, Woods devoured Augusta National Golf Club and destroyed his competition in a staggering, record-setting, historical victory in the 1997 Masters. The victory not only changed the landscape of the sport, it inspired a future generation of Tiger hopefuls and reshaped the game as players began incorporating weight training into their regimens.

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In becoming the first African-American – he is also half Thai – to win the Masters, Woods simply left the patrons and his colleagues in awe, as well as the 44 million viewers who tuned in for the final-round broadcast, which set a television ratings record at the time.

1997 MASTERS: Final leaderboard

After an opening-nine 4-over-par 40, Woods made 21 birdies, two eagles and just three bogeys over the next 63 holes to finish with rounds of 70-66-65-69. After his final four-foot putt dropped to best Jack Nicklaus’ scoring record by one, Woods shared a huge hug with his father just off the 18th green and then slipped on his first green jacket.

“There are a few tournaments throughout my career where I felt, ‘Just don’t screw it up,'” Woods said. “That was one of them.”

His 18-under 270 total broke the scoring record since equaled by Jordan Spieth. At 21, he became the youngest Masters champion. His 12-shot victory remains a tournament record for margin of victory. And his power – he hit wedges for his second shot on par-5s, sand wedges into some of the longer par-4s – triggered the club’s decision to lengthen the course and add a significant number of trees in what later became known as Tiger Proofing.

“I’ve never played an entire tournament with my A-game,” Woods said shortly after singing his scorecard. “This was pretty close.”

This is the third story in a series looking at each of Tiger Woods’ appearances at the Masters.

Tiger Woods joins Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer for practice round at 1996 Masters

Jack Nicklaus on Tiger Woods at 1996 Masters: “He will be the favorite here for the next 20 years. If he isn’t, there’s something wrong.”

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Tiger Woods won his second U.S. Amateur in 1995 to earn his second trip to Augusta National Golf Club for the 1996 Masters.

Woods played a practice round with Fred Couples, Greg Norman and Raymond Floyd and soaked in as much knowledge of the course from the three. But it was his practice round Wednesday with Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer that was as good as it gets, Woods said years later.

After the three completed 18 holes, Nicklaus and Palmer extended an invitation to Woods to join them in the Par 3 Contest. Less than 15 minutes later, the three were on the first tee of the short course.

Later in his press conference, Nicklaus dropped this bombshell.

“Both Arnold and I agree that you could take my Masters (6) and his Masters (4) and add them together and this kid should win more than that,” Nicklaus said of Woods. “This kid is the most fundamentally sound golfer I’ve ever seen at any age. I don’t know if he’s ready to win yet or not, but he will be the favorite here for the next 20 years. If he isn’t, there’s something wrong.”

1996 MASTERS: Final leaderboard

Well, Woods wasn’t ready to win his first Masters that year Playing with defending champion Ben Crenshaw, Woods drove the ball well but executed poorly with his distance control into the greens. With rounds of 75-75, he missed the cut by four shots.

“I was working on the right things, but I didn’t have it in the ’96 Masters,” Woods wrote in The 1997 Masters: My Story with Lorne Rubenstein.

A year later, he certainly did have it.

This is the second story in a series looking at each of Tiger Woods’ appearances at the Masters.

Tiger Woods: First Masters in 1995 was ‘Disney World, fantasy land wrapped together’

Tiger Woods left right after putting out on the 72nd hole at the 1995 Masters. He had a 9 a.m. history class back at Stanford the next day.

As the reigning U.S. Amateur champion, Tiger Woods played in his first Masters in 1995. While he’ll never forget his maiden start at Augusta National Golf Club, the five-time winner of the green jacket would rather not dwell on the first putt he ever hit there in competition.

Paired with defending champion Jose Maria Olazabal, Woods, then a 19-year-old freshman at Stanford, reached the first hole in regulation and eyed a birdie putt. So far, so good.

Then he hit the putt.

“I putted off the green right into the gallery playing with Ollie,” Woods said. “Chipped back up there and made the putt for bogey, and that was one of the most embarrassing moments that I can ever remember.”

1995 MASTERS: Final leaderboard

Woods quickly shook off the humiliation and posted an even-par 72. He followed with a second-round 72 and was the only amateur to make the cut. With weekend rounds of 77-72, he finished in a tie for 41st for low amateur honors while Ben Crenshaw won his second green jacket.

Woods said he didn’t hit his irons well that week but he thoroughly enjoyed his first Masters. Woods left the grounds in a hurry after he putted out on the 72nd hole, for he had a 9 a.m. history class he had to get to at Stanford the following day. Before he left, however, he wrote a letter of gratitude to Augusta National and the tournament’s organizers.

Years later, he recalled the 1995 Masters with the joy of a child in a candy store.

“It was like Disney World and fantasy land, something like that, wrapped together, and it’s true,” Woods said. “I loved the golf course the first time I saw it. The history, the beauty, the challenge of the course. … it’s such a great place. It was my first time, and I’ll never forget it.”

This is the first story in a series looking at each of Tiger Woods’ appearances at the Masters.

Golfweek Rewind

Golfweek’s JuliaKate Culpepper discusses the latest news and notes in the world of golf.

Golfweek’s JuliaKate Culpepper discusses the latest news and notes in the world of golf.

10 classic games and sports moments you can watch for free this weekend

Let’s watch some classic sports this weekend.

This is the online version of our daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Subscribe to get irreverent and incisive sports stories, delivered to your mailbox every morning.

We’re all stuck inside now in this frighting new normal and all of our sports are gone, including the NCAA Tournament which we would have been watching on TV this weekend.

So what should we do this weekend if we still want to watch some sports and get some escape?

Well, I’m gonna go through 10 events – classic games, class golf final rounds, and other moments – that you can watch for free. I’ll link out to YouTube videos for those that are available and also point you in the right direction for NFL and NBA games now that the leagues have opened up their vaults for free.

So here’s how you can watch some great sports moments:

1. 2005 Masters final round.

This was an incredible Sunday in Augusta as Tiger Woods and Chris DiMarco battled down the back 9 before Tiger pulled out the victory in dramatic fashion, including that magical chip shot on the 16th hole that will be shown forever.. You can watch the whole thing thanks to The Masters YouTube channel right here.

2. 1993 NBA Finals, Game 4.

Michael Jordan went for 55 points in front of a rocking crowd at the old Chicago Stadium and Charles Barkley went for 32 points for the Phoenix Suns in what was a classic game that went down to wire. You can watch the whole thing right here on YouTube.

3. 1992 East Regional Final: Duke vs. Kentucky.

This was one of the greatest college basketball games ever played and it was won on one of the greatest buzzer beaters of all time. This will be shown on CBS Sports Network on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET. Watch then or set your DVR. This one was too good.

4. Kobe Bryant’s 81-point game against the Raptors.

The late, great Kobe Bryant has a historic game against Jalen Rose and the Raptors on a Sunday night in Los Angeles back in 2006. You can watch the full game here on YouTube or look for it in the NBA’s vault.

5. 1997 Masters final round.

This was Tiger Woods’ first victory at Augusta and he did it in historic fashion by absolutely crushing the field. The Masters has this whole final round right here.

6. Super Bowl 51.

The NFL has opened up its Game Pass for free and you can pick any game – including Super Bowls – played from 2009-2019. I’m gonna pick Super Bowl 51, when Tom Brady led the Patriots back from a 28-3 deficit against the Falcons before winning it in overtime. I’m guessing Falcons fans won’t be doing the same. Get access to Game Pass right here.

 7. Larry Bird’s three straight 3-point contest wins.  

The legendary Larry Bird won three straight 3-point contests from 1986-1988 and he often won them in dramatic fashion. Watch the final rounds of all three of those contests right here on Youtube.

8. Kanas City Chiefs vs. Los Angeles Rams, 2018.

This Monday night matchup was a historic one as the two teams lit up the scoreboard in Los Angeles. If you like points, you’ll love watching Patrick Mahomes working his magic in this one, though Jared Goff got the best of him and the Chiefs in a thriller. Again, watch it for free on NFL Game Pass. 

9. 2004 Masters final round.

I’m a golf guy, which is why there are three Masters final rounds on this list. 2004 was Phil Mickelson’s first victory at a Major and he celebrated by catching some serious air on the 18th green at Augusta. Watch it right here on The Masters YouTube page. 

10. The final 3:39 of Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals 

Like the NFL, the NBA has made its League Pass free to fans to watch games from this season as well as an archive of historic games. You can watch the final 3:39 of this classic game right here, in which LeBron James brought a championship to Cleveland with an epic win over the Warriors in Oakland

Quick hits: Boston fan goes viral… Stephen A. Smith on baby filter… What Bucs will need for Brady… And more.

– A Boston Bruins fan went viral for walking into the mayor of Boston’s press conference by accident.

– Stephen A. Smith shared a hilarious supercut of ‘First Take’ on a baby filter, which is always fun.

– Our Steven Ruiz explains why the Buccaneers will need to make drastic changes to help Tom Brady succeed.

– Todd Gurley got cut by the Rams on Thursday and was able to joke about it on Twitter.

– Aaron Donald wasn’t happy about Gurley getting cut.

– Our Charles Curtis tried out the ‘soap treadmill’ challenge to see if it is actually a good way to stay in shape while stuck at home.

Coronavirus hits sports betting with loss of Masters, NCAA Tournament

There’s bitter disappointment for players and fans but the coronavirus pandemic is a crushing blow to New Jersey’s sports betting industry.

The dominos fell with stunning speed over a 48-hour period this week as fear of spread of the coronavirus forced the suspension of the NBA, NHL and MLB seasons, while the NCAA Tournament, one of gambling’s Holy Grails, was canceled altogether.

The 2020 Masters golf tournament has also been postponed, Augusta National Golf Club chairman Fred Ridley announced on Friday.

The Masters is one of the top gambling weekends on the sports calendar.

So while there’s bitter disappointment among players and fans, it’s also crushing blow to New Jersey’s sports betting industry at a time when revenue records could have been shattered.

In what would have been one of the two busiest times of the year – some $540 million was wagered in the state in January in the buildup to Super Bowl LIV – the industry is on hold indefinitely during the COVID-19 outbreak around the country.

In the 21 months that sports betting has been legal, the additional revenue stream has provided a much-needed lifeline to New Jersey’s horse racing industry at the Meadowlands and Monmouth Park, with their respective sports books and online operations generating over $277 million in gross revenues during that time.

The Meadowlands has also canceled live harness racing through the weekend, with no decision made of the immediate future of racing.

“The ripple effect to sports betting will be profound because this extends so far beyond the sports wagering bubble,” said Daniel Wallach, a South Florida-based attorney who specializes in the sports betting industry. “This is just one subset of a broader impact across every segments of American life, and that is going to have a continued impact.

“These are unprecedented times and the gambling industry will take a huge hit. As will so many industries. So there will be an immediate impact and a trickle-down impact over time.”

A closer look at the numbers New Jersey sports books produced in February show a 54.4 percent increase from a year earlier, with $494.8 million wagered, compared with $320.4 million in 2019.

“New Jersey’s year-over-year gains remained impressive in February, but we are in uncharted territory now,” said Dustin Gouker, lead analyst for the website PlayNJ.com. “Obviously there are bigger concerns with coronavirus, but the NBA is a major revenue driver for New Jersey’s sportsbooks. So the suspension of the season, in addition to suspensions of other sports, will undoubtedly have a significant effect.”

It’s not just New Jersey, with legal sports betting sweeping across the country after the 2018 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that the law that banned it in all but a few jurisdictions was unconstitutional.

The No. 1 sports betting state is Nevada. Sixteen states have legalized sports betting. All other states have imminent or long-range plays to make sports betting legal, except Idaho, Wisconsin and Utah.

In 2019, when Tiger Woods won his fifth career Green Jacket, the William Hill U.S. Sportsbook in Nevada had its biggest single golf payout in the company’s history in the United Stated, according to ESPN.

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Coronavirus: The Masters has been postponed

The Masters is the latest event to be postponed because of the coronavirus outbreak.

The Masters announced it’s postponing the iconic golf tournament because of “the ever-increasing risks associated with the widespread Coronavirus”. In a statement released Friday morning, Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley said it’s the “appropriate” action to take under “these unique circumstances.”

It was originally scheduled for April 9 through 12.

It’s the latest PGA Tour event impacted by the COVID-19, the new coronavirus strain, outbreak after The Players Championship this weekend was canceled Thursday night. Golf is joining the rest of the sports world — including the NBA, NHL, MLB, MLS and the NCAA, among so many other sports organizations — in canceling or postponing competition.

Also Thursday night, the PGA Tour canceled all events through the Valero Texas Open in late March and through the first weekend in April.

Ridley said in a statement tweeted by The Masters’ Twitter account:

Considering the latest information and expert analysis, we have decided at this time to postpone the Masters Tournament, the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals.

Ultimately, the health and well-being of everyone associated with these events and the citizens of the Augusta community led us to this decision. We hope this postponement puts us in the best position to safely host the Masters Tournament and our amateur events at some later date.

We will continue to work with the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Office of the Governor, the Georgia Department of Public Health, the City of Augusta and all other local authorities.

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Through the years: Remembering every Masters Tiger Woods has played

Beginning in 1995 as an amateur and going up to his triumph in 2019, here’s a look at all 22 Masters appearances for Tiger Woods.

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When thinking of Augusta National, what is the first thing that comes to mind?

Is it the flush foliage, the famous Masters logo, the smell of springtime and fresh-cut grass? Or is it one of the golfers most synonymous with victory in Augusta, Georgia?

Tiger Woods has played in 22 Masters Tournaments and totaled five victories. The only golfer to have won more at Augusta National Golf Club is Jack Nicklaus, who has six green jackets.

Beginning in 1995 as an amateur and finishing, for now, in 2019 after his fifth Masters win, we document each of Woods’ 22 Masters appearances with a photo and his result.

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