Absolutely, A Masterpiece Woods Proves That He’s Good To The Very Last Shot

The evening sun was creeping towards the tips of the majestic Georgia pines when Tiger Woods came striding up the 18th fairway of Augusta National Golf Club, the gallery standing and giving forth its best Palmer ovation, the tournament long over now, the green jacket, 42-long, being readied for him somewhere in the bowels of the old clubhouse.

And here is what Woods was thinking as he made that triumphant walk: Boy, do I have a tough putt.

Right there, you have all you need to know about Eldrick “Tiger” Woods.

Even with a 12-shot lead, even as quiet tears were being shed by the black club employees gathered under the oak tree on the clubhouse lawn and scattered among the galleries, Woods was trying to figure out how he could get down in two from 20 feet.

He needed that two-putt for history’s sake. And of course, he got it - how could he not? - center-cutting a 4-1/2-footer for par.

That last putt on 18 wrapped up a closing round of three-under-par 69 and gave Woods a new Masters scoring record, 18-under 270 - one shot better than Jack Nicklaus (1965) and Raymond Floyd (1976). The 12-stroke victory over Tom Kite (70-282) set another tournament record and was one stroke less than Old Tom Morris’ major-championship record 13-stroke win in the 1862 British Open.

At 21 years old, Woods also becomes the youngest Masters champion ever - two years younger than Seve Ballesteros (1980).

It was simply the most dominant performance in a major golf tournament this century, and the most monumental - because it came at this place, in this tournament, which didn’t invite its first black player until 1975, and which didn’t accept its first black member until 1991.

When Woods was introduced as the new champion in the traditional ceremony on the putting green, it was Augusta National chairman Jack Stephens who was the first to rise. And soon it became a rousing standing ovation, the jillionth of this week for Woods.

At this point, as per tradition, he turned his back to 1996 champ Nick Faldo and slipped one arm then the other into the green jacket. The scene was chilling: The dark orange sunlight on Woods’ Hollywood-white teeth. The blood-red sweater (his color of choice on Sundays) beneath that jacket - once a symbol of ugliness, but now gleaming and beautiful.

“Woooooo,” Woods sighed, trying to gather himself. “I guess this is an amazing day. I’m at a loss for words. I’ve always dreamt of winning The Masters. But I’ve never thought it through to the ceremony.”

This victory was monumental and dominant and extraordinary - but it wasn’t astonishing.

See, this is what Woods does. When he gets locked into an important tournament - his father, Earl, calls it Tiger’s “major mode” - he is practically unbeatable.

But because of the way he lapped the field this week, the question must be asked: Is Woods this much better than the rest of the world? On this course, yes. Augusta National was made for Woods, and he for it.

They say The Masters isn’t decided until the back nine on Sunday. This week, it was decided on the back nine on Thursday. That’s where Woods, rebounding from a four-over-par 40 on his first nine holes, shot a 30 that was an omen of what would come.

Woods started Sunday with a nine-shot lead, but went about his business in the same no-blink, cold-hearted way he always does.

He went to the driving range exactly one hour before his tee time, hit balls, then chipped. As he left the chipping green, he was approached by an older black man.

It was Lee Elder, who in 1975 became the first black man to play in The Masters. He wished Woods well. Woods’ grin was so wide it split his face in two.

“That meant a lot to me,” Woods told the crowd during the green jacket presentation later, “because if it wasn’t for him, I don’t know if I’d be playing here - or anywhere. That did it for me. From then on, I knew what I had to do.”

And in the end, he had his green jacket and he had his record. He had everything.

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: LEADERBOARD Tiger Woods, $486,000 270 -18 Tom Kite, $291,600 282 -6 Tommy Tolles, $183,600 283 -5 Tom Watson, $129,600 284 -4 Paul Stankowski, $102,600 285 -3 Costantino Rocca, $102,600 285 -3 Jeff Sluman, $78,570 286 -2 Fred Couples, $78,570 286 -2 Davis Love III, $78,570 286 -2