Go on, watch it again. It’s one of those special Tiger Woods moments – and we’re not talking about that chip at Augusta.
It’s Players Championship week, and 25 years since Tiger’s “Better than most” putt.
To honor Woods, The Players has done something pretty special this week – but before we get onto that, let’s rewind the clock to 2001.
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Woods, the World No.1, was at the peak of his powers, yet the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass was proving a difficult nut to crack.
With no victories at the famous course in his first four attempts and just one sub-70 round, could it be possible that the best player to pick up a golf club in the history of the game might not win golf’s unofficial ‘Fifth Major’?
Possible, yes, but unlikely.
Third-round leader Jerry Kelly was optimistic about his chances through 36 holes, as he opined that Woods was “just another player”.
In the third round, Woods gifted us that special moment, one that will be shown over and over again on Saturday, as he took control of the tournament in style.
TPC Sawgrass is known for its signature hole, the par-3 17th, with the “island green” a terrifyingly small target even with a wedge, especially when the wind whips in across the water.
But it’s not just the water that gives players a headache: find the wrong part of the green, and it’s easy to throw in a costly three-putt near the end of the round.
Woods hit his pitching wedge straight at the flag, but it went long, and he was fortunate not to find the water.
Now, though, he was standing on the top tier facing a triple-breaking putt that went right-to-left, then left-to-right, and then back right-to-left.
He was also 60 feet away, so the odds of making a par were stacked against him.
“Better than most,” was the iconic call by NBC’s Gary Koch, as Woods’ putt tracked towards the hole – and then disappeared from view.
The 2001 Players Championship ran into Monday because of bad weather, and it was Woods who prevailed by one shot over Vijay Singh.
The hole location on the iconic 17th for Saturday’s third round will be the same one used during the 2001 edition of the…
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