The Loop

15 years later, Tiger Woods' "Better than most" putt is just as awesome

March 24, 2016

Long before the WGC Match Play moved to March, it was the Players Championship which served as the last marquee event on the PGA Tour schedule before the Masters. And 15 years ago on Thursday, one of the tournament's most memorable shots -- and certainly, it's most famous call by an announcer -- occurred.

"Better than most." Utter those three words and golf fans instantly know you're talking about Tiger Woods' long, twisting putt from the back of the island-green 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass' Stadium Course in 2001. Here's a look back at the improbable birdie described by NBC/Golf Channel's Gary Koch:

"The eruption when that ball went in, the hair on the back of my neck was standing up," Koch told GolfDigest.com in 2015. "We didn't say anything for 45 seconds. We just set it up and we let it play."

Here's the clip again, this time spliced with calls from various languages:

And here's the clip again, this time with little kids imitating Koch:

Woods' make highlighted a third-round 66. And he wound up better than everyone that week with a Sunday 67 that gave him a one-shot victory.