The Dawn of Dominance

By Pete McDaniel
Photos By Getty Images April 2007

Ten years ago, golf changed. A 21-year-old arrived at the Masters, having never broken par in six rounds at Augusta National, and a week later jetted off with a 12-stroke victory that strained imagination. Tiger Woods had really arrived.

Woods had won three tournaments after turning pro, and Tigermania was building that second week of April in 1997. Actor Jack Nicholson was among those in attendance, and scalpers had pushed the price of a tournament badge as high as $10,000--so off the charts that a local broker committed suicide after suppliers on the black market reneged on commitments, leaving him 142 tickets short for clients.

The social significance of an African-American winning at Augusta National was lost on no one 22 years after Lee Elder had broken the color barrier at the Masters. In the week after Woods' victory, former winner Fuzzy Zoeller's insensitive comments about the new champion would put race back onto the front pages.

A decade later, it's hard to overestimate the impact of Woods' victory. His power and finesse overwhelmed the field and had observers wondering if a Grand Slam was possible, or even probable. (Bookies who had Woods at 5,000 to 1 to win the Slam before the Masters panicked at the possibility of losing millions if the bet came in and dropped his price to 66 to 1.)

How do you win the Masters by 12 strokes? Woods routinely hit wedges into 11 of Augusta's 18 holes--including the par-5 15th--and he never three-putted, making two eagles, 21 birdies, 42 pars and seven bogeys. After a four-over-par 40 on the opening nine, he played the final 63 holes in 22 under. That led to the supposed Tigerproofing of Augusta National, stretching the course from 6,925 yards in 1997 to 7,445, but Woods has won three more green jackets.

Given the constant attention on Woods today, it's of note that after his win in 1997 he had to explain to some observers the significance of wearing red on Sundays ("Mom just believes that red is my power color, and I always do what Mama says"). Tiger wasn't even Tiger in the '97 Masters media guide: Eldrick Woods was hoping to rebound from missing the cut by four strokes as an amateur in '96. And emotionally, he'd had a huge scare in the months before the Masters when he almost lost his father, Earl, who was still ailing as the tournament approached.

In interviews with those who participated and watched a decade ago, we remember a special week. "So," chuckled six-time Masters champion Jack Nicklaus, "Tiger's old enough now to celebrate anniversaries."

PROLOGUE
Woods' confidence got a big boost even before he departed for Augusta.

Tiger Woods: I shot 59 the week before at Isleworth playing with Mark O'Meara. It was a pretty cool round, actually. We started off on the back nine, and I parred 10, birdied 11 and 12, eagled 13 and birdied 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and then 1. So, in a nine-hole stretch, I was 10 under. I parred both par 5s on the front nine with irons in my hand--a 6-iron and a 3-iron--so it could have been really low.

Mark O'Meara (1998 Masters champion): Tiger likes to have a bet. We don't play for very much money, and he certainly can afford more than I can. I knew something wasn't right when I was 10 down after 12 holes. It was unbelievable. He shot the easiest 59 you could shoot [taking $65 from O'Meara]. Going into Augusta, he was ready.

Paul Azinger: Before the Masters, Tiger was favored, but the sports-talk radio guy in my area was saying how wrong that was--what has Tiger Woods done to be the favorite, and c'mon, there's a better chance he'll miss the cut. So I called in. I didn't identify myself, but the guy knew my voice. I just wanted to tell the guy that he had it really wrong--that not only could Tiger win, but he could win by a lot.

ON TO AUGUSTA
How big an attraction was Woods? When he arrived at the media center on Tuesday, moderator Danny Yates, a longtime member and an attendee at every Masters since its inception in 1934, introduced him thusly: "Well, we've got what y'all have been waiting for all day. So Tiger, say a few words, and we'll let them have a go at you."

Tiger Woods: More than anything that week, I was just happy to see Dad there, because he'd had open-heart surgery and had complications from that. He went back in the hospital, and he actually died, but they revived him. He wasn't supposed to go to Augusta. He said, "To hell with you guys; I'm going to support my son."

John Cook: We played at least one practice round together, and you could tell this was a different mode. Tiger would listen to any tip, any place to put it: "Watch out; chip from here. Don't need to chip from over there; you'll never be over there." He was soaking in as much knowledge as he could. That's when I realized, You know what, this kid's a little different.

Mark O'Meara: Tiger processes information better than anyone. Someone might talk to him for 10 minutes, but there might be 15 seconds of that conversation that he'll retain and put in his memory bank.

Tiger Woods: (on playing nine holes on Monday with Seve Ballesteros, Masters champion in 1980 and '83): Of course I picked his brain. He was incredible. He told me the shots you need to play, the clubs you need to play them with. I played with him and Ollie [Jose Maria Olazabal, Masters champion in 1994 and '99]. It was awesome to hear genius at work, because I had no clue.