Last week, Fowler was among the notable omissions from Augusta National while Jon Rahm enjoyed a four-shot victory over multiple major winners Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson. He made the most of his week off, however, and didn’t let the Masters consume him, although he did consume plenty of it.

“I was trying to make sure [not competing at the Masters] wasn’t my main focus, so I just had it streaming on my phone while I was out playing [Medalist in Jupiter, Florida],” Fowler said after a solid four-under 67 on Day 1 at the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town.

“I was watching quite a bit Friday and Sunday. I kept up with it pretty good. I chose to go play golf and have some fun with some buddies. But I had [my phone streaming] like 50/50 between the broadcasts and the featured groups. When the final group teed off Sunday, I was still out playing golf but then had it on at home [later] on Sunday afternoon.”

It was only five years ago the Californian finished second place to Patrick Reed by one shot at Augusta and played in the second-to-last group with Rahm. Last week, though, Fowler missed his third consecutive Masters while Rahm added the green jacket to his 2021 US Open.

“I mean, yeah, it sucked not being there. It was a bummer. It’s one of my favorite events,” Fowler said. “For me, it’s kind of between that and the Open Championship because I love playing links golf. I feel like [Augusta] asks you to use a lot of creativity as well. The Masters and the Open are the majors I enjoy watching when I haven’t been in them, but the Masters is No. 1.”

The 34-year-old, who in 2014 finished top-five in all four majors, is still hopeful about the rest this year. Fowler has played some excellent golf this season; his runner-up finish to Keegan Bradley at the Zozo Championship in Japan last fall and a tie for 10th at the Valero Texas Open immediately before the Masters were two of the four top-10s he’s recorded already this season.

That form has seen Fowler rocket from the 185th spot he held in the Official World Golf Ranking in September to No. 58 coming into the RBC Heritage.

Fowler is all but assured of qualifying for the PGA Championship from its points system and if he holds onto his current ranking he’d be among the top 60 who get a start at the US Open. The Open Championship would require a further push into the top 50 in the world.

“It’s encouraging how [I’ve] been playing and knowing that [I’m] in a good spot to [try push] back in the top 50 to get in the majors moving forward,” he said. “I’m looking ahead; being back here at Hilton Head and knowing that, hey, we are back in a good spot and we’re not going to be missing majors.”

The post Every golf fan can relate to how Rickie Fowler consumed the Masters last week appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Sergio Garcia may ‘only’ be 5ft 10ins, small for a golfer by today’s standards, but he is standing tall once again as he starts his 2023 season at the Saudi International this week. 

Following successful surgery on his left knee after the LIV Golf Team Championship finale at Trump Doral in Miami, the Spaniard is fighting fit for a new campaign — with one eye on Augusta in April and potentially the Ryder Cup in September.

“It went well,”Garcia said of the operation, which was required to fix a torn meniscus he suffered in Jeddah on LIV Golf duty last October. “It feels probably about 95 per cent. It doesn’t bother me to swing anymore. Now it is just a matter of getting used to walking holes over and over and over again. I ice it and spray it but it is taking care of itself.”

RELATED: Saudi International Round 1 tee times

His new season begins proper on Thursday at the Asian Tour Saudi International, swiftly followed by the International Series Oman at Al Mouj Golf in Muscat next week, where the all-time Ryder Cup points scorer Garcia will be joined by fellow Spaniards Eugenio Chacarra and David Puig, as will Chile’s two top-ranked players Joaquin Niemann and Mito Pereira, plus four-time major winner Brooks Koepka. Then it is on to the big LIV Golf season opener in Mexico.

“I am excited about a new season after a nice break,” the 43-year-old Garcia added. “I am excited to get going and see if we can do some nice things.”

Preparations will be a bit different ahead of The Masters in Augusta in April for Garcia as he is no longer playing on the PGA Tour or DP World Tour.

“After three months off, I want to get some rounds in me,” he said. “We are going to play these two [Saudi International and International Series Oman] and then we have the LIV opener in Mexico before we head to Orlando.

“So I will have those four tournaments heading into Augusta, and it is just a matter of getting in a good rhythm and get to Augusta in as good shape as I can.

“It is great to see how the Asian Tour is growing, not only for us but some of the young guys who are coming out are getting better and better and it is nice to see. It shows the strength of the Asian Tour, and if we can make it stronger, that is what we are trying to do.”

One thing in particular made Garcia smile as he recuperated at home over the festive period following Augusta National’s decision to permit LIV Golfers to compete in the Masters.

“It was nice to receive the formal invitation just prior to Christmas from Augusta,” he said. “At the end of the day it is Augusta National who makes the decision who is going to play, and Augusta always talks about honouring the traditions of the game and how important it is we all remember that.

“It would be weird if the LIV Golf players who have won the Masters were to be left out in teeing-up at Augusta, and also not attending the dinner. So, I was obviously pleased to have received the letter confirming my attendance.

“I know when I returned to Augusta as the Masters champion in 2018, how special it was for me to be honoured for my fellow champions for what I have achieved a year earlier, and that’s why it will be special for Scottie Scheffler this year when we honour him.

Garcia is not expecting any tension at the dinner in April, despite PGA banning LIV Golfers from competing in its events and the DP World Tour aiming to do the same.

World No. 4 and PGA Tour star Jon Rahm recently said: “I think the Masters Champions Dinner is going to be a little tense compared to how it has been in the past. I keep thinking about it because I wish I could be there and just be able to see how things work out.”

But Garcia insisted: “There will be no tension at the dinner, at all. Each of us attending the dinner are Augusta champions, and you walk into the room treating everyone with respect. So, there will be no tension whatsoever.

“For me, it’s a special week unlike it in golf where I can take the family, attend the Champion Dinner and enjoy competing in the Masters.”

Looking further ahead, Garcia is still holding put hope of playing a part in Luke Donald’s plans for Team Europe at the Ryder Cup in Rome as a captain’s pick.

“I can’t qualify on my own, I have to be a pick and it doesn’t matter how well I play,” he said. “So, the only thing I can do is just to try to play the best I can, and see if Luke thinks I’m good enough to be a part of the team. If not, then we’ll be home, it’s as simple as that.

“We can never go there with a weak team and expect to beat the Americans, even if we’re playing in Europe. So we’ll see, there’s still a lot of months to go until we get there.”

The post Sergio Garcia standing tall after knee surgery, with eyes on Augusta — and Ryder Cup appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Appropriately posted in the “ActLikeYouBelong” community a couple of days ago, it depicts a guy showing up to Augusta National Golf Club for a Masters practice round. With his golf clubs. Because apparently he thought his ticket gave him access to practice at the most exclusive golf course on the planet. Amazing.

What an absolute scene. Again, we’re not sure if this actually happened ahead of the 2007 Masters, but the photo certainly looks real. You’ve got a Georgia policeman calling for help, what looks to be an area near an Augusta National entrance, and some stunned onlookers, one of which has a Masters-green cup. We just don’t know what the heck was running through that patron’s mind.

Was it all some kind of joke? Did he get pranked by a friend? Or did he actually think he could play the course? Maybe it was another Masters invite mix-up like the one we just saw with Scott Stallings.

Regardless, it makes for an incredible photo. And this dude is a legend. Hey, fake it until you make it, right? Actually, nope, do NOT try to fake it until you make it at Augusta National. As we’ve seen countless times through the years, they don’t mess around there. So if you’re one of the lucky people with practice passes this year, you should definitely leave your clubs in the car.

The post If this guy really brought his clubs to a Masters practice round thinking he could play, he’s a golf legend appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The investigation has been spurred by the tour’s battle with LIV Golf, as the circuit has accused the tour of anticompetitive behaviur and joined an antitrust lawsuit first filed by LIV golfers in US District Court in August. In July, players’ agents received inquiries from the DOJ’s antitrust division regarding laws about participating in non-tour events and the tour’s actions related to LIV. The tour has countersued LIV, asserting that the case is not about unfair competition — “if anyone is competing unfairly, it is LIV, not the tour”.

The WSJ report does not specify why Augusta National, the USGA and the PGA of America have been brought into the investigation. However, the governing bodies have been mentioned in LIV’s antitrust allegations. In the suit’s original filing, LIV golfers allege that Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley discouraged players from moving to the breakaway circuit, while PGA of America officials allegedly told players at the Ryder Cup that joining LIV would make them ineligible to play in future matches.

The DOJ’s investigation has itself been under scrutiny, with members of Congress questioning why the department has inserted itself into the matter.

In a statement to Golf Digest, the USGA acknowledged it is aware of the probe. “We can confirm that we have been contacted by the Department of Justice and are fully complying with any/all requests,” a spokesperson said. “Given this is a legal matter, we will refrain from further comment at this time.” A spokesperson for the PGA of America said the PGA has no comment. As of this writing Augusta National has not responded to requests for comment.

A PGA Tour spokesperson confirmed to Golf Digest this summer that the tour was aware of the investigation. “This was not unexpected. We went through this in 1994, and we are confident in a similar outcome.”

This is not the first time the tour has faced antitrust claims. In the early 1990s, the Federal Trade Commission concluded a four-year investigation into whether the tour had violated antitrust laws — partially due to a rule stipulating permission for a conflicting-event release, which the tour has invoked this year to suspend those who have moved to LIV Golf. At the time, the FTC recommended federal action, but none was ultimately taken, a circumstance credited to the work of then PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem (a lawyer himself who worked in President Jimmy Carter’s administration) and the tour’s lobbying mastery. Coincidentally, this clashed with LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman’s first try to challenge the PGA Tour through his attempt to launch the World Tour.

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The post Report: Augusta National, USGA, PGA of America brought into investigation in Justice Department’s antitrust probe appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Then came Tiger Woods and suddenly everything changed (how many times has that phrase been said?). Woods won 10 of his 15 majors in his 20s and caused those coming after him to believe the theory was flawed. In Woods’ wake, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka and Collin Morikawa all won multiple majors in their 20s as well.

Maybe then this statistic isn’t a surprise, but it shows just how much the paradigm has shifted. With Cameron Smith (age 28) winning the Open Championship at St Andrews, after Matt Fitzpatrick (age 28) won the US Open, after Justin Thomas (age 29) won the PGA, after Scottie Scheffler (age 25) won the Masters, 2022 became the first calendar year ever in which all four men’s professional majors were won by players who had not yet turned 30.

Stretching back to 2021, it’s six straight majors won by twentysomethings when you count Morikawa at the Open at Royal St George’s and Jon Rahm at the US Open at Torrey Pines. Meanwhile, other twentysomethings stood out during the 2022 major season. According to statistical guru Justin Ray of the Twenty First Group, Morikawa, Will Zalatoris and Cameron Young, along with Scheffler, have multiple top-five finishes.

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The post Open Championship 2022: This year’s winners of the men’s majors collectively accomplished this historic first appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Matt Smith
Lando Norris, the McLaren Formula One driver, has revealed he realised a lifelong ambition by playing a round at Augusta following the Miami Grand Prix.

The racing driver was enjoying a break between the Miami race and the Spanish GP — and managed to squeeze in a round at the famed Masters golf course in Georgia along with McLaren CEO Zak Brown.

We started our day the right way.

With some golf #L4NDO #MiamiGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/p4Gl40DmMa

— #L4NDO (@TeamL4NDO) May 4, 2022

“I think Zak got invited,” Norris told a press conference in Spain. “We just know a couple of people who are members there and very kindly they invited us to go out and play. Zak has played before, so he had a bit of an advantage on me. But as a massive golf fan, everyone dreams of going to play Augusta.

“I don’t know what I would compare it to in terms of racing, and Formula 1. You know, everyone probably wants to go and drive Monaco at some point. If you win it, then it’s the dream. So I think it’s a similar thing, that if you get to go and play Augusta, you’ll be happy enough.

“And I mean, I know a lot of people who have wanted to for years and years and years and never got to play, so I got bragging rights to say that I’ve managed to play.”

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The post F1: McLaren’s Lando Norris plays ‘dream’ round of golf at Augusta appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Alex Myers
AUGUSTA — The green jacket is the undisputed top prize up for grabs this week, but several players could leave the 2022 Masters with another nice parting gift. The title of world No. 1 is also on the line — and there’s no shortage of scenarios for who can claim the top spot.

No fewer than six different golfers have the opportunity to wake up on Monday morning with the No. 1 ranking. And yes, in most of those scenarios that golfer would also wake up with the most coveted coat in sports — possibly actually waking up wearing it.

Of course, the list starts with the current World No. 1, Scottie Scheffler, who recently climbed to the top spot following his victory at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. A first major title would only distance himself from his pursuers, but isn’t necessary to remain No. 1.

Nor is it necessary for a foursome of Scheffler’s followers. No. 2 Jon Rahm could take back the top spot with as little as a solo sixth place, while No. 3 Collin Morikawa needs at least a T-3, No. 4 Viktor Hovland needs at least a solo third, and No. 5 Patrick Cantlay needs a solo second to have any chance of overtaking Scheffler.

RELATED: Mickelson ‘not disinvited from playing at 2022 Masters’

As is the case with Scheffler, should any of those four players win this week, they will also be ranked No. 1 come Monday. But a sixth player, reigning Players champ Cameron Smith, could move to No. 1 as well. In the Aussie’s case, he would need to win this week and then have a few other things go his way to get there.

A couple other things to note. For one, Morikawa, Hovland, Cantlay, and Smith have never previously held the top spot in the OWGR. And of those with a chance, only Rahm and Cantlay are paired together on Thursday and Friday.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering about Tiger Woods, currently ranked 973rd, OWGR guru @Nosferatu projects the following:

??#OWGR projection for @TigerWoods after the 2022 #TheMasters!

– Tiger goes into the Masters ranked #973

– Barely making the cut should lift him around 120 places

– A solo 2nd should get him back in the top 100

– A win could see him as high as no. 39 in the world! pic.twitter.com/pvy3Nm94kS

— Nosferatu (@VC606) April 5, 2022

The post Masters 2022: The six players with a chance to be World No. 1 — and where Tiger Woods could wind up appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Joel Beall
AUGUSTA — Phil Mickelson is not at the Masters for the first time in three decades. The why part is clear, following the Fire Pit Collective’s February publication of an interview conducted last November — in which Mickelson stated he was using a Saudi-backed golf circuit as leverage against the PGA Tour and claimed he had paid lawyers to draw up the league’s operating charter — Mickelson announced he would be taking a leave from the sport. Whether it was ultimately Mickelson’s decision not to be at Augusta National or if it was a decision made for him, however, was a matter of debate. On Wednesday, Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley cleared the air.

Speaking to the media during his annual press conference, Ridley said that Mickelson’s absence at the 2022 Masters came from Mickelson and Mickelson alone.

“We did not disinvite Phil,” Ridley said. “He is a three-time Masters champion … Phil reached out to me, I think in late February, early March and let me know he did not intend to play. That was by way of text. I thanked him for his courtesy of letting me know.”

On March 21, fans noticed that Mickelson’s name was no longer listed in this year’s field on the tournament website. Instead Mickelson was listed under ‘Past Champions Not Playing’. As this development spread on social media, a source confirmed to Golf Digest that Mickelson, 51, a three-time Masters champion and the reigning PGA champ, would indeed not be in the competition.

“The past 10 years I have felt the pressure and stress slowly affecting me at a deeper level,” Mickelson said in a February 22 statement. “I know I have not been my best and desperately need some time away to prioritise the ones I love most and work on being the man I want to be.”

His hiatus has included skipping the Players Championship — the PGA Tour’s flagship event held in the tour’s backyard of Ponte Vedra Beach — as well as the WGC-Dell Match Play. His last start on tour was at the Farmers Insurance Open, where he missed the cut at Torrey Pines.  His last appearance on any circuit was in February at the Saudi International.

Mickelson has made 29 career starts at the Masters, highlighted by victories in 2004, 2006 and 2010. This marks the first time he has not competed in the tournament since 1994. Mickelson also did not attend Tuesday’s Champions Dinner at Augusta National.

The post Masters 2022: Phil Mickelson was not disinvited from Masters, according to Augusta National chairman appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Dan Rapaport
AUGUSTA — Wednesday morning at the Masters offers tinkerers one final opportunity for last-minute tweaking. Four months of thinking about Augusta National and a three-day cram sesh of learning it culminate with five hours of morning daylight. The lunch hour brings an air of resignation to the 91 players in the field; there is no choice but to accept that prep time is done and showtime awaits.

Tiger Woods reached the rubber-hits-road moment ahead of schedule, well before noon, as is his habit, on a grey and misty Wednesday at golf’s greenest treasure. He’d just played nine holes with lil’ bro Justin Thomas and big bro Fred Couples for the second time this week, and for the second time this week he headed directly to the putting green afterwards to roll a few more. Then he walked through a tunnel of adoring patrons, under ‘that’ tree and into the clubhouse to begin a multi-hour wind-down process. Then he’ll sleep, and then he’ll play in the world’s biggest tournament, 508 days after his last competitive round and 408 days after his right leg was crushed by the weight of a large automobile.

We haven’t yet devised a way to accurately measure hype, but anecdotally speaking, anticipation for Woods’ first round has reached a fever-pitch. The Tiger juice is moreish, and the public is taking fat swigs. The crowds at Monday’s practice round were unlike any Monday crowd in recent memory, and Wednesday might’ve been even more packed. It’s understandable — the greatest player of his generation, the biggest star in the sport’s history, clawing out of the ashes yet again to make a most improbable return at the tournament that has defined his career more than any other, on the 25th anniversary of his first major championship. The fact that Woods even considered playing this week shows the power of modern medical technology when combined with an otherworldly work ethic.

Now comes the true test. You couldn’t pick a worse course to return from a leg injury at than Augusta National, a beast of a walk. Can he drive a 7-iron into a headwind off an upslope? Can he build a stance with one foot out of the bunker to create a swing path? Can he push off his right leg 40 times for four days in a row? Can he walk uphill, then downhill, then uphill again? How will he feel on Saturday morning, when it won’t hit 10C until 10am and won’t hit 16C at all?

“Just in general with my body, anytime it’s cold, it doesn’t feel very good,” Woods said. Still, he hasn’t softened his expectations for himself.

“I think that the fact that I was able to get myself here to this point is a success, and now that I am playing, now everything is focused on how do I get myself into the position where I’m on that back nine on Sunday with a chance? Just like I did a few years ago.”

By “a few” he means three, when he completed what looked like the ultimate comeback to win a fifth green jacket. Woods inspires optimism like few others, and the most ardent Tiger-stans can point to that 2019 tournament as evidence that Woods can pull off the impossible yet again. So will Couples’ assessment of his game.

“I really personally think he looks the exact same (as before the latest flurry of injuries),” Couples said. “I don’t know if you watched any holes, but he stood over the ball, and he says, ‘watch this,’ and he drew it around the corner. He hit a great iron on 12. It hit the bank and went in the water, but it was a flush iron. He knows where to aim, go over there to the left. Basically, No. 13, hooked it around the corner. He looks the exact same to me.”

“I really can’t. I was on this (podium) on Monday, and people were asking me, and I said besides golf — he’s Tiger Woods, so I’m not worried about watching him hit a ball ever because he’s the best player I’ve ever seen play.

“It’s a miraculous thing. Fourteen months ago I’m bawling like a baby every day, and now you pair with him and he looks strong. I know the leg is hurt, but he’s driving it with JT. Maybe JT today was a little more pumped up, got him a few times, but he’s hitting it plenty far enough to play this course, and he plays this course as well as he does where he’s won seven or eight times, and he’s won here a bunch. He knows what to do.”

Couples said on Monday that if Woods can walk all 72 holes — a massive if — he’ll contend. His reasoning: he’s still Tiger Woods and this is still Augusta National. Thomas, who knows a thing or two about the kind of golf that wins in the 2020s, offered a similar assessment of Woods’ game: “It’s plenty, plenty good enough to play well.” Are those fair assessments or (understandable) products of the hype machine?

Woods has returned to the Masters after an extended break multiple times before, and with some success. In 2010, he played his first tournament after his marital scandal and tied for fourth. In 2015, he emerged from a two-month hiatus and the chipping yips to tie for 17th. But that was before his right leg would send a metal detector into overdrive. He’s more physically compromised than he’s ever been, and yet he genuinely believes he can win this week.

“I don’t have any qualms about what I can do physically from a golf standpoint,” he said. “It’s now, walking is the hard part.”

For all that Woods is, one thing he is not is delusional. He wouldn’t say he has a chance to beat JT and Rahm and Rory if he didn’t have his full arsenal of shots. Which is to say: he does have his full arsenal. The on-course display has been impressive; Woods reached the uphill par-5 8th in two on Monday, hardly missed a fairway on Wednesday and turned a 3-wood around the corner on 13 both days. He looks excellent on the range as well, knocking down flags and cruising in the low 170mph ball speed with the driver, faster than he was toward the end of 2020 and slightly above tour average. On Monday afternoon he thrilled the patrons with a dazzling short-game display. He cut chips and then he drew them. He nipped high floaters and jammed low runners. An artist at work.

Looking good in practice, however, does not guarantee scoring success. Put simply: everyone looks good in practice — Tiger especially. From the seating area behind the practice range, you can tell who’s going to miss the cut but you cannot tell who is going to win. Woods looks … well, he looks like all the other great players here.

It’s worth noting that Woods, for as loose as his game has been in years past, has never missed the cut at the Masters as a professional, but the physical struggle is a different matter — he did walk extra-slow up the 17th fairway on Wednesday, before responding with that closing birdie. His golf shots look more like a contender than a Friday trunk-slammer.

No one knows how Woods’ body will feel come Friday afternoon, including Woods. Assuming it does hold up structurally, and his range of motion is not further impacted — if it’s just a matter of pain tolerance, it’s no matter at all — it’s fair to expect him to make the weekend. Contending is a different matter altogether; he was still the No. 1 player in the world in 2010, and 2019 came at the tail end of a 16-month period of elite play. This time around there are two dozen great players who’ve spent the last 14 months playing and practising as he re-learnt how to walk. Tournament golf requires a sharpness and comfort under pressure that cannot be replicated, even if Woods has replicated Augusta National’s green surrounds in his backyard facility. This year … this is different. But so is he.

“I wouldn’t be surprised (to see him contend),” Rory McIlroy said on Tuesday. “I’ve spent a little bit of time with him at home, and the golf is there. He’s hitting it well. He’s chipping well. He’s sharp. It’s just the physical demand of getting around 72 holes here this week. That’s probably the question mark. But the golf game is there.

“So, would I be surprised? No, I’m not surprised at anything he does anymore.”

The post Masters 2022: Tiger Woods is somehow here at Augusta. Now comes the hard part appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Highest first nine by a champion

Woods’ 40 on the opening nine of his first round as a professional at the Masters in 1997 is well documented and one of the few negative blips for him in the tournament’s record book.

Low middle 36 holes

Woods shot a remarkable 131, going 66-65 in the middle two rounds in 1997. That mark was matched by Woods himself with another 66-65 in 2005.

Youngest leader at 36 holes

Woods was only 21 years, three months and 14 days old when holding the 36-hole lead at the 1997 Masters. For those wondering why he also isn’t the youngest 54-hole leader, Jordan Spieth was 20 years, eight months and 17 days when he held a share of the 54-hole lead in 2014.

Largest lead at 54 holes

Woods opened a nine-shot advantage over Costantino Rocca after three rounds in 1997.

Low last 54 holes

Woods made easy work of Augusta National over the final three rounds in 1997, shooting an even 200 with scores of 66-65-69.

Most under par in one Masters, second nine

In 1997, Woods went 16 under par on the incoming nine for the week, going 30-32-33-33.

Most 3s in one Masters

In his breakthrough 1997 victory, Tiger made 26 3s courtesy of two eagles, 10 birdies and 14 pars. Impressively, he matched his own record in 2005 with a slightly less exciting 13 birdies and 13 pars. Woods demolished the previous mark of 22 held by Horton Smith in 1936 and tied by Tom Watson in 1977.

Widest margin of victory

Woods left Tom Kite a dozen shots in arrears in 1997, breaking the nine-stroke cushion Jack Nicklaus enjoyed with his 1965 win. The next best since then is the five-stroke victory by Dustin Johnson in the November 2020 Masters.

Youngest champion

Woods was 21 years, three months, 14 days when he won the 1997 Masters, supplanting Seve Ballesteros, who was 23 years, four days old when he won in 1980, as the tournament’s youngest champion.

Masters champions who played the tournament as an amateur

Woods appeared in the Masters twice as an amateur in 1995 and 1996 before winning as a professional in 1997. That put Woods in an exclusive club along with 13 others, including Nicklaus, Tommy Aaron, Ben Crenshaw, Craig Stadler and Hideki Matsuyama — all of whom played multiple times as an amateur before winning as a professional.

Champions with the same score in the first two and last two rounds

OK, this one is a bit dodgy but hey, it’s in the record book so it counts. Woods shot 136 for the first two rounds and last two rounds in 2001 to join Smith (142-142-284 in 1934); Nicklaus (144-144-288 in 1966); Crenshaw (137-137-274 in 1995) and Vijay Singh (139-139-278 in 2000). As you can see, Woods’ total was the lowest of the bunch.

Lowest round by defending champion

Woods shot a third-round 66 in defence of his title in 2002, tying the mark set by Jose Maria Olazabal in 1995’s opening round. Woods would shoot another third-round 66 in 2003 after winning in 2002. The only other defender to go as low is Spieth, who opened with a 66 in 2016.

Consecutive winners

Woods made it a threesome of players to win Masters titles back to back when he joined Nicklaus (1965, 1966) and Nick Faldo (1989, 1990) by following up his 2001 victory with another in 2002.

Champions winning other majors in the same year

Eighteen times a player has won the Masters and another major in the same year. Woods has done it twice, taking the US Open in 2002 and Open Championship in 2005.

Attempts at time of third Masters victory

Three Masters win in a lifetime is a rare feat. Doing so in just eight starts (which Woods did when he won in 2002) ties you with some pretty heady company, namely Arnold Palmer and Nicklaus.

Lowest 72-hole score by defending champion

Woods not only won his second consecutive Masters in 2002, but his 276 total bested the previous low by a defending champion by two shots (278 from Watson in 1978 and Faldo in 1990).

Best comeback after 18 holes

The old saying that you can’t win the tournament on Thursday but you can lose it normally applies to those who open with a 74 and stand seven shots behind the leader. But Woods matched the largest comeback after 18 holes in tournament history when he won in 2005 under just that circumstance. Faldo also came from seven back after the opening round in 1990.

Most birdies two consecutive rounds

Making seven birdies in Round 2 and nine more in Round 3, Woods set the mark for most birdies in consecutive rounds at the Masters at 16 in 2005. Anthony Kim tied the record in 2009, also in the middle two rounds.

Most consecutive birdies

Part of Woods’ birdie barrage in 2005 was a string of seven straight from holes 7 through 13 in the third round, tying Steve Pate’s mark from 1999 that was on the same stretch of holes and also in the third round.

Least number of pars by a champion

Of course, all those birdies in 2005 helped lead to another record — the fewest number of pars by a Masters winner with 36.

Players to win after holding the 54-hole lead

There have been 46 players to lead after three rounds and go on to win. Only three have done it four times: Palmer, Nicklaus and Woods, who joined that group in 2005.

Most eagles in one Masters

Despite the par 5s presenting numerous eagle opportunities for Masters participants, only three players have made four of them in one Masters. In 2010, Woods joined Bruce Crampton (1974) and Dustin Johnson (2009), including a hole out for eagle at the par-4 seventh hole in the final round.

Subpar total, par 5s in one Masters

Woods played the 16 par 5s in 15-under par in 2010, matching Greg Norman from 1995. Since then, Ernie Els in 2013, Phil Mickelson in 2015 and Marc Leishman in 2020 have also done the same.

Lowest score on hole 7

Woods’ eagle 2 in 2010’s final round gives him a share of this mark with 16 other players

Most under par, one Masters, hole 15

Bookend eagles sandwiched two birdies in the middle rounds to put Woods six under par on the 15th hole in 2010, currently tied with eight others.

Most consecutive rounds of par or better

Shooting par or better at the Masters is always an accomplishment. But to do it for the equivalent of four straight tournaments? That’s what Woods did when he posted 16 consecutive rounds of par or better from 2007’s third round through to 2011’s second round.

Most under par, one Masters, hole 6

Three birdies and a par has Woods tied with 15 others having played the par-3 sixth in three under par for one Masters

Champions trailing after three rounds

When he won by coming from behind after 54 holes in 2019, Woods became the 28th champion to do so.

Under par on the par 3s, 4s, 5s

Fifteen champions have played the par 3s, 4s and 5s all under par for the week. Only two, however, have done it twice. Gary Player in 1961 and 1978, and Woods in 2005 and 2019.

Oldest fifth-time winner

Seeing how only two people have won at least five Masters, there isn’t a lot of competition here. Woods, however, at 43 years, three months, 15 days when he won in 2019 takes the honour over Nicklaus.

Most 72-hole scores of 280 or lower

Considering a total of 280 would win or get you in a playoff for about half the Masters played to date, it’s a pretty good target to shoot for. No one has reached or bettered that total more often than Woods — who last did it in 2019 — and Mickelson, who have each done it eight times. Give Woods the tiebreaker here with only one 280 total compared to three for Lefty.

Four subpar rounds, one tournament

Woods has played five Masters in which all four rounds were under par (1997, 2001, 2002, 2010 and 2019), more than anyone else.

Par or better, four rounds, one tournament

Woods also owns this mark, having done it nine times (1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2019).

 

Longest active cut streak

Although he needs two more to tie Player and Fred Couples for the longest cuts-made streak at 23, Woods does own the longest active streak at 21, having never missed a Masters cut as a professional since his debut in 1997 through his last appearance in 2020.

Lowest scoring average, minimum 50 rounds

Woods’ 70.87 scoring average over 90 rounds is almost half a stroke better than Mickelson, who owns the second-lowest mark.

Career Masters earnings

Woods has pocketed a tidy $9,556,069 in Masters earnings in his career, about $1.4 million more than Mickelson and nearly $4.3 million more than Spieth, who ranks third.

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