It is hard to imagine just how demoralising it was for most players when they saw Tiger Woods hit the top of the leaderboard, with the 15-time major champion one of the very best of all time at getting across the line.
Tiger Woods had a phenomenal record in major championships when he had the 54-hole lead. The 49-year-old was either out in front or tied at the top after three rounds for his first 14 major victories.
Of course, it is one thing to reach the top of the leaderboard, but it is another to stay there once you become the player that everyone is looking to catch.
There have been plenty of occasions where players have completely floundered when looking to hold onto a significant lead. Perhaps the most iconic collapse of all time came when Jean van de Velde blew a three-shot advantage with one hole to play at The Open Championship in 1999.
Tiger Woods’ advice for players when they find themselves top of the leaderboard
But van de Velde is far from the only player to struggle with the unique pressure of being in front.
And speaking on The Lads, Jason Day explained what mentality players need to have when they are putting together a great score. He also shared what Woods once said to him about completing the job.
“Keep pushing, because the moment you give yourself time to break and think, ‘oh, I’m shooting a low score here’, the more time you give yourself to think, the more time that you start to think about things that could potentially come undone. So you’ve just got to keep pushing,” he said.
“A piece of advice from Tiger Woods was anytime you had the lead, you try and extend that lead regardless of where you’re at, because once you start to get a little bit defensive out there, then you start to make some mental errors. You’re always trying to push the lead further forward.
“And if you’re behind, to try and cut into that lead on Sunday. Try and halve that lead, so if he’s four shots in front, try and halve it by nine holes. And then on the back nine, anything can happen.”
The incredible achievement Tiger Woods enjoyed for the first time in his career at the 2019 Masters
It is remarkable just how prolific Woods was when he had the lead in the majors. Between 1997 and 2008, he won every single time he was at least tied at the top heading into Sunday.
Of course, the 2009 PGA Championship marked the first time Woods failed to win after leading at the end of the third round of a major. On that occasion, it was Y.E. Yang who managed to come back from two shots behind to win at Hazeltine.
In fact, Woods had to wait for his 15th major victory – at the 2019 Masters – for the first time he won one of the four biggest events of the year after trailing before the final round.
So if Woods believes that the best way to maintain a lead is to keep the foot down, then perhaps it is fair to assume that attack is indeed the best form of defence.
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