By Leeroy Francis Jr. |Sports editorTiger Woods completed a comeback nobody thought possible looking back only 18 months ago. On Sunday, April 14, at Augusta National, Woods captured his 81st professional win, 15th major championship (first is 11 years) and his fifth Masters title (only trailing Jack Nicklaus's his 18 major victories and six Masters titles). The win Sunday that snapped a decade-long major championship drought and instantly returned him to the top of the sports world.
Woods had played 28 majors without winning between his victory in the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines and Sunday’s win at Augusta National. During that streak, he also missed 14 other majors because of injuries, notably his torn ACL and Achilles (2008), neck (2010), MCL sprain (2011), left elbow strain (2013) and four back surgeries. including a spinal fusion surgery just 24 months ago. Two years ago, when he did not play the Masters, Woods told fellow pros he was done with competitive golf.Furthermore, Woods in his 22-year professional career had never rallied from a deficit after three rounds to win a major professional championship. Woods started Sunday's final round two strokes off the lead before shooting a 2-under-par 70, finishing one stroke less than Dustin Johnson (68), Xander Schauffele (68) and Brooks Koepka (70). Woods won by two over Jason Day (67), Webb Simpson (70), Tony Finau (72) and third-round leader Francesco Molinari (74).Woods’ 81 total PGA Tour wins, put him one behind Sam Snead atop the all-time list. The rest of the top 10 in wins includes: Nicklaus, 73; Ben Hogan, 64; Arnold Palmer, 62; Byron Nelson, 52; Billy Casper, 51; Walter Hagen, 45; Phil Mickelson, 45, and Cary Middlecoff, 40.Patrick Reed, the defending champion and former Augusta State University standout, finished the tournament in a tie for 36th at after a final round 69. Don't feel sorry for Reed, who put on the famous green jacket last year and hosted the annual Champions Dinner earlier in the week, because as a result of last year's victory, he has a five-year exemption on the PGA Tour, and for the U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship as well as a lifetime exemption into the Masters.Aiken resident and former Georgia Bulldog Kevin Kisner finished in a tie for 21st at 5-under-par after a final-round 67. Kisner, who was T-6 (-3) after the first round and only three shots behind opening-day leaders Bryson DeChambeau and eventual runner-up Koepka, had an eventful Friday where on the par-3 16th, Kisner had to wait to hit his approach shot onto the 16th green because of a stray turtle. Kisner had to wait approximately four minutes until tournament officials escorted the turtle off the green.Fellow Bulldog and two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson, looking to win his third green jacket in eight years, finished in a tie for 12th at 8 under par after a final-round 69. After Watson birdied the 13th, 14th hole and eagled the tough par-5 15th hole, he was on 10 under par, just two shots behind Woods at the time. After a par on the par-3 16th, Watson finished by bogeying his last two holes and tied South African Justin Harding for 12th. Harding birdied the 18th to finish at 8 under par and earn an automatic exemption to play Augusta National against next April.Back to Woods, who made history at the 2019 Masters tournament in several ways:
- Tiger's 15th major championship brings him only three back of Jack Nicklaus' record of 18.
- Tiger's fifth Masters win also brings him within one of Nicklaus' record of six green jackets.
- Tiger and Jack are the only players in history to win professional majors 20+ years apart and the only players in history to win the Masters in three different decades.
- The 14 years between Masters wins is the longest gap between wins in tournament history.
- This is the first time since 2005 that the champion sat outside the top 10 after Round 1; Woods rallied from a 2-under-par 70 in the first round.
- The 2019 Masters is Tiger's first major win when trailing after 54 holes.
- Woods remains undefeated 14-0 at major championships when 11-under or lower through 54 holes
- Tiger was denied a 15th major championship at last year's Open Championship in Carnoustie by Molinari, then again by Koepka at the PGA Championship in August despite a Woods' final-round 64, finishing two behind Koepka. On Sunday, he had to outlast them both.
The 2019 Masters ranks as one of the most historic Masters tournaments in the last 35 years. Jack's win in 1986, Tiger's dominating 12-shot victory at the 1997 Masters, Larry Mize stunning Greg Norman with an improbable chip-in on the 11th in sudden death in 1987, Scott Hoch's not automatic tap-in in 1989 that led to Nick Faldo's first Augusta victory, and now, in 2019, add Woods' masterful moments, including clutch birdies on 13, 15 and 16 in the final round, to the list of Augusta National heroics we will never forget.Woods' comment after 2018 champion and Reed put on the green jacket in Butler Cabin was only two words:"It fits," the champion said.And those were exactly the right words. For Tiger Woods, Augusta National fit perfectly, for a fifth time.
Contact Leeroy Francis Jr. at LFRANCIS@augusta.edu.
