Tiger Woods will likely struggle to win another major championship in his career, but he has certainly bowed out in the perfect fashion if that is to be the case.
Woods has a ‘massive mountain to climb’ after his latest injury setback, whereby he needed surgery on a ruptured Achilles tendon.
He will, therefore, be absent from the Masters, which returns to the iconic Augusta National in Georgia next month.
Woods is a five-time winner of the major championship, with the Masters representing both his first and most recent such win.
His stunning history at the event dates back to his 1997 victory, where he lifted the trophy after a phenomenal 12-stroke triumph.
Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed loved watching Tiger Woods win the 2019 Masters
But even that may fall short in comparison to his 2019 success, where the 82-time PGA Tour champion recovered in dramatic fashion to win by one shot.
Unsurprisingly, it left a lasting mark on a long list of his fellow professionals, many of whom looked back on the victory for The Masters in 2020.
Brooks Koepka, who finished tied second with Dustin Johnson and Xander Schauffele, said: “To come back from everything he has come back from and to win there is special. It wasn’t just the golf world that was excited, it was the entire world.”
Defending champion Patrick Reed meanwhile noted: “Growing up I always wanted to have the career that Tiger Woods had, it had been every golfer’s dream. To be able to put the jacket on him after the 15th major was unbelievable.”
Other contenders Tony Finau and Francesco Molinari also shared their verdicts, having both finished tied fifth that year.
“I am sure it will feel cooler later in my career when it doesn’t sting that I lost but really cool to be the first one to greet him,” said Finau. “Very special moment and probably the greatest moment in our sport.”
Molinari meanwhile said: “An incredible moment for everyone really involved in golf. I was lucky enough to be there right next to him. You can see he loves the place and there is a special chemistry between him and Augusta.”
Jon Rahm and Adam Scott overjoyed after incredible Tiger Woods 2019 Masters win
Woods may be absent from this year’s tournament, but he is certain to tune in to the action at Augusta National.
Fortunately his fellow professionals have already been given advice on the course from the living legend, with Woods labelling trajectory control as the most important thing at Augusta ahead of his win there in 2001.
Only Jack Nicklaus has more Masters triumphs, having won six times during his fantastic career, with two-time winner Scottie Scheffler looking to close in on that record.
But neither of those wins compare to when Woods emerged victorious in 2019, with the likes of Jon Rahm and Gary Woodland among the other players left delighted.
“I don’t think I have ever rooted for another golfer as hard as I have rooted for him,” commented Woodland. “Tiger has meant so much to me.
| Position | Player | Score | To par |
| 1 | Tiger Woods | 70-68-67-70=275 | −13 |
| T2 | Dustin Johnson | 68-70-70-68=276 | −12 |
| Brooks Koepka | 66-71-69-70=276 | ||
| Xander Schauffele | 73-65-70-68=276 | ||
| T5 | Jason Day | 70-67-73-67=277 | −11 |
| Tony Finau | 71-70-64-72=277 | ||
| Francesco Molinari | 70-67-66-74=277 | ||
| Webb Simpson | 72-71-64-70=277 | ||
| T9 | Patrick Cantlay | 73-73-64-68=278 | −10 |
| Rickie Fowler | 70-71-68-69=278 | ||
| Jon Rahm | 69-70-71-68=278 |
“To everybody in the game, especially the young guys. That moment we felt like we were all kind of winning to be honest with you.”
Rahm noted: “He is more than what we see as a player. He is a human being, a father, a son. It is important to remember that and it is great for him to have that moment as a family, I couldn’t be happier for him in that sense.”
Bernhard Langer and Adam Scott were also overjoyed, with the German recalling of the win: “I was up in the champion’s locker, sitting there with a few other past champions. We decided to put our green jackets on and go down and greet him in person and congratulate him.”
The Australian meanwhile said: “The Tiger story is incredible. He keeps doing things that people don’t think anyone can do and he does it.
“He played vintage stuff I think on that Sunday, just mistake-free, super-experienced golf like you would expect from Tiger Woods.”
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