Soccer
  • Home
  • Golf
  • Tiger Woods’ remarkable story at The US Masters

Tiger Woods’ remarkable story at The US Masters

Tiger Woods is one of the greatest golfers to pull on a Green Jacket. Planet Sport takes a year-by-year look at his remarkable story at The Masters.

Tiger Woods shook the sporting world when winning the 1997 Masters by an incredible 12 shots.
After landing three more Green Jackets in the next eight years, Woods looked on track to match and even break Jack Nicklaus' record of six Masters wins.
A succession of injuries appeared to have put paid to that. But in 2019, Woods displayed his penchant for the extraordinary once more.
Eleven years on from his last Major and 14 years on from his previous triumph at Augusta National, Woods won the Masters again.
And this time his children were there to see it all.
From his debut in 1995, here's Tiger Woods' remarkable story at The Masters.

1995 - Tied 41st

Playing in his first Masters after winning the US Amateur, the scrawny kid from California putted off the green at his opening hole but dug deep to shoot even-par 72. He led the field in driving distance but had to settle for further rounds of 72-77-72 and a 5-over total. Still, that was enough for Woods to win a first visit to the prestigious Butler Cabin for finishing as low amateur.

1996 - Missed cut

Not so good this time for Tiger in his final Masters before turning pro. Now 20, he shot a pair of 75s as all five amateurs missed the cut. It still remains the only time he hasn't made it through to the weekend at Augusta National.

1997 - WINNER!

When Tiger, a 16/1 shot, played his outward nine in 4-over, it looked as if the difficult start to his Masters career was continuing.

An inward 30 changed the momentum and he followed it with one of the greatest performances golf has ever seen. Woods smashed records galore, becoming the youngest Masters winner, at 21, and demolished the field by 12 shots after rounds of 70-66-65-69.

1998 - Tied 8th

Woods' first attempt at defending fell short as he couldn't reproduce the magic of 12 months earlier. He failed to break 70 and finished six shots behind his good friend Mark O'Meara.

1999 - Tied 18th

Still looking for a second Major, Woods had to settle for a place just inside the top 20 as he continued to implement swing changes that would eventually take him to even greater heights. For the second Masters running he couldn't shoot in the 60s, finishing nine behind winner Jose Maria Olazabal.

2000 - 5th

Tiger enjoyed a phenomenal 2020, winning the final three Majors to take his tally to five. But at Augusta a slow start (75-72) meant his late charge (68-69) was only good enough for fifth, six back from the triumphant Vijay Singh.

2001 - WINNER!

The Tiger Slam! While the true Grand Slam involves winning all four Majors in the same calendar year, Woods provided a variant of his own.

As he said later, his victory in 2001 meant he could put all four major trophies on his mantlepiece at the same time after he'd won the final three in 2000. Woods was only 15th after 18 holes but stormed to victory with laps of 66-68-68. That was two in front of David Duval.

2002 - WINNER!

Woods had defended the PGA Championship in 2000 and now he repeated the trick in The Masters.

As with his first two Green Jackets, Woods laid the foundations with an opening 70 and then took flight. His winning total of 12-under was three clear of Retief Goosen. It made him the first man to pull off a successful Masters defense since Nick Faldo in 1990.

2003 - Tied 15th

The writing was on the wall early as Woods' bid for a three-peat hit the rocks with a Thursday 76. Still 43rd at halfway (his worst ever 36-hole position), he roared up to fifth spot with a Saturday 66. Four behind with 18 to play, the miracle comeback was on but a 75 left him nine adrift of new champion Mike Weir.

2004 - Tied 22nd

Woods' dip in form in the majors in 2003/2004 was highlighted by his only finish outside the top 20 at Augusta National between 1997 and 2012. Another slow start (75) was to blame as Woods cleared the stage for Phil Mickelson to win his first Green Jacket. Woods' 2-over tally left him 11 back.

2005 - WINNER!

A Masters made famous for THAT shot on 16. To this day, Tiger's chip at the 70th hole remains one of the most iconic in Augusta history.

Less well remembered is another slow start (74) and Woods bogeying the final two holes before eventually beating Chris DiMarco at the first play-off hole.

This was his fourth Green Jacket while a ninth Major success took him level with Ben Hogan and Gary Player on the all-time list.

2006 - Tied 3rd

In tough scoring conditions, Woods put himself in position for a final-day charge. Sitting 19th after 18 holes, 10th at halfway and fourth through 54 holes, Woods entered Sunday just two back from Phil Mickelson. It wasn't to be as a 70 left him in a tie for third and three back from the left-hander.

2007 - Tied 2nd

Scoring was so difficult in 2007 that Woods finished runner-up despite failing to break par in any of his four rounds! His bid for a fifth win ultimately fell short as he ended two back from Zach Johnson. This was the first time Tiger had held a piece of the final-round lead at a major but failed to convert.

2008 - 2nd

A second straight runners-up finish and third top three in succession. With less birdie roars than usual, Woods fired 72-71-68 to sit fifth with a lap to play. Six behind leader Trevor Immelman, Woods never got nearer than four back as the South African held firm.

2009 - Tied 6th

After taking the second half of 2008 off with knee surgery, Woods answered lingering doubts with a victory at Bay Hill in his final pre-Masters start. However, there was no such magic at Augusta as he never got in a blow. His end-of-round positions of 20-19-10-6 left him four back from the play-off number.

2010 - Tied 4th

Wood's world had fallen apart at the end of 2009 after a string of marital infidelities came to light. A self-imposed break meant the 2010 Masters was his first step back into the world of competitive golf. In the circumstances, his tied fourth place finish - five behind winner Phil Mickelson - was a minor miracle.

2011 - Tied 4th

Woods' performances had tailed off in 2010 but he again showed his liking for Augusta National with a ninth top four. It threatened to be something much more than that before he ran out of gas on the back nine in Sunday's closer. He closed four behind the fast-finishing Charl Schwartzel.

2012 - Tied 40th

Hopes of a first Masters win since 2005 were raised by a win and a second in his three build-up events. But Woods flopped, failing to break par in any of his four rounds for just the second time as a pro and finishing 40th. That was a mighty 16 shots back from Bubba Watson.

2013 - Tied 4th

Back to his best, Woods enjoyed a run of 1-1-4-1 between March and April. Unfortunately, the odd number out in that sequence was his third tied fourth place in the last four Masters. This one included a two-shot penalty in round two, an incident for which some said he should have been disqualified. Three 70s and a Friday 73 left him four shy of the Adam Scott-Angel Cabrera play-off.

2014 - Didn't play

For the first time since 1994, the name 'Tiger Woods' didn't feature in the Masters entry list. Hopes of a first Major since 2008 were scuppered after Woods announced he wouldn't be travelling to Augusta National due to surgery on his back for a pinched nerve.

2015 - Tied 17th

With his game in a mess, Woods arrived at The Masters having not played since an embarrassing second-round 82 and missed cut at February's Waste Management Phoenix Open. Battling chipping yips, that he made the top 20 was testament to his iron will. His problems were exposed with missed cuts in each of the final three majors.

2016 - Didn't play

Woods was a no-show again after declaring the month before that he wouldn't be ready following back surgery in September 2015.

2017 - Didn't play

Woods' spell in the wilderness continued as he missed the trip down Magnolia Lane for the third time in four years. Doctors cleared him to play but Woods admitted he didn't feel "tournament ready". As his rivals pegged it up at Augusta National, Woods, unfathomably, sat outside the top 650 in the world rankings.

2018 - Tied 32nd

After missing all four Majors in both 2016 and 2017, Woods' return to the 2018 Masters was much anticipated. A tied second place at the Valspar Championship - remarkably his first top five on the PGA Tour in five years - heightened expectations. But Woods was never in the hunt. At least a closing 69 was his first sub-70 round on Masters Sunday since 2011.

2019 - WINNER!

After a first PGA Tour title since 2013 at the previous September's Tour Championship, Tiger-mania was gathering pace again. Could he win a first Masters title since 2005?

Strong finishes in the final two majors of 2018 were building blocks and Woods put himself in position with rounds of 70-68-67. Two back at the start of Sunday, Woods stood tall as his rivals wilted and seemingly succumbed to fate.
A closing 70 and Woods had completed one of the greatest comebacks in the history of sports. A fifth Green Jacket and a 14th Major at the age of 43.

2020 - Tied 38th

After the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the Masters until November and meant it was played without patrons, a subdued Woods couldn't find the same energy.

An opening 68 represented just his second sub-70 first round in 23 appearances but he couldn't back it up. A 10 at No.12 in his final round summed it up although he responded with five birdies in his final six holes.

More Articles