Tiger Woods’s domination of the 1997 Masters was such that solely the match inside the match behind him was aggressive. He prevailed by a dozen photographs. Six separated Tom Kite, who was second, from those that tied for seventeenth.
Paul Stankowski will return to the galleries at Augusta Nationwide this week with recollections of 25 years in the past reverberating inside his head. Stankowski is an attention-grabbing case; he missed the lower on his Masters debut in 1996 and completed in a share of fifth a 12 months later earlier than ending thirty ninth in 1998. He was by no means to play within the Masters, which is held in Georgia, once more.
Stankowski’s 1997 expertise concerned wonderful margins and one freakish second. He was the primary spherical chief, having posted a 68, till John Huston holed his second shot to the 18th from the center of the tenth. “Who hits it on the tenth fairway taking part in 18?” he asks, nonetheless bewildered greater than 20 years on.
By Saturday, Stankowski sensed the possibility to play alongside Woods on what could be a closing spherical for the ages. “I had 10ft from behind the opening on 18,” the Californian, now 52, remembers. “I reckon if I make it, I’m within the final group. I miss that putt then [Costantino] Rocca comes alongside a gaggle or two behind me. He has 20ft; if he misses it, I get Tiger. He made it and bought to witness historical past. I performed with Tom Kite and performed like a canine, taking pictures two over, in entrance of my Ryder Cup captain. I knew my possibilities of making the Ryder Cup had been completed there. I knew I didn’t impress him. Had I wanted a decide, I knew I wasn’t going to get it. That final day was a troublesome one for me. I used to be dissatisfied.
“I joke about how I might have altered historical past with that 10ft putt on Saturday. Fact be informed, nothing would have modified. Tiger was destined to win and destined to be nice. For my technology he's the very best participant who has ever lived. It was fairly cool to nearly share the highlight with him.”
Certainly, Woods triumphed whereas pulling away. His 54-hole benefit was 9. By the point he added a 69 to earlier rounds of 70, 66 and 65, a world far past golf was paying consideration. This was Woods’s first Masters look as an expert – although he performed at Augusta in 1995 and 1996 as an newbie. Invoice Clinton, then president of the US, was amongst these to supply fast post-tournament congratulations.
Nick Faldo has at all times summed up 1997 appropriately. The defending champion partnered Woods throughout rounds one and two. Woods famously delivered a Thursday entrance half of 4 over par that was improved by 10 over the inward 9. “He went out in 40 then we didn’t see him for 14 years,” Faldo says. “He left us all within the mud.” Woods cited nervousness for his preliminary struggles. “I performed shaky,” he mentioned.
Stankowski, taking part in instantly in entrance of Faldo and Woods, admits to having a chuckle to himself when seeing the latter’s early issues. “Then, rapidly, we began listening to the roars.” They continued for one more three days; golf had a brand new icon. “I used to be requested by the media on Saturday afternoon: ‘Is it over?’” Stankowski provides. “I mentioned: ‘Properly, if anyone will get sizzling tomorrow and makes 5 or 6 birdies within the first two or three holes, perhaps they'll catch him.’ The man peeked out, perplexed, from behind the digital camera. If Tiger wasn’t there that week, it could have been much more thrilling for the remainder of the sector.”
However was Woods’s subsequent greatness simple to foresee? “Even then, we nonetheless had no concept,” says Stankowski. “I predicted Tiger Woods was going to win quite a lot of golf tournaments. He might dominate quite a lot of programs together with his size. However then we actually began to see his psychological fortitude, the mindset. He entered the property on a mission.”
Stankowski, who left the PGA Tour in 2013, now frequently performs Monday qualifiers and seeks invitations to function on the Champions Tour. This feels a far cry from chasing a Inexperienced Jacket, together with within the firm of Tom Watson. He received twice on the PGA Tour, as soon as in Atlanta within the week earlier than the 1996 Masters and at last in Hawaii in early 1997.
“I used to be on a extremely good run,” he says. “1997 was my most constant 12 months. I figured the sky was the restrict, I used to be nonetheless getting higher. However, not for a scarcity of effort, it simply didn’t occur. 1998 wasn’t an excellent 12 months, issues stored getting worse. I bought injured on the finish of 2002 and that was it for my actually good golf. For me, taking part in on the tour was a dream. I bought to try this for 20 years however my actually good play got here in in all probability lower than two years. That’s simply the character of the sport; what number of athletes are picked out as superb and earlier than it, you’ve forgotten about them?
“If you find yourself within the midst of fine golf you don’t understand how lengthy it's going to final. You'll be able to have aspirations and desires all you need however finally you don’t know. Proper now, Scottie Scheffler is the very best golfer on the earth. For all intents and functions that would final for 10 years or 10 weeks. You don't have any concept. I like what Tiger and Phil Mickelson have completed as a result of it’s so onerous to be the very best or among the many finest for an extended interval.”
Earlier than departing Augusta on 13 April 1997, Woods was instantly requested whether or not he was going to be the best golfer the world had ever seen. “I don’t learn about that,” he replied. “I do know my aim is to be the very best. I do know that’s a really lofty aim however I'll attempt to accomplish it. If I try this, nice, if I don’t, I attempted. I count on nothing however the very best for myself.” An extra 14 main wins later, it's secure to say Woods delivered on early promise. And a few.
Post a Comment