Published 08:20 IST, April 13th 2020
ON THIS DAY: Tiger Woods wins his first major by record 12 strokes
By the time the smiles he flashed on the final fairway dissolved into the tears in an emotional hug with his father, Earl, Woods’ victory had already transcended the fact that he was the first man of colour to win a major professional golf championship.
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Tiger Woods stunned the world of golf in his first major championship as a professional, winning the 1997 Masters Championship by an incredible 12 strokes on April 13th.
His play was so perfect, so dominant, and the triumph at the Masters so complete that even Woods found it hard to believe.By the time the smiles he flashed on the final fairway dissolved into the tears in an emotional hug with his father, Earl, Woods’ victory had already transcended the fact that he was the first man of colour to win a major professional golf championship.
Closing with a round of 69, Woods finished on 18-under-par 270 - the lowest total ever recorded in the Masters.
His 12-stroke victory over Tom Kite was not only a Masters record by three strokes, but the greatest winning margin in any major since Tom Morris Sr. won the 1862 Open Championship by 13 strokes.And, for the record, Woods was the youngest player to win a Green Jacket by two years.
(Image Credit: AP)
Updated 08:20 IST, April 13th 2020