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.
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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