Tiger Woods won his first major title in the 1997 Masters, overcoming a nightmare start to storm to a record-breaking 12-shot victory.
As the 25th anniversary of that seismic triumph approaches, the PA news agency looks at five of the 15-time major winner’s memorable – and not so memorable – moments at Augusta National.
Emotional victory in 2019
Pure elation.
Is Tiger Woods the greatest of all-time? ?
Follow live coverage from #TheMasters, where Tiger Woods has claimed a historic 15th major title and watch live on Sky Sports Golf: https://t.co/2G8RWl8Oqf pic.twitter.com/adPKxW69yo
— Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) April 14, 2019
Two years after believing his career was over, Woods held his nerve on a wonderfully chaotic final day to win his 15th major title, and a first in 11 years, in the 83rd Masters. Overnight leader Francesco Molinari was two clear with seven to play but dumped his tee shot on the 12th into Rae’s Creek, ruefully admitting that his back-nine mistakes had made him “a few new fans” as a closing 70 was enough for Woods to claim a fifth Green Jacket and his first since 2005. It was the first time Woods had won a major after trailing heading into the final round and an incredible 3,954 days since he beat Rocco Mediate in a play-off for the 2008 US Open, despite a double stress fracture and knee injury which prompted season-ending surgery.
Completing the “Tiger Slam”, 2001
Moment of magic, 16th hole, final round, 2005
Water woes, 12th hole, final round, 2020
Controversial penalty, 2nd round, 2013
Tiger Woods at the Masters (2013): A bad break led to a bad drop, 2 stroke penalty https://t.co/H8uf9iC72w pic.twitter.com/7171t7pTbl
— Golfweek (@golfweek) April 9, 2020
Seemingly three off the halfway lead in 2013, Woods was handed a two-shot penalty ahead of the third round. His approach to the 15th hole in round two hit the pin and bounced back into the water and, after opting not to play from the drop zone, Woods chose to play from the same place as his original shot. Under rule 26-1a, he was obliged to drop “as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played”, but said in a post-round interview that he opted to go “two yards further back”. That should have incurred a two-shot penalty for playing from the wrong place, but crucially rules officials reviewed footage of the incident, decided Woods had done nothing wrong and did not inform him of the situation. Woods signed for an incorrect score and that would usually have meant disqualification, but under a recent revision to rule 33-7, a tournament committee can waive disqualification if “satisfied that the competitor could not reasonably have known or discovered the facts resulting in his breach of the rules”.
