1997 THE DAY TIGER WOODS TOOK OVER GOLF
himself and played every hole in his head. Driver here, pick a club, aim there, knock it close, next hole. With all the variables in golf, Tiger was great at controlling what he could and being ready for the rest, even that week as a 21-year-old. I told him on Sunday morning what Ben Hogan did when he was in contention: slow everything down. Walk slower, brush your teeth slower, drive to the course slower. Whether or not that landed with Tiger, he didn’t rush that morning. His put- ting, his warm-up were precise and calm, very routine. We had talked about my dad, who won the Masters in 1948, saying the greatest feeling in the world is walking up the 72nd hole at Augusta with a five-shot lead, knowing you can’t lose. “Someday that’s going to be you,” I said. And there we were just a few days later, except Tiger’s lead was 12! Tiger had arrived, ahead of schedule – to everyone but him.
ust before Tiger went to the first tee on Sun- day in his first major as a pro, I put my arm around him and said, “This is your day. Go out and enjoy it.” After 66-65 on Friday and Saturday, he had a nine-shot lead, but Tiger was never a bragger, never looked back, al- ways what’s next. I remember his response, with a knowing smile: “I’ve got this, Butchie.” Tiger was ready for this stage, and his game was perfect for Augusta National – his length off the tee, his high ball flight, pressure putting. He hit irons into most of the par 5s that week, even wedges into 15 a couple of times. As the vibe went from what could be to breaking records, he played even better. On Saturday night, Tiger did what would become a ritual for him: He sat down with his yardage book in a room by J
74 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
MARCH/APRIL 2025
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