Masters memories: Jose Maria Olazabal’s magical comeback in 1999
Background: Jose Maria Olazabal had feared his career was at an end.
The Spaniard, such a fixture of Major championships and Europe’s Ryder Cup successes, couldn’t walk with a foot injury and had quit playing.
But after a year away from the game, a German doctor treated him for a back problem and, miraculously, he could suddenly move around freely once again.
Now a man reborn, his quest for another green jacket – to add to the one he won in 1994 – began with rounds of 70, 66 and 73.
Immediately behind him, as the final round got under way, was a man just as desperate to write his own page in Augusta National folklore: Greg Norman.
The scene: Consecutive birdies on the 3rd, 4th and 5th saw Norman draw level but the Spaniard fought back valiantly.
Norman’s 25-foot eagle on the 13th put him into the lead but it was a feeling he could only enjoy for a brief moment. Olazabal slammed in a 20-foot birdie putt to immediately tie.
Davis Love III briefly threatened, getting to -6 with a birdie at the 16th, but found the gap too big to close.
The moment: Olazabal’s resolve seemed to knock the stuffing out of Norman. The Great White Shark’s battle scars from so many foiled attempts at Augusta resurfaced and he bogeyed both 14 and 15 to take him out of reach.
A back nine of 33, meanwhile, allowed Olazabal to enjoy a leisurely walk down 18 and seal an emotional victory.
“This one I’m sure I’m going to enjoy it much more than the one I had before for several reasons,” he admitted in the aftermath.
“When you win two (Masters) and especially the way I did it today, it means a lot more to me.”
Steve Carroll
A journalist for 25 years, Steve has been immersed in club golf for almost as long. A former club captain, he has passed the Level 3 Rules of Golf exam with distinction having attended the R&A's prestigious Tournament Administrators and Referees Seminar.
Steve has officiated at a host of high-profile tournaments, including Open Regional Qualifying, PGA Fourball Championship, English Men's Senior Amateur, and the North of England Amateur Championship. In 2023, he made his international debut as part of the team that refereed England vs Switzerland U16 girls.
A part of NCG's Top 100s panel, Steve has a particular love of links golf and is frantically trying to restore his single-figure handicap. He currently floats at around 11.
Steve plays at Close House, in Newcastle, and York GC, where he is a member of the club's matches and competitions committee and referees the annual 36-hole scratch York Rose Bowl.
Having studied history at Newcastle University, he became a journalist having passed his NTCJ exams at Darlington College of Technology.
What's in Steve's bag: TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver, 3-wood, and hybrids; TaylorMade Stealth 2 irons; TaylorMade Hi-Toe, Ping ChipR, Sik Putter.