Why Adam Scott was ‘glad’ when Tiger Woods won the US Open by 15 shots in 2000

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It’s simply too difficult to rank one Tiger Woods achievement above all others, but his display at the US Open in 2000 is undoubtedly among the very best.

Woods won the 2000 US Open by a huge 15-stroke margin, leaving Ernie Els and Miguel Angel Jimenez in the dust.

It was a phenomenal display at Pebble Beach in California, where the youngster claimed his third major championship win.

Woods was relatively well established at this stage despite his youth, with his fellow professional Adam Scott only just starting out.

But the pair were already linked, with the young Australian sharing a coach with the American icon, Butch Harmon.

Why Adam Scott was ‘glad’ Tiger Woods won the 2000 US Open by 15 shots

Thanks to that connection, Scott played some practice rounds with Woods, and earlier this year looked back on those days for the PGA Tour’s website.

Scott commented: “It was just like this perfect golfer in front of you. It was remarkable. And it’s hard to explain.

“Sometimes I try to explain what it was like to some of the younger pros, but he was doing things that actually no one else could do.

“The week after I first played with Tiger that year, he won the US Open by 15. And if he didn’t win by 15, I would have felt like I wasn’t ready to turn pro.

“But I was glad he was the only guy playing that level, because what I saw playing with him the week before the US Open was remarkable.”

What Russell Henley made of Tiger Woods’ display at the 2000 US Open

Fortunately Scott made the decision to turn professional, with the Australian going on to enjoy a fantastic career.

He hasn’t managed to hit the heights that Woods has, although not many have, but he’s gone on to claim 14 PGA Tour wins.

Among his honors list is a stunning triumph at The Masters in 2013, when he defeated Angel Cabrera in a playoff at Augusta.

It does, of course, not come close to Woods’ efforts at Pebble Beach, which were also analysed by PGA Tour ace Russell Henley.

He noted: “I’ve gone through and watched pretty much every shot from that week. When I’m trying to work on my swing or some part of my game and just try to see what he did.”

And commenting on Woods’ 2000 US Open shot from the rough on the par-five sixth hole, Henley said: “I don’t think people realize how steep it is.

“If you hit it a little thin, you’re going to hit it into the cliff. It’s a very intimidating shot. Usually, it’s a little cold.”

The stunning shot simply typified his entire week at the US Open, a tournament Woods went on to win in 2002 and 2008.