2020-05-01_Golf_Digest

(Joyce) #1
issue 4. 2020 | golf digest 77

to 6, I said something briefly,
basically saying, “You know,
it’s one thing if you don’t win
this tournament today, but just
don’t hand strokes to people.”
tiger woods: The talk that
Joey and I had off of 5—I just
listened. He was saying some
things that I can’t really repeat
here. Then I went into the
restroom and proceeded to say
the same things over and over


to myself, and then came out,
and I felt a lot better.
mark steinberg: Joe is an
incredibly calming influence
on Tiger. Not just on the golf
course, but in life.
rob mcnamara: Overdoing it
with Tiger is the wrong thing.
mark steinberg: That’s a
bad thing.


rob mcnamara: If you over-
caddie, if you over-coach, if
you overdo anything, it’s off-
putting for him.
mark steinberg: Then you
look for a new job!
joe lacava: He hit a good
8-iron on 6 to probably 12 feet
but didn’t make the putt.
tony finau: I started watching
the Masters in ’97 [Tiger’s first
major victory], so now to be

able to play against my idol
in the final group at Augusta
National was something
special. We get to hole 7,
we haven’t exchanged any
words, nothing, just saying
good luck on the first tee was
about the extent of our talking.

... I’m walking off the tee,
we’re right next to each other,
so I figured I better say “Hi” or
say something to him. I said,
“Hey, Tiger, how’s the family?
How’s the kids?” And he
looked at me pretty straight-
faced, and he said, “They’re
good.” And he kept walking,
and I never talked to him again
until I was congratulating him
on the 18th green. He was all
business.... Rightfully so.
[Laughs.]
francesco molinari: There
was not a lot of chatter.
rich beem (Sky Sports): He’s
the toughest bastard who ever
played the game. All that talk
about him becoming more
relaxed needs to be taken with
a huge pinch of salt.
joe lacava: On 7, Tiger hits
it to a foot to birdie it, then
birdies 8 [matching Molinari,
who had a one-stroke lead
after making a 5 at No. 7, his
first bogey in 50 holes].
nick faldo (on Tiger’s two-
putt par from the back of the
green at 9): He was keeping
the round going. Molinari
hadn’t missed a putt, but
Tiger kept in contact [making
the turn one shot behind
Molinari before a bogey at
the 10th dropped him two
off the lead].


THE DRAMA BUILDS BEFORE


FOUR KEY SPLASHES


jim nantz: There are two
tee shots that Tiger struggles
with at Augusta above all:
No. 1 and No. 11. But it’s
uncanny how many times
he’s been able to work his
way out of a jam at 11.
The par at 11 was a pivotal
moment in a lot of ways.
He could have been stepping
up on the 12th tee off of
consecutive bogeys, and the
atmosphere might have been
completely different.
frank nobilo: Eleven, he

could have easily made bogey
or worse.
joe lacava: You’re coming
down the hill at 11, and you’re
always watching over there
[at the 12th], and I see Poulter
and Brooks drop [after hitting
into the water]. And Brooks
is the hottest player in the
world, so I’m guessing he
didn’t mis-hit a shot. That tells
me something tricky’s going
on with the wind. Then I see
Webb is over the green. You
always pay attention to that
hole, but now it’s really got
my attention. Tiger is paying
attention—he knows what’s
going on.
tiger woods: It’s like, OK,
there might be something there.
I could see some of the water
ripples.
frank nobilo (CBS announcer
at the 12th): It wasn’t like it was
blowing strong, but it blows
enough. Every year those trees
get taller. The angle of that
green on the right side, it’s a
longer carry. Invariably, all the
players got caught doing the
same thing.
graeme mcdowell: I was on
Twitter having a bit of banter.
I put up a Google map to show
the wind direction—12 was
playing into the wind. It was
amazing to see how many guys
got it wrong.
ken brown (BBC): The pin
position [in the final round]
is normally four yards from
the right edge. Last year, it
was three. That might have
led to a misconception among
some players.
ian poulter: The only thing
I can say about my tee shot
at the 12th is that I wouldn’t
want it back. I thought it was
perfect.
brooks koepka: Four out of

key moment

▶ Four of the final six players found
water at the 12th hole, but Woods hit
the green for another key par.

“IT’S LIKE, OK, THERE


MIGHT BE SOMETHING


THERE [AT THE PAR-3


12TH HOLE]. I COULD


SEE SOME OF THE


WATER RIPPLES.”

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