Tiger Woods sank an 18-foot birdie putt in a sudden-death playoff at Augusta National to win his ninth major.
A 29-year-old Tiger Woods sank a birdie putt during a sudden-death playoff at Augusta National to win his fourth green jacket on April 10, 2005—15 years ago today.
Woods’s victory came down to the wire as he watched a four-stroke lead disappear. He completed his final round with back-to-back bogeys, giving Chris DiMarco a chance to win on the 18th hole. After a 12-under final round, DiMarco needed to birdie to take home the victory but ended up settling for par after watching his putt lip out of the cup.
As DiMarco clinched a playoff, Augusta roared—and Woods flashed a smile.
“This is fun,” Woods later said.
The sudden death round saw Woods hit what he later described as two of his best shots of the tournament. Woods edged out DiMarco’s par-4 on the 18th hole after completing a downhill 18-foot putt for birdie and the victory. Woods had battled from behind earlier in the tournament, as he went down by seven strokes to DiMarco after the first round but ended up leading by three entering day four.
The triumph also marked the end of a cold spell for Woods. He entered Masters week with zero wins in his previous 10 majors. The 2005 Masters marked Woods’s ninth major victory in his ninth full season on the PGA Tour, and he went on to win The Open Championship for his 10th major later that year.
On the way to his green jacket, Woods recorded one of the greatest shots in golf history. With DiMarco within one stroke of a tie at the 16th hole, Woods landed a drive to the left of the green, leaving him little room to work. What resulted was a chip shot for the ages.
“All of a sudden it looked pretty good,” Woods said as he recalled the moment. “And all of a sudden it looked really good. And then it looked like how could it not go in, and how did it not go in, and all of a sudden it went in. So it was pretty sweet.”
While Woods struggled to find himself atop the leaderboard from 2003-05, he had made changes both in his life and on the green. In his personal life, he married Elin Nordegren, bought a 155-foot yacht and donated $5 million to build a learning center in Southern California. Professionally, he had reworked his swing and used new equipment to try to add distance to his game.
As he recorded his first major win in 34 months, Woods reminded many that he was the clear leader of the “Big Four,” setting himself apart from Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh and Ernie Els. His legacy in the sport was growing at a rate that only rivaled Jack Nicklaus.
After the 2005 Masters, Woods was outpacing Nicklaus in major victories over their careers. Nicklaus, who played in that year’s tournament as a 65-year-old, had eight majors to his name after his ninth full season, compared to Woods’s nine at the time.
Despite the projections, Nicklaus currently remains atop the history books with 18 major wins from 1962-86. He recorded his last as a 46-year-old with a victory in the 1986 Masters.
Woods, now 44, stands three career majors behind Nicklaus’s all-time mark. His last major win came at the 2019 Masters, where he won his fifth green jacket—tied for second-most behind Nicklaus (six)—and ended an 11-year major drought.
Woods finished the 2005 Masters with an emotional speech, during which he dedicated the victory to his father, Earl. Woods’s father, who was battling cancer, had tried to make it to the course but instead opted to watch on television from a rented house to avoid the crowds.
It was a day that was bookended in both smiles and tears for Woods.
“This is for dad,” Woods said while crying. “Every year I’ve been lucky enough to win this tournament, my dad has been there to give me a hug. I can’t wait to get back to the house and give him a big bear hug.”
