A drained Tiger Woods is overcome with emotion after his final putt on the 18th green.
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A daily look at the happenings surrounding Tiger Woods at Augusta:
Woods made history Sunday. He won his fourth straight major, his second green jacket, his third straight tournament since all that talk about a slump. What what was he thinking?
"You're not going to believe this," he said. "You probably think I'm lying, but I kid you not -- I actually felt more relaxed this week, just because I kept reminding myself ... I had won this tournament already, which meant that no matter what happens this week, I'm going to get invited back."
Sunday didn't come easy for Woods. He pushed his opening drive and took bogey. He saved par twice from off the green on the front side -- once from the back bunker at the fifth hole -- and again at the 10th with what he considered his best putt of the day.
Unlike 1997, he battled. He didn't have an eagle. He didn't dominate the par-5s. He didn't hit as many fairways and didn't hit the ball as far. He was 37th in putts, compared to eighth four years ago. And he had four three-putts, compared to none when he won his first Masters title.
Woods has now won more than $3.2 million this year and probably won't play again until Byron Nelson Classic in early May. He'll take his Masters trophy home and put it on the mantel next to the ones from the U.S. Open, the British Open and the PGA.
And he'll be back in the spotlight June 14-17 at the U.S. Open at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Okla.
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Tiger slam
Grand Slam or not, Tiger Woods' fellow pros ran out of ways to describe his four consecutive major titles.
They looked for analogies. They grasped for comparisons. Someone trotted out Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak to David Duval.
"Above the 56? Man, that's not even comparing apples and oranges," said Duval. "That's apples and peanuts. I don't know how you would compare that. I would think that it is something that would certainly have to be talked about in the same sentence."
Woods becomes the first man to hold all four major titles simultaneously. He's won six of 17 major championships since he turned pro. He's won 27 titles; Jack Nicklaus had 29 before the age of 30. He's won back-to-back tournament nine times. He's tied with Lee Trevino on the all-time wins list. He's won nearly $24 million in his career.
"Ten years ago, I would have said Tiger's win would be impossible, but now I know everything is possible for Tiger," said Bernhard Langer, who tied for sixth.
The clubhouse stopped as Woods came to the 18th hole. Players came to the green, including Woods' friend, Mark Calcavecchia. Augusta National knew it was watching history.
"Awesome. I think it is amazing," said Fred Couples.
"I'd say it's a Grand Slam," said Calcavecchia. "I know some of the historians feel differently. They think you need to win all four in one year. Of course, he could still do that, too."
Couples agreed.
"I guess if you'e a historian, it isn't," said Couples. "But I think it is, because it will never get done again."
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Consistency: Stuart Appleby bogeyed the fourth hole on Thursday. He then played 50 consecutive holes before his next bogey at No. 1 on Sunday. That breaks the record of 43 straight par-or-better holes, set by Ben Hogan in 1947.
Customs trouble: Let's hope Toshi Izawa brought an extra suitcase from Japan. He not only tied for fourth, pocketing $246,400, but he won two crystal vases (given to each day's low score) and three pairs of crystal goblets for three eagles during the week.
DiMarco's day: Second-round leader Chris DiMarco rallied with a birdie at No. 18 to shoot 74 and finish tied for 10th, earning him a Masters invite next year. If he hadn't birdied the 18th, he would have finished tied for 17th; the top 16 get back in the tournament.
72 -- and no more: Woods' win continued another surprising Masters streak -- there hasn't been a playoff since 1990, when Nick Faldo beat Raymond Floyd.
All for naught: Phil Mickelson's 25 birdies were a Masters record, breaking Jose Maria Olazabal's mark of 24 set in 1994.
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OVERHEARD
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WOODS
On getting the same size green jacket as he did in 1997: "I got it a little bit big in '97, because a lot of the guys say they get a little larger as they get older." |
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DUVAL
On Woods' dominance: "We've got a player who is certainly the best player in the game right now, and I think that what it will do is make my victories in these majors that much more special." |
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MICKELSON
On his reaction to Woods' putt on the 10th hole: "I didn't watch him play a stroke. ... I just looked up and I saw the ball going in." |
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DiMARCO
On his first Masters: "There was so much electricity out there all week. It was a lot of fun. I can't wait to get back here next year." |
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