Tag: Tiger Woods Masters

Tiger Woods at the Masters (2015): Tiger, field no match for Jordan Spieth

Back surgery for a pinched nerve knocked Tiger Woods out of the 2014 Masters. Chipping yips threatened his participation in 2015.

Back surgery for a pinched nerve knocked Tiger Woods out of the 2014 Masters.

Chipping yips threatened his participation in the 2015 Masters.

After Woods had a microdisectomy March 31, 2014, he missed the first two majors and played just five times the rest of the year, a dismal stretch that included two missed cuts, one WD and a finish of 69th in the British Open. He made his last start in his Hero World Challenge, where despite finishing in a tie for last, he looked healthy.

But his chipping in the Hero was an alarming collection of chunks and skulls.

The malady followed him into 2015 – in his first two starts, he missed the cut in the Waste Management Phoenix Open, where he posted an 82 in the second round, and withdrew with a stiff back after 11 holes at the Farmers Insurance Open.

2015 Masters: Final leaderboard

He took a nine-week hiatus from the game and announced himself fit to return at the Masters, where he would go to the first tee ranked 111th in the world.

On Monday of the Masters, Woods arrived at Augusta National at 3:25 p.m. and all looked good in his world. He was relaxed, strong, fit. He smiled often and with ease, bro-hugged a bunch of players. And his short game was in order. After popping in some headphones, he hit nearly six dozen chips shots at the short-game area of the practice ground and was clearly grooving to the music in his ears.

“I’m on the good side now,” Woods said after playing 11 holes with Mark O’Meara that day. “I felt like I had to get my game into a spot where I could compete to win a golf tournament and it’s finally there. I worked my ass off. That’s the easiest way to kind of describe (my break).”

And your chipping?

“It’s my strength again,” he said. “That’s why I’ve busted my butt. That’s why I took time off. That’s why I hit thousands and thousands of shots to make sure that it’s back to being my strength. I’m back to hitting shots, making it hop, check on the second bounce, third bounce, I can figure those things out again.”

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But Woods and the rest of the field had no answer for Jordan Spieth.

The Big Kid from Big D, who tied for second behind Bubba Watson in 2014, was a tour de force from the first hole. Spieth, who had won the Valspar Championship and twice finished second in his three prior starts to the Masters, opened with a 64 and led wire-to-wire.

He started to suck the air out of his foes with a 66 in the second round and followed with textbook 70s on the weekend to finish four ahead of Phil Mickelson and Justin Rose. In his Masters masterpiece, Spieth, at 21, became the second youngest to win the Masters – only Woods was younger (by five months). He tied Woods’ scoring record for 72 holes at 18 under and set scoring records through 36 holes (-14) and 54 holes (-16). He is the only player to reach -19 in the Masters.

As for Woods, he opened with a 73 but followed with rounds of 69-68 to move into a tie for fifth through 54 holes. But he was still 10 shots in back of Spieth. Woods closed with a 73 to fall back into a tie for 17th.

“Well, considering where I was at Torrey and Phoenix, to make the complete swing change and rectify all the faults and come here to a major championship and contend, I’m proud of that part of it,” Woods said. “Just wish I could have made a few more timely putts and moved up that board.
“I going to have a little time off, go back to the drawing board, work on it again, and refine what I’m doing. I really like what I’m doing. I got my distance back, and everything is good.”

And then it wasn’t. Woods only played 10 more times in 2015, a tie for 10th in the Wyndham Championship being his best result. In September, he underwent a second back surgery to remove a disc fragment that was pinching his nerve. In October, he had another surgical procedure to his back to relieve discomfort.

He would play just four times over the next two years and missed the Masters each year.

This is the 20th story in a series looking at each of Tiger Woods’ appearances at the Masters. Catch up on the series here.

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Tiger Woods at the Masters (2013): A bad break led to a bad drop, 2 stroke penalty

On the 15th hole, his approach was spot on but his ball clanked off the flagstick and rolled backward into the pond. But his bad break had led to a bad drop.

Tiger Woods was atop the golf world going into the 2013 Masters.

He had won six tournaments in the previous 12 months. Had regained the No. 1 spot in the official world rankings by winning three of his first five PGA Tour starts that year. Headed to Augusta National off two impressive wins in the WGC-Cadillac Championship and the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

He was healthy, happy and sound. A fifth green jacket was well within reach, a 15th major triumph and first since 2008 was at hand.

“I feel comfortable with every aspect of my game,” he told the media. “I feel that I’ve improved and I’ve gotten more consistent, and I think the wins show that. That’s something that I’m proud of so far this year, and hopefully I can continue it this week and the rest of the year.

2013 Masters: Final leaderboard

“It was nice to get back to No. 1. There are a lot of players who try to get there and have never been able to do it, and I’ve been able to get there a few times throughout my career. And to battle the injuries that I’ve come through and to get through all that and to win enough golf tournaments and to win consistently enough to get to that point, is something I’m very proud of.”

And it was right there for the taking for Woods before a flagstick got in the way at 6:32 p.m. (ET) Friday in the second round.

After opening with a 70, Woods had moved to 5 under through 14 holes and was tied for the lead. After a drive into the trees on the par-5 15th, he laid up to 87 yards. His approach was spot on but his ball clanked off the flagstick and rolled backward into the pond fronting the green.

Woods collected himself, took his drop and hit his fifth shot to four feet and made the putt for bogey. When nightfall arrived, Woods was three back of the lead.

But his bad break had led to a bad drop. Throughout the night and into the next morning, Masters officials had determined Woods took an incorrect drop. Woods hadn’t dropped near the same spot from which he played his third shot. As he told ESPN’s Tom Rinaldi on Friday, he dropped about two yards behind the original location. That’s a penalty. Saturday morning Woods was summoned and accepted the ruling, which now dropped him five shots out of the lead.

But he was allowed to keep playing. In the past, Woods would have been disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard. The USGA and R&A changed the rule in 2011, allowing a player to have penalty strokes added to his score if he unknowingly signed an incorrect scorecard.

“I wasn’t even really thinking,” Woods said about taking his drop. “I was still a little ticked at what happened, and I was just trying to figure, OK, I need to take some yardage off this shot, and that’s all I was thinking about was trying to make sure I took some yardage off of it, and evidently, it was pretty obvious, I didn’t drop in the right spot.”

Woods got within four of the lead with a third-round 70. But he didn’t apply pressure in the early going on Sunday, failing to birdie the second and missing from short range at the third. Bogeys at four and seven dropped him seven shots behind the leaders. He got within three with birdies at nine, 10, 13 and 15 but parred in.

A closing 70 left him four back of a playoff between Adam Scott and Angel Cabrera. Scott won with a birdie on the second playoff hole to become the first Australian to win the Masters.

Adam Scott celebrates after making a birdie putt on the second playoff hole to win the 2013 Masters. Photo by USA TODAY Sports

“I played well,” Woods said. “I certainly missed my share of putts today, actually this week. I also made a bunch too. So it’s one of those things where this golf course was playing a little bit tricky, we had four different green speeds out there and I couldn’t believe how slow they were the first two days, yesterday I couldn’t believe how fast they were, and then today it was another different speed again.

“I certainly had a chance. If I would have posted a number today, I was right there.”

This is the 19th story in a series looking at each of Tiger Woods’ appearances at the Masters. Catch up on the series here.

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Tiger Woods at the Masters (2012): Posts a T-40 for worst Masters finish

Tiger Woods often got stuck between his new swing under current coach (Sean Foley) and reverting back to his old swing (under Hank Haney).

The first indication that Tiger Woods was heading in the right direction ahead of the 2012 Masters came in the 2011 Chevron World Challenge.

While the tournament he hosts in December was an unofficial PGA Tour event, it did feature 18 of the best players in the world and a win is a win no matter the status. That’s what he felt after canning his 6-foot putt for birdie on the 72nd hole, a stroke that gave him a one-shot victory over Zach Johnson and a trophy for the first time in 27 worldwide starts spread out over nearly 25 months.

A PGA Tour win, by the looks of things, wasn’t too far away.

It almost came to be for Woods in the fourth start on the PGA Tour in 2012, when he closed with an eye-popping 62 in the Honda Classic but fell two short Rory McIlroy. The next week, doubts popped up about his health again as he withdrew in the final round with an Achilles strain in the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship.

2012 Masters: Final leaderboard

Two weeks later, however, he vanquished those doubts with a dominating, 5-shot victory in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He was back, right? He thought so.

“I certainly am excited about playing and really looking forward to getting out there and playing,” Woods said before the Masters. “I feel like I’m driving the ball much better than I have. I’ve got some heat behind it, and it’s very straight.

“My iron game is improving. Everything is headed in the right direction at the right time.”

But this wasn’t the time. With rounds of 72-75-72-74, he finished at 5-over 293, failed to break par in any round for just the second time as a professional in the Masters, and often got stuck between executing his new swing under his current coach (Sean Foley) and reverting back to his old swing (under Hank Haney).

His tie for 40th is the worst Masters finish as a pro.

After finishing no worse than a tie for sixth in his last seven starts at Augusta National, he was never in contention. He finished his first round with bogeys on the final two holes. He made five more bogeys in the second round and was loudly criticized for kicking his club on the 16th tee after another dreadful shot.

“Certainly, I’m frustrated at times and I apologize if I offended anybody by that,” Wood said. “But I’ve hit some bad shots and it’s certainly frustrating at times not hitting the ball where you need to hit it.”

After posting a 72 in the third round, he started his final round three hours ahead of the leaders and 12 strokes out of the lead. After a 74, he talked of his poor ball-striking and his inability to devour the par-5s like he usually does. He made 13 pars, two birdies and one bogey on the par-5s.

“I didn’t hit the ball very good this week, and what’s frustrating is I know what to do, and I just don’t do it,” Woods said. “I get out there and I just don’t trust it at all. I fall back into the same old patterns again, and I just need to do more reps.

“Thank God my short game was good this week and my putting was really good. Unfortunately, they were all for pars, not for birdies. And this is a golf course you just have to dominate the par 5s, and I did not do that at all this week.”

Bubba Watson walks to the 18th green on the first hole of a playoff vs. Louis Oosthuizen during the 2012 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. Photo by Jack Gruber/USA TODAY Sports

While the red shirt on Sunday meant little to the outcome, the all-white ensemble of Bubba Watson – accented by the pink shaft of his powerful driver – ended up in the green jacket.

Starting the final round three shots out of the lead, Watson made four consecutive birdies starting at the 13th, signed for a 68 and moved to a playoff with Louis Oosthuizen, who finished with a 69. After both players parred the first extra hole, Watson came up with a signature moment on the second playoff hole and one of the most memorable shots in Masters history.

At the par-4 10th, he hooked his drive deep into the trees on the right. After Oosthuizen came up short with his approach, Watson carved a wedge nearly 90 degrees out of the woods, the ball coming to rest 10 feet from the hole. After Oosthuizen failed to get up and down for par, Watson tapped in for his par and won the first of his two green jackets.

This is the 18th story in a series looking at each of Tiger Woods’ appearances at the Masters. Catch up on the series here.

WATCH EVERY MASTERS TOURNAMENT – SUBSCRIBE TO ESPN+

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We recommend interesting sports viewing and streaming opportunities. If you sign up to a service by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee.

Tiger Woods at the Masters (2011): Augusta National’s zaniest back nine ever

Eight players had at least a share of the lead on the final nine holes, with a five-way tie at the top at one point, at the 2011 Masters.

Tiger Woods was working on a new swing going into the 2011 Masters.

He hadn’t won a PGA Tour title since the fall of 2009, a major since the summer of 2008, a Masters since the spring of 2005. His best finish in five starts before the Masters was a tie for 10th.

And he was still climbing out of the abyss that included public scandal, a divorce, and a shattered reputation that took root the night of Thanksgiving 2009 when he drove his car into a fire hydrant.

Not exactly a perfect prep en route to a fifth green jacket.

Still, Woods felt ready.

“Mm-hmm,” was his answer as he nodded his head in the affirmative when asked if he could win. “I’ve prepared all year to peak four times a year and that has not change, and that’s what I’m trying to do.”

2011 Masters: Final leaderboard

After rounds of 71-66, Woods was three back. A Saturday 74, however, dropped him seven shots behind Rory McIlroy, the former Boy Wonder who seized command from the get-go with a 65 on Thursday. Rounds of 69-70 had him four clear of the field heading into the final round.

Then all sorts of crazy had a Sunday tee time.

Woods began an avalanche of roars and red numbers with birdies on four of his first seven holes. When his eagle putt dropped on the eighth, the earth shook and he was one back. When he made the turn, he had a share of the lead. Nine holes in, seven-shot deficit gone, vintage Woods was back.

But more than the red shirt was rumbling. Charl Schwartzel knocked in a 100-foot chip on the first for birdie and holed out from 108 yards for eagle on the fourth. Angel Cabrera made three birdies on his first eight holes. Jason Day, Adam Scott and Geoff Ogilvy, all trying to become the first Aussie to win the Masters, stayed within touch of the leaders. Luke Donald was right there. McIlroy turned in 1-over 37 but still held a share of the lead.

And then came the zaniest back nine you’ve ever seen among the Georgia pines. Eight players had at least a share of the lead on the final nine holes, with a five-way tie at the top at one point.

Ogilvy made five consecutive birdies to grab a share. Donald birdied four of his last six after dumping a ball into Rae’s Creek on the 12th. Scott took the lead with a birdie from two feet on the 16th and held it with a par from 17 feet on the 17th. Day birdied the last two to get into the clubhouse with a share of the lead with Scott.

Rory McIlroy plays a shot back to the fairway on the tenth hole after an errant tee shot during the final round of the 2011 Masters. Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images

McIlroy, on the other hand, tripled-bogeyed the 10th when his drive ended up between two white cabins 50 yards left of the fairway, bogeyed the 11th and four-putted the 12th for double and was done.

“I hung in pretty well on the front nine, then hit the tee shot on the 10th and I became unraveled,” said McIlroy, who shot 80. “And I just couldn’t get it back. I’ll have more chances. Hopefully this will build some character.”

It did – he won the U.S. Open two months later.

While McIlroy couldn’t get it back, Woods couldn’t keep it going. After a 5-under 31, he stalled. He missed two putts inside four feet – on the 12th for par and on the 15th for eagle – and he could only match par on the final nine and signed for a 67 to finish in a tie for fourth.

“I should have shot an easy 3 or 4 under on the back nine and I only posted even,” said Woods, who was winless in 21 tournaments over 17 months. “I hit it good all day. This entire weekend I hit it good. So that was a nice feeling. I just had a tough time on the greens.”

Schwartzel didn’t have any difficulties on the greens as he made Masters history. He became the first Masters champion to finish with birdies on the final four holes – from 10, 15, 12 and 18 feet – a 4-2-3-3 finish on the scorecard that showed a 66, the best final round by a winner in 22 years. His 14-under 274 total was two clear of Day and Scott.

“The birdie on 15 was big. That got me going,” he said. “And this game’s a funny game. Things just happen. Sometimes it sort of just snowballs.

“There are so many roars that go on around Augusta. Especially the back nine. It echoes through those trees. Every single hole you walk down, someone has done something, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking at the leaderboard. But sometimes I would look at it and not register what I was looking at, and I think that sort of helped.

“So this is a dream come true. It was quite crazy out there, quite loud, but it feels so good to be wearing this jacket.”

This is the 17th story in a series looking at each of Tiger Woods’ appearances at the Masters. Catch up on the series here.

WATCH EVERY MASTERS TOURNAMENT – SUBSCRIBE TO ESPN+

Watch the full collection of official Masters films, which has a one-hour recap of every Masters from 1960 all the way up to 2018.

We recommend interesting sports viewing and streaming opportunities. If you sign up to a service by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee.

Tiger Woods at the Masters (2010): Five months after infamous car accident

This was a Masters unlike any other for Tiger Woods. Five months after driving into a fire hydrant Thanksgiving night of 2009, a single-car crash that led to a torrent of revelations of a sordid private life full of extramarital affairs that …

This was a Masters unlike any other for Tiger Woods.

Five months after driving into a fire hydrant Thanksgiving night of 2009, a single-car crash that led to a torrent of revelations of a sordid private life full of extramarital affairs that shattered his once-pristine image, damaged his Madison Avenue charm and ultimately cost him his marriage, Woods returned to the game at the 2010 Masters.

The four-time winner of the green jacket was warmly embraced by the patrons throughout an 18-hole practice round Monday with Fred Couples.

Later in the day, he looked far more comfortable and at ease in a 35-minute meeting with the media in a packed press conference room than he did Feb. 19 when he appeared in public for the first time since the accident and read a 13-minute prepared statement in a televised address near PGA Tour headquarters.

“What I’ve done over the past years has been just terrible to my family,” Woods said at Augusta National. “And the fact I won golf tournaments I think is irrelevant. It’s the pain and the damage that I’ve caused my wife, my mom, my wife’s family and my kids. Going forward, I am going to have to explain all this to them. That’s my responsibility. I did it. And I take full responsibility for it.”

2010 Masters: Final leaderboard

While he spoke on a variety of subjects, he provided scant details of the car accident. And he emphasized he was ready to win a fifth green jacket.

Despite not having played since winning the Australian Masters the previous November, Woods quickly got in the mix to do just that with a 68, marking the only time he’s ever broken 70 in the first round in the Masters.

“It felt really good just to get out there and get into the rhythm of the round, and just kind of go about my business,” Woods said.

Woods stayed on the first page of the leaderboard with consecutive rounds of 70 and stood four shots out of the lead set by Lee Westwood with 18 holes to play. One shot behind Westwood was Phil Mickelson, who nearly made three consecutive eagles on the back nine but settled for an eagle-3 at 13, an eagle-2 on 14 and a tap-in birdie-4 on the 15th.

On Sunday, Woods, playing with K.J. Choi for the fourth consecutive day, bogeyed three of his first five holes and despite eagles on seven and 15 and four birdies in his last 11 holes, he never seriously threatened on the back nine. A 69 left him at 11-under 277 and five shots behind Mickelson, who closed with a 67 to win his third Masters. Mickelson finished three clear of runner-up Westwood.

“I finished fourth,” Woods said. “Not what I wanted. I wanted to win this tournament. As the week wore on I kept hitting the ball worse. I hit it better on Friday, but after that it was not very good.

“I entered this event and I only enter events to win and I didn’t get it done. I didn’t hit the ball good enough and I made too many mistakes around the greens.”

Mickelson, who delivered one of the game’s most memorable shots when he hit a 6-iron off pine straw from 205 yards to four feet on the 13th hole in the final round, had not won heading to Augusta, Georgia. But he ended this Masters in a tearful embrace with his wife, Amy, who was battling breast cancer. His mother, Mary, also was battling breast. At a special place, he provided a special victory.

“I’m in love with this place,” Mickelson said. “It just brings out the best in me. I love Sunday at Augusta. Back in the ’90s, it was the most nerve-racking day. Still is, but I’ve just come to love and cherish it, and to play some of my best golf this week as well as today just feels incredible.”

This is the 16th story in a series looking at each of Tiger Woods’ appearances at the Masters. Catch up on the series here.

WATCH EVERY MASTERS TOURNAMENT – SUBSCRIBE TO ESPN+

Watch the full collection of official Masters films, which has a one-hour recap of every Masters from 1960 all the way up to 2018.

We recommend interesting sports viewing and streaming opportunities. If you sign up to a service by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee.

Tiger Woods at the Masters (2009): Tiger, Phil and a Sunday Masters to remember

Tiger Woods was paired with Phil Mickelson and the two lit up Augusta National’s hallowed pastures on a Sunday Masters to remember.

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.

Tiger Woods, caddie Steve Williams, Phil Mickelson and caddie Jim “Bones” MacKay during the final round of the 2009 Masters. Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images

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.

WATCH EVERY MASTERS TOURNAMENT – SUBSCRIBE TO ESPN+

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We recommend interesting sports viewing and streaming opportunities. If you sign up to a service by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee.

Tiger Woods at the Masters (2008): Arrives at Augusta on another heater

Tiger Woods was even-money to win the 2008 Masters, his confidence at such a peak he talked boldly of winning the calendar Grand Slam.

Tiger Woods was on another heater heading into the 2008 Masters.

A white-hot heater, if you will, a scorched-golf-earth flame that began in 2007 and was burning oh-so bright en route to Augusta National. Woods won four of his last five events in 2007 and four of his first five in 2008. In the two he didn’t win he finished fifth and in a tie for second.

The blistering streak included six consecutive wins and victories in the 2007 PGA Championship, the 2007 Tour Championship where he won the inaugural FedExCup, and the 2008 World Golf Championship-Accenture Match Play.

He was even-money to win the Masters. With his confidence at such a peak he talked boldly ahead of the Masters of winning the calendar Grand Slam. He had the chops to back such talk up – had won 13 majors, had won four consecutive majors for the Tiger Slam, and loved all four venues hosting the majors.

His putter, however, was tone deaf that week. He needed 120 putts to complete four rounds – tied for 29th in the field – and missed far too many putts inside 6 feet to truly put on a good run.

2008 Masters: Final leaderboard

Rounds of 72-71-68 placed his fifth through 54 holes but six shots behind leader Trevor Immelman. While Woods did can a 70-footer for birdie on the 11th in the final round, he missed a four-footer for par on the fourth, a four-footer for birdie on the 13th and another shorty on the 14th where he three-putted for bogey.

“I just didn’t quite have it this week,” Woods said. “I didn’t make the putts I needed to make this entire week. I had the speed, just didn’t get the line right. You have good weeks and have bad weeks. Certainly, this was not one of my best.”

As for his pre-tournament Grand Slam proclamation, he said, “I learned my lesson there with the press. I’m not going to say anything (in the future).”

As for his immediate future, two days after the Master he had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee to repair cartilage damage. Throughout the 2008 Masters, Woods didn’t let on that his knee was a hinderance. Only later did we find out he likely was playing with torn ligaments.

A month after the Masters, doctors advised him to skip the U.S. Open. Woods didn’t listen and won the U.S. Open with torn ligaments and two stress fractures in his left tibia. Eight days after winning the national championship, he had reconstructive surgery to repair the ACL in his left knee and he missed the rest of the season.

Trevor Immelman is congratulated by Brandt Snedeker as they make their way to the 18th green at the 2008 Masters at the Augusta National Golf Club. Photo by Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images

The Masters champion that year also dealt with surgery. Immelman, who went wire-to-wire to win his green jacket, had surgery in December 2007 to remove what turned out to be a noncancerous tumor on his diaphragm. He missed the cut in four of his first eight starts in 2008, with a best finish being a tie for 40th.

But rounds of 68-68-69 gave him a two-shot lead heading into the final round.

Winds gusts reaching 30 mph greeted golfers on Sunday and the average score was 74.67. Only four players broke par. After Brandt Snedeker eagled the second to grab a share of the lead, Immelman took command once again around the turn and despite a double-bogey on the 16th, he cruised to a three-shot win.

Not that he cared, but Immelman’s 75 in the final round tied the record for the highest final-round score by a winner.

“This has probably been the ultimate roller coaster ride, and I hate roller coasters,” Immelman said. “And here I am, after missing the cut last week (in the Houston Open), the Masters champion. That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard of.”

Made extra special because the toppled Woods.

“I don’t think it is ever easy to win a major in any era. But you know, I’m playing in the Tiger Woods era,” he said. “The guy boggles my mind. I’m an avid sports watcher, and I study top sportsmen. This guy is frightening in what he gets done and how he gets it done and the ease with which he gets it done.”

This is the 14th story in a series looking at each of Tiger Woods’ appearances at the Masters. Catch up on the series here.

WATCH EVERY MASTERS TOURNAMENT – SUBSCRIBE TO ESPN+

Watch the full collection of official Masters films, which has a one-hour recap of every Masters from 1960 all the way up to 2018.

We recommend interesting sports viewing and streaming opportunities. If you sign up to a service by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee.

Tiger Woods at the Masters (2007): First time posting over-par score at Augusta

On Easter Sunday in 2007, Zach Johnson didn’t have much faith in his chances to win the Masters, not with Tiger Woods in the last group.

On Easter Sunday in 2007, Zach Johnson, a regular at the PGA Tour’s Bible study groups, didn’t have much faith in his chances to win the Masters.

Not with the almighty Tiger Woods in the last group. He was the No. 1 player in the world and had won the past two majors – the British Open and PGA Championship in 2006. Another Tiger Slam seemed possible. And he had won four green jackets.

“A lot of people ask me, ‘What were you thinking that Sunday?’” Johnson said 10 years later. “Well, if I play good I might have a good finish. Tiger’s in the final group. I have no chance. Realistically, that’s what I was thinking.”

As for Woods, he was thinking his chances for a fifth green jacket were pretty good. He had won his previous start at the World Golf Championships-CA Championship, had won his first start of the year in San Diego and had two other top-10s in five starts ahead of the Masters.

2007 Masters: Final leaderboard

“I’ve hit the ball pretty well the last couple of weeks,” Woods said two days before the first round. “My practice sessions last week at home and so far this week have been good. I’m getting better each day.”

But Mother Nature changed the complexion of the tournament as bitter temperatures and strong winds turned the course rock-hard and turned the Masters into a U.S. Open. The final round featured temperatures in the mid-50s with a wind chill in the upper 40s.

Tiger Woods lines up a putt on the 15th hole during the third round at the 71st Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia, i 2007. Photo by Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images

Despite not breaking par in the first three rounds and sitting at 3 over through 54 holes, Woods was one shot out of the lead and in the final group with Stuart Appleby, who needed to go to the pro shop to buy a sweater for the final day. As for Johnson, his 76 on Saturday dropped him to 4 over but left him still in a position to win no matter what he was thinking.

Woods took the lead with a birdie on the second but bogeys on the sixth and 10th dropped him behind the leaders. An eagle at 13 got him within two of the lead but he parred in from there to finish in a tie for second.

For the first time in the Masters as a professional, Woods failed to break par in any round and finished 73-74-72-72, 3-over 291.

“I had a chance but looking back over the week I basically blew this tournament with two rounds where I had bogey, bogey finishes,” Woods said of the first and third rounds. “That’s 4 over on two holes. The last two holes, you just can’t afford to do that and win major championships.

“This golf course was playing very difficult. You just had to keep plodding along, give yourself as many good chances you possibly could for birdies. I had a chance this week. I lost it with two bogey-bogey finishes in two rounds.”

Johnson, meanwhile, won it with a brilliant 69 to finish at 1-over 289 with rounds of 71-73-76-69. Johnson joined Sam Snead (1954) and Jack Burke Jr. (1956) as the only players in 83 Masters to be victorious with an over-par total. And each finished at 1 over.

His best work came on the par-5s, which he dominated without going for the green in two on any of the four par-5s all week. Still, with his wedge play on point, he played the par-5s 11 under for the week. Woods played them 9 under.

In the final round, Johnson grabbed a share of the lead with a birdie on the third, chipped in for birdie on the eighth and made back-to-back birdies on 13 and 14 to seize a 2-shot lead. Another birdie on the 16th kept him two clear and after a bogey on 17, he polished off his gem with a nifty chip to save par on the last.

“I remember Sunday felt like I was walking in the park and the golf ball got in the way,” Johnson said. “Any time you are in a tournament that Tiger is playing, somehow if your name is above his on Sunday, it is special.

“That’s something I can tell my grandkids.”

This is the 13th story in a series looking at each of Tiger Woods’ appearances at the Masters. Catch up on the series here.

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Tiger Woods at the Masters (2006): ‘That one hurt the most’

Tiger Woods: “I’ve been through some tough defeats. … I knew my dad would never live to see another major championship.”

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Tiger Woods had one goal heading into the 2006 Masters.

Win one for Pops.

His father, Earl – his best friend, mentor, first swing coach – was gravely ill, unable to travel to Augusta, Georgia, and limited to watching from his home in California. Despite that heavy mental load, Woods was confident to make good on his objective, having won three events worldwide in 2006 going into the Masters.

He’d also won four green jackets in nine starts as a pro and was a clear favorite once again. In addition to giving his father the greatest of departing gifts, he was in place to rewrite the record books by becoming the first player to win back-to-back green jackets on two occasions. Woods had pulled the green double in 2001 and 2002, Jack Nicklaus in 1965 and 1966 and Nick Faldo in 1989 and 1990.

“He’s fighting,” Woods said of his father ahead of the tournament. “If anyone can fight and grind it out, it would be him. He’s as tough as they come.”

Augusta National would play pretty tough, as well. The course had been lengthened 155 yards from the previous year, with more trees planted to narrow the fairways. Tipped out, Augusta National was now 7,445 yards. Woods was ready to confront his challenges.

His start wasn’t the best, however, but despite three three-putts for bogeys and a double-bogey 7 on the 15th, Woods finished with a first-round 72 to stand five shots behind leader Vijay Singh.

2006 Masters: Final leaderboard

Subsequent rounds of 71-71 kept him well within his objective to please his father as he was two shots behind pace-setter Phil Mickelson heading into the final 18.

As the Sunday Masters broke, the leaderboard was stacked with the top-five players in the world all within four shots – Mickelson, Singh, Retief Goosen, Ernie Els and, of course, Woods, the world No. 1. Fred Couples was in the mix, too, as was No. 15 Darren Clarke, No. 20 Chad Campbell and reigning Players champion Stephen Ames.

Woods pulled within one with a birdie on the second but remained basically in neutral the rest of the way. A bogey on the sixth hurt and then he started taking chances. He made bogey on 11, another on the 17th that offset birdies on 15 and 16. A birdie on the 72nd offered little consolation. He took 33 putts, nine of them coming on three greens.

Tiger Woods swings his driver on the 13th hole during the third round of the 2006 Masters at the Augusta National Golf Club. Photo by Getty Images

A final-round 70 left him at 4-under 284 and in a tie for third, three shots behind Mickelson, who closed with a 69 and won his second Masters by two shots over Tim Clark. Mickelson, who won the last major of 2005 at the PGA Championship, had won three majors in the most recent nine played.

“The way I controlled my ball flight, I thought today was the day if I’d putted normal,” Woods said after the round. “It’s the most three putts I’ve ever had here. I’m sure (my dad’s) watching and probably a little mad at me for the way I putted. I’m sure he knows what I did wrong.”

Years later, Woods revealed it was his toughest defeat.

“That one hurt the most of any tournament that I have failed to win,” Woods said in 2013. “I’ve lost tournaments before, and I’ve been through some tough defeats over the years, but nothing like that because I knew my dad would never live to see another major championship.

“At the time, going into that final round and on the back nine, I pressed and I tried to make putts that instead of just allowing it to happen, I’ve tried to force it. I know he was at home watching, and just really wanted to have him be a part of one last major championship victory. And I didn’t get it done.”

Earl Woods passed away three weeks later. After Woods missed the cut in the U.S. Open in his next start, he tied for second in the Western Open and then at Royal Liverpool won his third Claret Jug in the British Open where, he said, he “bawled like a little baby,” because it was his first major triumph without his father alive.

His victory at Royal Liverpool was his 11th major title and began a string of five victories in as many starts. He won his 12th major a month later in the PGA Championship at Medinah Country Club. In all, Woods finished the year with nine wins, three seconds and a third in 19 starts.

This is the 12th story in a series looking at each of Tiger Woods’ appearances at the Masters. Catch up on the series here.

WATCH EVERY MASTERS TOURNAMENT – SUBSCRIBE TO ESPN+

Watch the full collection of official Masters films, which has a one-hour recap of every Masters from 1960 all the way up to 2018.

We recommend interesting sports viewing and streaming opportunities. If you sign up to a service by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee.

Tiger Woods at the Masters (2005): A most memorable chip shot, a fourth green jacket

“In your life!” roared CBS announcer Verne Lundquist as Tiger Woods pulls off one of the most amazing chip shots in Masters history.

Before we get to the swoosh hanging on the lip for 1.8 seconds on the final day of the 2005 Masters, let’s deal with a few other matters that set the stage for one of the greatest chip shots in the history of the game.

Tiger Woods, his latest new swing in tune, came into the Masters with two wins that year and brimming with confidence. Then he opened with a dismal 74 that included a putt into Rae’s Creek at the 13th hole.

Foul weather marred the first three days of the event and Woods got back on track with a 66 in the second round that was completed Saturday. In the third round that spilled into Sunday, Woods birdied his final three holes on Saturday and then his first four on Sunday en route to a 65 that gave him a commanding 3-shot lead over Chris DiMarco heading into the final round.

2005 Masters: Final leaderboard

DiMarco had held a 4-shot lead when darkness halted play Saturday.

But DiMarco didn’t go away and wasn’t overwhelmed by the Sunday red shirt. When DiMarco and Woods got to the 16th tee, they were six shots clear of the field. Then Woods, who was one clear of DiMarco, sailed his 8-iron over the green, the ball coming to rest against the collar of the rough, well below the putting surface and 50 feet from the hole.

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He had to play the shot away from the hole, run it up a severe ridge, have enough spin on the ball to make it stop on the ridge and change direction and start heading toward the cup. Well, he clipped the ball perfectly, it made a seamless right-hand turn and started trickling toward the hole. Then the Nike swoosh hung on the lip for 1.8 seconds before disappearing into the hole.

“In your life have you ever seen anything like that!” CBS announcer Verne Lundquist roared.

“I was just trying to throw the ball up there on the hill and let it feed down there and hopefully have a makeable putt,” Woods said that day. “All of a sudden, it looked pretty good, and all of a sudden it looked like really good and it looked like how could it not go in and how did it not go in and all of a sudden it went in, so it was pretty sweet.”

But Woods squandered his 2-shot advantage with bogeys on 17 and 18 but won on the first playoff hole with a 15-foot birdie.

“Even though I was kind of throwing up on the last couple of holes, I kind of snuck one out in the playoff,” Woods said.

RELATED: The greatest chip in Masters history, as told by Tiger Woods

On the 10th anniversary of the 2005 Masters, the duel with Woods – and the chip shot heard round the golf world – was still fresh in DiMarco’s mind.

“Tiger knocking it in was certainly not what I was expecting, but I had prepared for it,” DiMarco said 10 years later. “It was Tiger Woods, and it is expected that stuff like that happens to him. Jack Nicklaus is right there with Tiger. It’s neck and neck, but I’ve seen a lot of Tiger Woods up close and personal, and there’s never been anyone close to him.”

Speaking of Nicklaus, it was the final Masters for the Golden Bear.

Remarkably, Woods won in each of Nicklaus’ final appearances in the four majors – the 2000 U.S. Open, 2000 PGA Championship, 2005 Masters and 2005 British Open.

Woods now had nine majors – halfway to Nicklaus – and four green jackets. It was his first major win since the 2002 U.S. Open.

“I think it’s pretty neat for me to have an opportunity to have won four before the age of 30. No one’s done that, so to be able to do something that no one has ever done is pretty neat,” Woods said. As for his chase to catch Nicklaus, he added, “There’s a long way to go.”

Little did Woods know that it would be a long time before he won his fifth green jacket.

This is the 11th story in a series looking at each of Tiger Woods’ appearances at the Masters. Catch up on the series here.

WATCH EVERY MASTERS TOURNAMENT – SUBSCRIBE TO ESPN+

Watch the full collection of official Masters films, which has a one-hour recap of every Masters from 1960 all the way up to 2018.

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