-
Mark Schlabach
Twenty-five years in the past, the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Seashore Golf Hyperlinks in California was a celebration of the lifetime of defending champion Payne Stewart, who had died in a airplane crash lower than eight months earlier.
It was additionally a farewell to 18-time main champion Jack Nicklaus, who was enjoying in his forty fourth and last U.S. Open.
It additionally become the coronation of Tiger Woods, who produced one of many best performances in males’s golf historical past over 4 days.
Woods arrived at Pebble Seashore Golf Hyperlinks three weeks after he had captured his nineteenth PGA Tour victory — and fourth of the season — with a five-stroke victory on the Memorial Match, changing into the primary back-to-back winner of the occasion that Nicklaus hosted.
The truth is, Woods had received 11 of his previous 20 PGA Tour occasions: defeating Ernie Els in a playoff within the season-opening Mercedes Championship in Hawaii; coming from seven strokes behind within the last seven holes to beat Matt Gogel by two strokes within the AT&T Pebble Seashore Nationwide Professional-Am on Feb. 9; after which working away from the sphere by 4 at Arnold Palmer’s event, the Bay Hill Invitational, on March 19.
At solely 24, Woods had turn out to be the primary golfer to prime $15 million in profession on-course earnings. He had received the 1997 Masters, by a document 12 strokes, and the 1999 PGA Championship at Medinah Nation Membership to get midway to the profession Grand Slam.
Woods was an amazing favourite to win once more within the U.S. Open, after he had tied for third, two strokes behind Stewart, at Pinehurst No. 2 the earlier 12 months.
“If the circumstances are dry and windy, then it is a matter of persistence,” Nicklaus stated earlier than the event. “But when they’re throwing darts, then Tiger will shoot a tremendously low rating, it doesn’t matter what the circumstances are. And he’ll most likely break the Open document.”
Nicklaus had set the U.S. Open 72-hole scoring document of 272 in 1980 at Baltusrol Golf Membership in Springfield, New Jersey. Lee Janzen tied the mark on the identical course in 1993.
The U.S. Open scoring document would not stand an opportunity if Woods maintained his torrid tempo.
“He had already arrived in a giant means in a single event [at the 1997 Masters], however that was the beginning of Tiger successful tournaments by plenty of photographs,” Stewart Cink stated. “Not simply successful however like oh-my-gosh successful, greater than 5 – 6 photographs. That is simply unprecedented contemplating how shut all of us are collectively so far as talent.”
Australia’s Stuart Appleby, a three-time PGA Tour winner on the time, assessed Woods’ probabilities of successful extra succinctly, saying, “Tiger can be favored wherever. Put him in a carpark and he’d be favored.”
‘By no means seen something prefer it’
As soon as Woods arrived at Pebble Seashore Golf Hyperlinks to start his preparations on Sunday, it did not take his caddie, Steve Williams, lengthy to determine that he was as soon as once more the person to beat on the Monterey Peninsula.
Three weeks earlier, Woods had competed within the Deutsche Financial institution Open in Hamburg, Germany. He had reportedly been paid $1 million to attempt to defend his European Tour title. Within the last spherical, Woods’ second shot on No. 11 landed within the water, leading to a double bogey. He tied for third, 4 strokes behind winner Lee Westwood. It was solely the second time in Woods’ profession to that time that he did not win after having the 54-hole lead.
After watching Woods hit balls on the vary Monday morning, Williams and Woods’ swing coach, Butch Harmon, requested him to pare down his apply routine earlier than the event began.
“We did not need Tiger to overdo it earlier than the event began as a result of each of us had by no means seen him strike the ball with such precision and simply the way in which he was shaping the photographs,” Williams advised ESPN. “We did not need Tiger to play an excessive amount of earlier than the event as a result of he was so geared and able to play nicely.”
Sam Reeves, one in every of Harmon’s closest associates, had watched Woods’ swing from the early days of their partnership.
“I’ve by no means seen something prefer it,” Reeves advised Williams. “I’ve by no means seen him hit the ball that nicely.”
Woods performed two apply rounds along with his good pal Mark O’Meara. On the sixteenth tee field Tuesday, NBC lead golf announcer Johnny Miller, the 1973 U.S. Open champion, joined the group.
“Johnny wasn’t satisfied that Tiger was going to be the following neatest thing,” Williams stated. “And Mark O’Meara principally advised him, ‘Hey, simply watch this child play for a number of holes. This man’s going to be the most effective participant you’ve got ever seen.'”
The wind was mild and the solar was shining when Woods teed off within the first spherical Thursday morning with Jim Furyk and Sweden’s Jesper Parnevik. Pebble Seashore’s diabolic greens have been smooth and receptive for a change.
Woods placed on a clinic, carding a bogey-free 6-under 65 to take a one-stroke lead over Miguel Angel Jiménez. It was the bottom spherical ever in a U.S. Open at Pebble Seashore.
After spending a few hours on the membership’s apply placing inexperienced the evening earlier than as a result of he did not like the way in which his ball was rolling on the bumpy poa annua greens, Woods one-putted 12 occasions and wanted solely 24 putts within the first 18 holes.
When Woods grabbed a share of the lead with a birdie on the 14th, Miller dropped a bombshell on NBC’s broadcast.
“I believe it should be very tight with the remainder of the sphere, however I actually do consider, I’ve received this hunch, that Tiger’s going to interrupt each U.S. Open document this week and possibly win by a giant margin,” Miller stated. “… I simply had the sensation that if he might get off to an awesome begin, which he has completed, it might be per week that he simply says, ‘See ya, guys.'”
Golfers teeing off within the morning had a large benefit earlier than a soupy, dense fog rolled in in the course of the afternoon. Seventy-five gamers have been nonetheless on the course when play was suspended.
“He put up an excellent rating,” Sergio Garcia stated after the spherical. “However should you shoot 1 or 2 underneath, he might wrestle very simply on this course. You’ll be able to go 2 or 3 over identical to that. The event’s not over. It simply began.”
‘It is simply not a good combat’
As a result of so many golfers needed to end their opening rounds Friday morning, Woods needed to wait till 4:40 p.m. PT to tee off within the second spherical.
By the point he was on the brink of tee off on No. 1, Nicklaus was wiping away tears as he walked up the 18th fairway for the ultimate time. He tipped his visor to the group, which gave the Golden Bear a standing ovation after he knocked his second shot on the par-5 gap onto the inexperienced with a 3-wood. He three-putted for par.
In his last U.S. Open, Nicklaus posted an 11-over 82. He missed the reduce with a 36-hole complete of 13-over 155.
“I believe the U.S. Open to me is an entire examination of a golfer,” Nicklaus stated after the spherical. “The competitors, what it does to you inside, how onerous it’s to work at it. I get pleasure from that. I benefit from the punishment.”
Nobody had as full a recreation as Woods at that second. After selecting up his first bogey of the event on the fifth gap, Woods pushed his tee shot on the uphill sixth into the correct tough. Most gamers had punched out and left their balls in need of the inexperienced.
Not Woods.
“I’ve typically stated the a part of Tiger’s recreation that is most underrated is his play out of the tough,” Williams stated. “He is an outstanding participant of transferring the ball out of the tough and getting it very, very near pin excessive. He is simply received a freakish skill, and he is very sturdy.”
Woods must not solely muscle his ball out of the tough but additionally clear a tree rising on the aspect of a cliff to drag off the blind shot from about 202 yards.
When Woods requested for a 7-iron, Williams did not flinch.
“After caddying for Tiger for a short while, you typically choose him to play it protected,” Williams stated. “However that was one the place I knew straightaway he might get the membership on it. Whether or not he might get it to the inexperienced, I did not know. I actually believed he might get it up over the hill.”
Woods took a violent hack at his ball, which by some means cleared the cliff, landed in entrance of the inexperienced and bounced and stopped 18 ft from the cup.
NBC on-course reporter Roger Maltbie summed it up finest on the published: “It is not a good combat.”
Tiger missed an eagle putt and settled for birdie.
“An incredible shot that type of simply set the tone for the remainder of the week,” Williams stated.
On the cliffside par-3 seventh, Woods hit his tee shot to five ft and sank one other birdie putt to get to eight underneath. One other birdie on No. 11 put him two strokes forward of the sphere.
After the fog returned, Woods reached the twelfth gap in close to darkness. Play was suspended shortly after he teed off, however Woods and his enjoying companions have been allowed to complete the outlet.
Somebody had talked about to Woods that nobody had made a birdie on the rock-hard inexperienced the complete day. He hit a towering 5-iron shot to about 30 ft and snaked in a birdie putt he might barely see.
“Tiger loves making a press release,” Williams stated. “All people else wished to mark the ball and are available again the following day. However, you already know, Tiger likes to go away with an exclamation mark.”
Wooden was 3 underneath by means of 12 holes within the second spherical and 9 underneath within the event, giving him a 3-stroke lead over Jiménez.
“We now have an extended technique to go — the second spherical is not even over,” Woods stated. “This can be a extra demanding course than Augusta was then. I have to proceed to play nicely within the morning.”
The lacking golf balls
Woods was again on the driving vary at 5:07 a.m. PT Saturday morning, hitting balls underneath Harmon’s watchful eye. It was going to be an abbreviated warmup, so Woods did not have time to go to the placing inexperienced.
When Woods reached the thirteenth tee, Williams realized there was an issue.
“After we received to the tee and I put my hand within the bag, there have been solely three balls,” Williams stated. “I did not know why; there ought to have been half a dozen.”
Woods had nonetheless been sad along with his placing stroke the evening earlier than, so he had taken three balls out of his bag and putted on the carpet in his lodge room. He forgot to place them again within the bag.
With the way in which Woods was striping the ball, Williams did not suppose they’d want greater than three over the ultimate six holes of the spherical. He determined to maintain his discovery to himself to keep away from placing stress on Woods.
On the thirteenth gap, Wooden drove his tee shot into the tough, and his mighty lash out of the tall grass scuffed his ball. He tossed the ball to a younger fan close to the thirteenth inexperienced after making par.
“The child was simply so excited, displaying his dad he is received a ball with Tiger’s title on it,” Williams stated. “And I am considering, ‘Geez, possibly I ought to simply get that ball again, simply in case, and have the child come and meet me on the 18th inexperienced.’
“However, I imply, you’ll be able to’t try this in entrance of all of the individuals round Tiger. He’ll go, ‘What within the hell is occurring right here?'”
Woods picked up one other birdie on the par-5 14th and carded pars on Nos. 15 by means of 17. He did not lose a ball — or give one other one away.
Nevertheless, catastrophe struck on the 18th tee when Woods pulled his drive to the left and into the rocks alongside the Pacific Ocean coast.
Tiger did not know he was down to 1 ball. If Woods misplaced the final one, he could not borrow one from his enjoying companions, both. Underneath the Guidelines of Golf, he needed to end the spherical with the identical sort of ball he’d been utilizing or he’d be assessed a two-stroke penalty for utilizing a special one. He was the one golfer within the discipline utilizing Nike balls.
As Woods reached for his driver once more, Williams instructed he may wish to use a 2-iron off the tee.
“Tiger stated, ‘Get your f******g hand off that driver head cowl!'” Williams stated in his current guide, “Collectively We Roared,” which he wrote with golf author Evin Priest. “I did not wish to inform him it is our final golf ball as a result of he most likely would have advised me to get my ass onto 17-Mile Drive and onto a Greyhound bus out of there.”
Thankfully for Williams, Woods’ second tee shot was straight and located dry land. He made bogey and posted a 2-under 69. His 36-hole complete of 8 underneath left him six photographs forward of Jiménez and Denmark’s Thomas Bjørn, breaking a U.S. Open document for the most important benefit on the midway level.
Solely 4 different golfers have been underneath par.
Woods’ dominance was starting to weigh on a few of his rivals.
“I believe you guys have to appreciate that there are 156 guys on this event,” Jiménez advised reporters. “The press thinks there’s only one man.”
‘He had extra’
Heading into the third spherical, it was all however over. Woods made one large mistake — a triple-bogey 7 on the par-4 third after his method discovered the tough. He lastly reached the inexperienced on his fifth shot and missed the putt. Woods laughed as he walked to the fifth tee.
“That is what impressed me most and signified Tiger was in full management,” Williams stated in his guide. “When did you ever see Tiger Woods giggle when he made a double- or triple-bogey? By no means.”
On a day when the wind was howling and Pebble Seashore’s greens lastly dried out, Woods managed to put up an even-par 71. At 8 underneath, he was the one golfer underneath par and was a whopping 10 strokes in entrance of Els, the most important 54-hole lead in U.S. Open historical past.
“He is on the market in his personal event, is not he?” Padraig Harrington stated on the time.
With the rout on, NBC Sports activities had to wonder if golf followers would watch the ultimate spherical on Father’s Day. It ended up being the alternative, as thousands and thousands tuned in to see how low Woods would go and what number of strokes he’d win by. The ultimate two days ended up being the most-watched U.S. Open rounds since viewership began being tracked in 1975.
Woods carded a bogey-free 67 within the last spherical, leaving him with a 72-hole complete of 12-under 272. He was the one golfer who completed underneath par, 15 strokes higher than Els and Jiménez, who have been 3 over.
Woods’ 15-stroke victory was the largest in main championship historical past, surpassing Outdated Tom Morris’ 13-stroke win on the 1862 Open Championship. He was the primary participant within the 106-year historical past of the U.S. Open to complete double digits underneath par.
“It was an entire present with one man,” NBC golf announcer Dan Hicks stated. “This was historical past, and I believe individuals picked up on the truth that how can one single man be that dominant? How can one man take it to 12 underneath par and the following man be plus-3? We’re by no means going to see something like that.
“I believe it was a fascination with a man at perfection in a recreation which nobody actually comes near. So it is absolutely the Sistine Chapel of main championship performances, and I actually consider it’ll by no means be equaled.”
As Woods signed his scoring card after the ultimate spherical, he turned to Williams and requested him what the commotion was about on the 18th tee within the second spherical, when solely Williams knew that they have been right down to their final golf ball.
“He might see I used to be nervous, and he had a nine-shot lead,” Williams stated. “What would you be nervous about? He might see one thing was fallacious, however I by no means talked about it till I advised him. We laughed endlessly about that.”
Williams can even always remember what Woods advised him subsequent.
“Steve, I will play even higher on the British Open at St. Andrews,” Woods stated. “I would like you to get your ass over there, and I would like you to know each blade of grass on that course.”
The following month, Williams went to St. Andrews in Scotland per week early. On July 23, 2000, Woods defeated Bjørn and Els by eight strokes to seize the Claret Jug, changing into the youngest golfer to finish the profession Grand Slam.
He received the ultimate leg of the so-called Tiger Slam the following April by amassing a second inexperienced jacket on the 2001 Masters to carry all 4 main titles concurrently.
“I believe Tiger’s talent degree was the best in historical past,” Cink stated. “The majors recognized that to a good larger extent as a result of that they had the heavy tough, and his energy overcame the heavy tough. They’d plenty of size; his energy overcame that. They required persistence, and he had the most effective psychological recreation and fortitude the sport has ever seen.
“They simply required extra of all the things — and he had extra.”