25 Years of TIGER!
In August of 1996, Tiger Woods made his pro debut. 25 years later and it’s undeniable he’s one of, if not THE, greatest golfer of all time. What is your favorite moment from Tiger’s illustrious career? Here we’re going to highlight the top 5 favorite Tiger Woods moments from us at the cave! Enjoy! 25 Years of TIGER!
“Tiger evolved [golf] to where it crossed a lot of different boundaries”
Michael Jordan
Number 5: Back-to-Back Green Jackets (2002)
Woods joined Jack Nicklaus and Nick Faldo as the only back-to-back winners in Masters history.
In 2001, Among the pantheon of Tiger’s achievements, winning the Tiger Slam may well be at the top when everything is said and done. The culmination of the Tiger Slam cannot be ignored, though. The only man to ever hold all four professional majors at one time deserves every superlative you can come up with, as it has still yet to be duplicated 18 years later. But he was not done Tiger had an anticlimactic win in 2002.
Woods soared up the leaderboard with a six-under 66 Saturday, pulling into a tie with Retief Goosen. Top players Vijay Singh, Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia and Phil Mickelson all adorned the top four, suggesting a thrilling finish Sunday.
However, that wasn’t the case at all.
Two early birdies put Tiger in a comfortable position as Goosen shot a three-over 39 on the front nine. Els went out in 34, but a triple bogey on 13 ended any chance of a comeback. And thus Tiger capped off a 2-year campaign with Back-to-back Masters wins!
Number 4: TIGER’S “BETTER THAN MOST” PUTT AT THE PLAYERS – 2001
This Tiger moment is perhaps as well known for the sheer difficulty of the putt as it is for the legendary call by NBC analyst Gary Koch.
Tiger Woods’ “better than most” putt is one of the most famous putts in golf history, and also one of the most famous calls of a putt by a broadcaster.
We know it as the “better than most” putt because that’s the phrase NBC Sports broadcaster (and former PGA Tour player) Gary Koch used three times to describe the putt as the ball made its way toward the hole, his voice rising each time with dramatic effect.
Locked in a tight battle down the stretch, Woods needed every birdie he could muster, and this one at 17 was an all-timer. He would go on to win by one stroke over Vijay Singh, Scott Hoch, and Jonathan Kaye.
Number 3: TIGER CHIPS IN ON 16 AT AUGUSTA – 2005
Early in the final round in 2005, it was clear only Woods and DiMarco had a chance to win.
A bogey on 10 and four straight pars opened the door. DiMarco inched within one, and Woods missed the green on the par-three 16th. Instead of giving back another shot, however, he played the slope with millimeter-perfect precision.
Needing every shot he could get — eventually winning his fourth green jacket in a playoff with Chris DiMarco — Woods clipped the absolute perfect chip shot that checked perfectly at the top of the ridge and slid down into the cup, putting Verne Lundquist on the spot to ask the entire world if, “in your life, have you seen anything like that?”
Number 2: Tiger’s 1st Masters Win – 1997
Tiger didn’t just win the 1997 Masters. He obliterated the field.
The sport of golf was forever changed in 1997, when Woods became the youngest winner in Masters history (age 21). Woods finished at 18-under for the week, a Masters record that would eventually be shared with Jordan Spieth in 2015. Tiger brought Augusta National to its knees on that Sunday, winning by 12 strokes. The video of Woods hugging his father, Earl, on the way to the clubhouse is one of the most iconic moments in Masters history.
Number 1: TIGER CLAIMS MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIP NO. 15 – 2019
Comeback: Complete
Injury in 2008, scandal in 2009, and persistent setbacks in the 2010s led to questions about Woods’ ability to win another major. He silenced the doubters in 2019.
After winning the 2018 Tour Championship, Woods proved that he was still capable of winning tournaments on the PGA Tour, even if it was against a 30-man field at East Lake. That confidence was a prime reason he was able to get the job done at Augusta National at the first major championship of the season in 2019.
Woods’ visceral response to busting his 11-year drought of claiming a major title.
Here’s another thing to celebrate: Thanks to Sunday’s come-from-behind victory, Woods won’t have to field the following question again: “Why have you never won a major … when trailing after 54 holes?”
And that’s our list for 25 Years of TIGER! What do you think? Did we leave some important moments off? Is the order dead WRONG? Do you think we missed vital parts of these moments that make them so special? Let us know in the comments below!
Before You Go!
Want to check out more tour pros? Xander Schauffele won the Olympics USA USA USA! Find out what was in his bag. Colin Morikawa wins AGAIN at the British Open solidifying the young phenom check out his bag! Phil Mickelson becomes the oldest major winner in history! Wanna know what was in his bag? Click HERE! Lastly, here’s an article highlighting YOUR Most Popular Courses! So, that was 25 Years of TIGER! Let us know in the comments below what you think!
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