Tiger’s last Masters as much about family as a green jacket

Memories gave way to reality

a lot of guys watching in the champion’s locker room and I stayed and watched. You don’t often get that group of people together very often. You just had that sense it’s a significant moment in the sport again.”

Gary Woodland wasn’t about to miss it.

“I don’t usually watch much golf,” he said. “I had my family there. I was flying out Sunday afternoon. I played early that day, and we pushed the flight back. I wanted to watch that.”

The only mystery is where it leads.

Woods was never the same the rest of the major season. He played nine holes of practice at Bethpage Black and missed the cut in the PGA Championship. He was never a factor at the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, site of his 15-shot victory, as untouchable as any of his records. He missed the cut at the British Open.

Woods had another knee surgery to repair minor cartilage damage. And then he won again, this time in Japan, to tie the PGA Tour’s victory record with No. 82.

In only two starts this year, in chilly California weather, he didn’t look like the Masters champion. His back felt stiff and he skipped three tournaments he ordinarily plays. And now golf is shut down, which Woods said has given him time for his 44-year-old body to feel stronger.

He had caddie Joe LaCava come down a month after the Masters to watch the final round together. Woods has watched that Masters plenty of times, and he taped a segment with Jim Nantz for perspective unlike any other for CBS to show it again Sunday to fill the void of not having the Masters this April.

Each time Woods won a major even the first of his 15 - it was one major closer to the 18 won by Jack Nicklaus. This one was different. This was more about satisfaction and redemption than a thirst for more.

Woods said his kids once looked at him as the “YouTube” golfer because they never saw him at his best.

They were at Carnoustie in the summer of 2018 when he had the lead briefly in the final round of the British Open. They were with him at Augusta National, and that meant as much as the green jacket he wore - the jacket, he said, they fought over who could wear it on the flight home.

“It’s been incredible for myself and my family to be a part of this, and for me to be the current Masters champion, it’s crazy that somehow it all came together for one week,” he said. “One magical week. (AP)