Masters Tournament: The ten best players in Augusta National history
By Bill Felber
2: Tiger Woods – 1997-Present, (1997, 2001, 2002, 2005), -23.70
Between 1997 and 2013, Tiger Woods dominated Augusta. Beyond his four victories, he added seven top-fives including back-to-back runners-up in 2007 and 2008. Only his deteriorating health finally stopped him.
Woods’ Masters victories were the stuff of legend. His record-setting 12-stroke win in 1997 re-shaped the game’s face and culture. He completed the “Tiger Slam” with a two-stroke win over David Duval in 2001, and a year later joined Jack Nicklaus (1965-66) and Nick Faldo (1989-90) as the tournament’s only repeat champions.
His 2005 Masters title, in a playoff over Chris DiMarco, was perhaps his most dramatic. It was highlighted by Woods’ memorable chip-in birdie at the 16th hole. Woods needed that birdie because he bogeyed the final two holes to fall back into the playoff, which Woods ended with a 15-foot birdie putt.
Across the next three Masters, Woods missed out on establishing an indelible record by the narrowest of margins. In 2006 he tied for third, three strokes behind Mickelson. On year later he tied for second, two behind Zach Johnson. In 2008 he chased Trevor Immelman all week, eventually losing by three.
Between 2000 and 2011, he only twice finished outside the top 10.
Had he remained healthy, Woods might have caught Nicklaus atop the all-time roster of Masters players. But since 2011 he has missed three Masters entirely and has generally been ineffective when he did play, recording just one finish better than a tie for 17th. Still, he remains a viable threat as the 2019 event begins.