It’s one of, if not the most iconic shot in Masters history – perhaps even golf history – but Tiger Woods isn’t a huge fan of watching it back.
It’s been 18 years since Woods’ tee shot at the iconic par-3 16th during the final round nestled against the second cut on the left hand side.
You won’t need reminding about what happened next, as he chipped to the top of the ridge, before his ball slammed on the brakes, turned 90 degrees, and trickled down to the hole, pausing just long enough to give Nike the best advert they never made, and falling in.
But the five-time Green Jacket winner is far too distracted by the fact he was there in the first place.
“If you want to go back and see the chip in, OK, that’s cool,” he tells reporters ahead of his 25th Masters appearance. “But to hit an 8-iron that bad and that far off-line, and I had a perfect lie, was not very good.”
But has he at least tried to recreate the chip since?
The answer is, again, no, but this one isn’t his fault.
“They have since redesigned the green,” he explains. “It’s not how it used to be over there.
“There is a new back, deeper hole location there that they tried to fit, but my chip there in 2005 is not the same, and the green is not the same as it was then.”
Woods – who has only missed four Masters since his debut as an amateur in 1995 – also admits that the idea of it being his last had crossed his mind.
“I didn’t know if I was going to play again at that time,” he says, recalling last year’s tournament in which he finished 47th. “For some reason everything came together and I pushed it a little bit and I was able to make the cut, which was nice.
“I don’t know how many more I have in me.”
It’s a stark admission, but nothing that he hasn’t said before as he comes to terms with playing tournament golf since the car accident that almost cost him a leg.
“Just to be able to appreciate the time that I have here and cherish the memories, to just look at the golf course…”
His mind wanders: “It looks like it’s been here for over a hundred years and hasn’t changed, and each and every year we come here, everything has changed since I first played here.
“But it’s really neat to be able to come here and play this golf course and see all the past champions – I know more guys on the Champions Tour than I do the regular tour! It’s the best.”
Woods will tee up alongside Viktor Hovland and Xander Schauffele for the first two days at Augusta.
Alex Perry
