For anyone to have competed at the same time as Tiger Woods, there’s bound to be some good and bad memories of his dominant spell in the 2000s and for one Japanese golfer in particular, he very nearly came from nowhere to usurp Woods at The Masters.
Tiger Woods is synonymous with Augusta National and has won five times around the famous course.
As we all know, Woods had the ultimate redemption back in 2019 when he won after so many years in the wilderness.
Prior to that, though, Tiger was a near unstoppable force and at the 2001 Masters, he won by two shots ahead of David Duval to seal a second green jacket.
However, while Woods and Duval battled it out in first and second, there was a surprise name threatening to spoil the party just behind them.
That man, was Japanese golfer, Toshi Izawa.
How Toshi Izawa nearly won The Masters
While many will remember Woods’ win in 2001 fondly and some will suggest he was never really in trouble, Toshi Izawa was one of a few who put up a fight in the end.
Little known Izawa ended up finishing six shots shy of Woods in the end but he didn’t go away without a fight.
In fact, after round two, Izawa was just a shot behind Woods after a fine round of 66 put him in contention.
However, a third round 74 shunted him back down the board, before Izawa rose again in the fourth round, carding a 67 to climb back into a tie for fourth with Mark Calcavecchia and with it, win a split share of around $500,000.
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Toshi Izawa’s stellar career outside the PGA Tour
Unfortunately for Izawa, that week in 2001, Tiger Woods showed consistency across all four rounds.
Woods carded scores of 70, 66, 68, and another 68 in the final round to win out, and it was that sort of consistency that got him so many wins in the 2000s
As for Izawa, the 2001 Masters was the best it would ever get in PGA Tour terms. He missed the cut on his next three visits to Augusta, and never quite managed to win a PGA Tour event.
He did, however, enjoy success on the Japan Tour, where he won 16 times before adding another two on the Japan PGA Senior Tour.
Coincidentally, Izawa made headlines as recently as 2024 when he won again on the Japan Senior tour, taking home the Maruhan Cup by beating Choi-Ho Sung by a single stroke.
So, while Toshi Izawa might have just fallen short of a Masters win, his fourth place is something he’ll hold dear to his heart and when he finally does retire, will be a memory he can tell the grandkids and generations beyond for years to come.
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