Woods wins Masters to claim first major in 11 years

[webfact]

Woods wins Masters to claim first major in 11 years

By Steve Keating

 

Golf - Masters - Augusta National Golf Club - Augusta, Georgia, U.S. - April 14, 2019. Tiger Woods of the U.S. celebrates on the 18th hole to win the 2019 Masters. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

 

AUGUSTA, Ga. (Reuters) - Tiger Woods completed one of sport's greatest comebacks to end an 11-year major title drought at the Masters on Sunday by claiming a fifth Green Jacket.

 

A gritty two-under 70 clinched a one-shot victory over Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Xander Schauffele and earned the 43-year-old a 15th major title that many thought would never come and instantly sparked talk of Woods making a run at Jack Nicklaus's record of 18 majors.

 

Not since the 2008 U.S. Open had Woods hoisted a major trophy and the last of his four Augusta titles came in 2005.

 

But after a beaming Woods slipped on his fifth Green Jacket, he will be aware that Sunday's win has brought him tantalisingly close to another Nicklaus record - that of six Augusta titles.

 

The victory also marked the first time Woods had reached the winner's circle at major without leading after 54 holes and broke Gary Player's record (13 years) for the longest gap between Masters wins.

 

It also gave him 81 PGA Tour titles, one away from the career record held by Sam Snead.

 

Woods's girlfriend Erica Herman, mother Kultida and two children Sam and Charlie watched while a massive gallery roared as he marched up to the 18th green to put the finishing touches on a milestone victory.

 

When his final tap in bogey putt disappeared into the cup, Woods delivered one of his trademark fist pumps and then raised both arms in the air while screaming in absolute delight as the crowd chanted, "Tiger, Tiger, Tiger".

 

He then quickly spotted his family and raced over to hug his children before making his way to the scorers room while being congratulated by his fellow golfers who lined the way.

 

"I was just trying to plod my way along the golf course all day," said Woods. "When I tapped the putt in, I don’t know what I did but I know I screamed.

 

FULL CIRCLE

"To have my kids there – it’s come full circle. My dad was here in 97 (when he won his first Masters) and now I’m the dad with two kids there."

 

Along with coping with a number of injuries over the past decade, Woods also had to deal with the damage done from a very public and scandalous divorce and an embarrassing DUI arrest.

 

Woods's return to the top garnered praise from world leaders and sporting greats alike, with United States president Donald Trump and his predecessor Barack Obama both offering congratulations via social media.

 

"Congratulations to @TigerWoods," tweeted Trump, who earlier this year played golf with Woods. "A truly Great Champion!"

 

Nicklaus, 23-times tennis grand slam winner Serena Williams, Super Bowl champion Tom Brady also applauded the victory on Twitter while swimmer Michael Phelps, the winner of a record 23 Olympic gold medals, was at Augusta National to cheer Woods on.

 

Written off as too old and too beaten up from four back surgeries and multiple knee operations, Woods underwent a back fusion procedure in 2017 and slowly returned to form.

 

He ended last season by winning the Tour Championship and showed signs of a breakthrough at the majors by being a title contender at last year's British Open, where he led in the final round, and PGA Championship, where he finished runner-up.

 

All those moments built to Sunday, when Woods was once again his old familiar dominating self.

 

"I had serious doubts after what transpired a couple years ago," said Woods. "I could barely walk. I couldn't sit. Couldn't lay down. I really couldn't do much of anything.

 

"Luckily I had the procedure on my back, which gave me a chance at having a normal life.

 

"To have the opportunity to come back like this it is probably one of the biggest wins I've ever had for sure because of it."

 

All eyes were on overnight leader Francesco Molinari, who led by two shots, Woods and the weather when play began on Sunday as the race for the Green Jacket turned into a final sprint with the forecast predicting rain and thunderstorms.

 

In a desperate attempt to get the season's first major across the finish line before the storm hit, officials pushed up start times and sent golfers off in threesomes from both the first and 10th tees.

 

Paired together in the final round of last year's British Open, won by the Italian at Carnoustie, Molinari and Woods found themselves in the last group again battling for a major title.

 

At Carnoustie it was Woods who stumbled on the back nine while leading. But on Sunday it was Molinari who slipped up, with the 36-year-old from Turin finding the water at the 12th and 15th. The two double bogeys ended his Green Jacket bid.

 

Molinari was far from the only contender to meet their demise at the 12th. Augusta National's signature hole at the heart of Amen Corner had the leaderboard spinning with Koepka, Tony Finau and Ian Poulter all ending up in the murky waters of Rae's Creek.

 

"Sometimes it is your day, sometimes it isn't, but I'm really happy of the way I felt out there today," said Molinari.

 

"I've done a couple of things that I wish I had done differently now but I'll learn from my mistakes."

 

(Editing by Pritha Sarkar)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-04-15

[madmen]

Talk about persistence!

[keemapoot]

Amazing. He still has a chance to beat Jack. Never give up. 43 years old.

[Tug]

Go tiger!!!

[JRG23]

What a comeback!

[khwaibah]

 

[car720]

Love the guy and his ability and persistence but I feel sorry for every other golfer.  Tiger is a freak of golf which means that he is beyond idolizing.  An idol should inspire the next generation, like a good teacher, but I feel that the young are somewhat destroyed by knowing that they will never be that good.

[keemapoot]

15 minutes ago, car720 said:

Love the guy and his ability and persistence but I feel sorry for every other golfer.  Tiger is a freak of golf which means that he is beyond idolizing.  An idol should inspire the next generation, like a good teacher, but I feel that the young are somewhat destroyed by knowing that they will never be that good.

All of us agree who have watched him closely from his first day. However, a bigger problem is that generation Z (up to age 23) are rejecting golf largely, and golf's popularity is expected to nosedive in the future. So, we may never again see a prodigy like Woods. (Yes, I know there are great golfers, but Woods is in a standalone class).

 

But, his biggest lesson to inspire youth is tenacity. To endure for 11 years the personal scandals, the physical injuries, and the naysayers and haters and to return to the pinnacle is what is his biggest life accomplishment in my view.

[Skeptic7]

Typical collapse by the other hacks playing with and around him...like cheap card tables in a wind storm, but there was no wind. And where were the "young guns"? (young bums is more fitting) Cowering cuz the over-the-hill sheriff limped back in to town.  

[Thailand]

Brilliant!

[metisdead]

A troll post has been removed. 

[Emdog]

"Most famous Thai athlete ever!" I'd tell that to my mostly black high school students back in the 90's, see if it got a rise out of them. It did (good, you're asking questions!).

His mother is Thai, I would point out to them, so half black half Thai.

 

[Petmag]

Well done that man.. Glad you are back.. ????️‍♂️

[Pilotman]

an amazing achievement after all the serious back troubles he has endured, well done him. 

[Pilotman]

Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Roger Federa,  now Tiger,  and I'm sure that we could name a few more; pushing the boundaries of what is possible in your late 30s early 40s. 

[thecyclist]

This fuss about a pseudosport is  incomprehensible. How many trees had to be cut to build the thousands of golf courses all over the world for the affluent to show off their wealth and for the unfit to pretend to be athletes.

Tiger Woods takes the cake : When he waxes sanctimoniously about his non-achievements he sounds like Mike Pence talking about his faith. I have to mute the TV when either of these hypocrytes comes on in order not to scream. 

[Snow Leopard]

21 minutes ago, thecyclist said:

This fuss about a pseudosport is  incomprehensible. How many trees had to be cut to build the thousands of golf courses all over the world for the affluent to show off their wealth and for the unfit to pretend to be athletes.

Tiger Woods takes the cake : When he waxes sanctimoniously about his non-achievements he sounds like Mike Pence talking about his faith. I have to mute the TV when either of these hypocrytes comes on in order not to scream. 

Did you cycle to Thailand?

[Skeptic7]

26 minutes ago, thecyclist said:

This fuss about a pseudosport is  incomprehensible. How many trees had to be cut to build the thousands of golf courses all over the world for the affluent to show off their wealth and for the unfit to pretend to be athletes.

Tiger Woods takes the cake : When he waxes sanctimoniously about his non-achievements he sounds like Mike Pence talking about his faith. I have to mute the TV when either of these hypocrytes comes on in order not to scream. 

While i get ya...can't paint with such a broad stroke. Hard to say guys like Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Tigger, Finau, Fowler, Koepka, Viilegas, Adam Scott and many others (Gary Player and Bernhard Langer for some older references) are unfit. 

 

Though do love the Pence /Woods pairing! I too cannot stand to listen to either one and always hit the OFF button. 

[keemapoot]

38 minutes ago, thecyclist said:

This fuss about a pseudosport is  incomprehensible. How many trees had to be cut to build the thousands of golf courses all over the world for the affluent to show off their wealth and for the unfit to pretend to be athletes.

Tiger Woods takes the cake : When he waxes sanctimoniously about his non-achievements he sounds like Mike Pence talking about his faith. I have to mute the TV when either of these hypocrytes comes on in order not to scream. 

Woods has redefined fitness in the golfing world. Because of him, most of the professional tour now hit the gym in fitness routines. I admit, I've never read one sports writer or heard anyone speak of Woods' accomplishments as "non-achievements" before. ????

[Lacessit]

I must admit I never thought Woods could make it back from the injuries and disgrace. When I compare his swing and putting from when he was in his pomp, to about 2012, two different people. He now has got back to a pure swing. It's a story of redemption.

[Lacessit]

1 hour ago, thecyclist said:

This fuss about a pseudosport is  incomprehensible. How many trees had to be cut to build the thousands of golf courses all over the world for the affluent to show off their wealth and for the unfit to pretend to be athletes.

Tiger Woods takes the cake : When he waxes sanctimoniously about his non-achievements he sounds like Mike Pence talking about his faith. I have to mute the TV when either of these hypocrytes comes on in order not to scream. 

I have been playing golf for over 60 years. It's the greatest sport ever invented, combining the mental and physical. Even cardiac patients can partake.

There are a few curmudgeons on TV. I'm one of them. However, you take the  cake. Get you gone from this thread, and mind a truck doesn't hit you in your chosen sport.

[champers]

Some plodder.

[thecyclist]

https://images.app.goo.gl/q8c3bSuBAVZGsenj9

Some pictures of one of those athletes combining the mental and phttps://images.app.goo.gl/5SDdZd97g349TqRy8hysical aspect of this game 

[Inn Between]

Very cool!

 

Good win, Tiger. 

 

Happy to see that horny old dog back in contention. 

[Lacessit]

32 minutes ago, thecyclist said:

https://images.app.goo.gl/q8c3bSuBAVZGsenj9

Some pictures of one of those athletes combining the mental and phttps://images.app.goo.gl/5SDdZd97g349TqRy8hysical aspect of this game 

For the physical side of golf, one needs core strength, flexibility and swing speed. That's in the long game. It's actually two games, because for the short game one needs touch and improvisation. On the mental side, course management. Almost like chess. Control of adrenaline if you are in what experienced golfers call the zone, scrambling to stay in contention if not. Mental focus. Then there are factors beyond a golfer's control, such as wind, rain and variable green conditions. All this while the pressure builds as the golfer walks 7 to 8 km. It's a multi-dimensional sport. Its other attribute is it can be played competitively by people of all ages. It employs many people, and the trees and grass you decry help remove carbon dioxide.

There are legions of excellent golfers who never win a single major, because a tiny factor in what I have mentioned is missing in their game. Woods has won 15 majors, second only to Nicklaus, which is why I find your comments churlish in the extreme.

In contrast, your chosen sport seems to be one of dicing with death while you impede other road users. Mono-dimensional. AFAIK the only attributes required are balance and muscular thighs. Tell me, how many brain cells are needed to push pedals?

 

[poohy]

I bought his video "19 best holes"

utter waste of money it was all about golf!????

[keemapoot]

2 hours ago, Lacessit said:

For the physical side of golf, one needs core strength, flexibility and swing speed. That's in the long game. It's actually two games, because for the short game one needs touch and improvisation. On the mental side, course management. Almost like chess. Control of adrenaline if you are in what experienced golfers call the zone, scrambling to stay in contention if not. Mental focus. Then there are factors beyond a golfer's control, such as wind, rain and variable green conditions. All this while the pressure builds as the golfer walks 7 to 8 km. It's a multi-dimensional sport. Its other attribute is it can be played competitively by people of all ages. It employs many people, and the trees and grass you decry help remove carbon dioxide.

There are legions of excellent golfers who never win a single major, because a tiny factor in what I have mentioned is missing in their game. Woods has won 15 majors, second only to Nicklaus, which is why I find your comments churlish in the extreme.

In contrast, your chosen sport seems to be one of dicing with death while you impede other road users. Mono-dimensional. AFAIK the only attributes required are balance and muscular thighs. Tell me, how many brain cells are needed to push pedals?

 

Yes, you are correct in all your points. I would argue that cycling requires toughness, including mental toughness and courage. But I don't think any sport in the world requires the mental focus and tenacity of golf. A golf pro once explained to me the difference between a professional (touring) golfer and a club pro is that a club pro, or even a great amateur can go out on any given day and hit a great round. However, a professional golfer can go out and do that again, and again, and again and not lose focus. And, at the highest level of the game, there are really just two guys: Nicklaus and Woods. I never tired of watching the camera closeups of Nicklaus as he every time addressed and then laser-focused on the ball in that famous way of his. 

 

Again, in my view, what makes Woods the greatest ever is not yet that he has surpassed Jack, but that he was able to come back and maintain focus amid great personal and physical crises, and slowly claw his way back after 11 years at an age most golfers are already retired. That kind of determination and focus is truly exceptional and defines the best attributes of an ultimate sportsman. 

 

Regarding fitness, of course his fitness level is extraordinary, and apart from Greg Norman, has been the single guy on the tour that has schooled all other pros on the benefits of fitness.

[Lacessit]

2 hours ago, keemapoot said:

Yes, you are correct in all your points. I would argue that cycling requires toughness, including mental toughness and courage. But I don't think any sport in the world requires the mental focus and tenacity of golf. A golf pro once explained to me the difference between a professional (touring) golfer and a club pro is that a club pro, or even a great amateur can go out on any given day and hit a great round. However, a professional golfer can go out and do that again, and again, and again and not lose focus. And, at the highest level of the game, there are really just two guys: Nicklaus and Woods. I never tired of watching the camera closeups of Nicklaus as he every time addressed and then laser-focused on the ball in that famous way of his. 

 

Again, in my view, what makes Woods the greatest ever is not yet that he has surpassed Jack, but that he was able to come back and maintain focus amid great personal and physical crises, and slowly claw his way back after 11 years at an age most golfers are already retired. That kind of determination and focus is truly exceptional and defines the best attributes of an ultimate sportsman. 

 

Regarding fitness, of course his fitness level is extraordinary, and apart from Greg Norman, has been the single guy on the tour that has schooled all other pros on the benefits of fitness.

Thank you. My pick for who was the greatest ever is Ben Hogan. Not that he had the same athleticism as Tiger, more the sheer skill. His course management was legendary among his peers. Nicklaus, when asked whether Tiger was better than Hogan, replied " No,no. Ben Hogan, easily".

What sets Hogan apart, much like Bradman in cricket, was his ability to hit greens in regulation. Most professionals, even Tiger and Nicklaus, will hit 13 or 14 greens in regulation. Hogan regularly hit 17 or 18. Well past his prime in the 1960 US Open, he hit 70 out of 72 greens in regulation. He also holds the unofficial record for consecutive cuts made. Tiger has said he wants to own his swing as Hogan did.

Hogan disliked travel. Sam Snead persuaded him to make the trip to the British Open at Carnoustie, where he won at his first and only appearance by 4 strokes from a strong field. Using the smaller British ball of the time, with which he was completely unfamiliar. He remains the only golfer to win the Masters, US Open and British Open in the same calendar year, 1953. His car accident in 1949 forced him to husband his resources, when he was on the cusp of complete supremacy.

Considering how golf clubs and golf balls have evolved since Hogan's era, it makes his record even more remarkable.

What sets Tiger apart is his mental toughness, and his putting. Comparing him from tee to green, there are many professionals on the PGA tour that can match him or better him.

[Chomper Higgot]

15 hours ago, thecyclist said:

This fuss about a pseudosport is  incomprehensible. How many trees had to be cut to build the thousands of golf courses all over the world for the affluent to show off their wealth and for the unfit to pretend to be athletes.

Tiger Woods takes the cake : When he waxes sanctimoniously about his non-achievements he sounds like Mike Pence talking about his faith. I have to mute the TV when either of these hypocrytes comes on in order not to scream. 

I’m a cyclists and have been since my youth when I competed in national championships, international amateur and professional events.

 

I don’t play golf.

 

But back in the day on mid winter morning training rides I only ever saw people out ‘enjoying’ three sports.

 

Cyclists, Golfers and Fishermen.

 

For me, cycling is a life long passion, I see that same passion in every other sport.

 

Cycling also gave and gives me health, camaraderie, knowledge of myself and life lessons by the bag full.

 

I’m absolutely sure that is true for everyone who takes part in any sport, and definitely true of golf.

 

Oddly, with the exception of the Tour de France I don’t watch any professional sports but I do thoroughly enjoy local amateur sports and I recognise the same trials and triumphs in a kids soccer game or an old man’s game of golf, they are the same as my own cycling - a challenge.

 

Be generous in recognition of what we share with others.

 

As for Tiger - a stunning achievement for a man who has changed golf for the better.