Woods solved Southern Hills in ’07
It’s a topic worthy of debate on the 19th hole.
So order a beverage or two and dive into the storied career in major championships of one Tiger Woods. Tee up the question and have at it: rank in order of significance the victories Tiger Woods has collected in the majors?
What would top your list?
His transformative, earth-shattering, record-smashing win in the 1997 Masters, when he became the first player of color to win a green jacket?
His tour de force at Pebble Beach in the 2000 U.S. Open, a performance Phil Mickelson said was the greatest golf ever played?
His masterful waltz on the ancient ground of St. Andrews to win the 2000 Open Championship at the Home of Golf to become the youngest at age 24 to complete the career Grand Slam?
His down-to-the-wire victory in the 2001 Masters to become the first to win four consecutive professional majors, aka, the Tiger Slam?
His playoff win in the 2008 U.S. Open on a broken leg and trashed knee ligaments?
His win in the 2019 Masters following spinal fusion surgery?
That’s just six of his 15 major championships, and one wouldn’t be shunned from the 19th hole argument adding another to the list.
In fact, Woods himself would like to add one – the 2007 PGA Championship at sweltering Southern Hills Country Club in the Sooner State city of Tulsa.
In winning his fourth Wanamaker Trophy by two shots for his 13th victory in a major – at the time his winning clip in the game’s four most sacred championships was 27 percent – Woods achieved a personal milestone.
Coming a year after he won his first major at the 2006 Open Championship without his father by his side (Earl Woods had passed in May of that year), Woods won his first major as a father, as his daughter, Sam, was born in June of 2007.
The tiny Sam was with her mother and Woods’ former wife, Elin, in the scoring tent when daddy polished off his victory at Southern Hills.
“It’s a feeling I’ve never had before, having Sam there and having Elin there. It feels a lot more special when you have your family there,” Woods said afterward. “And it used to be my mom and dad. And now Elin and now we have our own daughter. It’s evolved.
“This one feels so much more special than the other majors. The British Open last year was different, but this one was certainly so special and so right to have Elin and Sam there.”
Woods and his battered 46-year-old body have made a remarkable return to the game following a horrifying, highspeed, single-car crash north of Los Angeles in February 2021 that nearly cost him his life and almost led to amputation of his severely injured right leg, ankle and foot.
The winner of a record-tying 82 PGA Tour titles played the 2022 Masters in April, his first start in an official event in more than 500 days. After a stunning 71 in the first round that placed him on the first page of the leaderboard, Woods and his stamina gave way to the mountainous nature of Augusta National Golf Club as he wound up in a tie for 47th.
Following his final round, Woods said he would play in the 150th anniversary of the Open Championship in July at St. Andrews, where he has won the Claret Jug on two occasions. As for an appearance at Southern Hills on the 15th anniversary of his last win in the PGA Championship, Woods said he would try his hardest to make it to Tulsa.
The first time he played Southern Hills as a pro came in the 1996 Tour Championship; he finished in a tie for 21st, 20 shots behind winner Tom Lehman.
The second time came in 2001 when the U.S. Open descended on Tulsa. Woods was the overwhelming favorite, having won the previous four major championships. But an opening 74 knocked him eight shots out of the lead and he eventually tied for 12th, seven shots back.
The third time proved charming. He was the undisputed world No. 1 when he headed to Tulsa in 2007. He had four victories under his golf belt that year, including an 8-stroke romp the previous week at Firestone Country Club in the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational, and had finished runner-up in two of the first three majors.
Woods would be making his 50th start in a major championship, counting his amateur appearances. And Sam, his infant daughter, was in the world.
Woods had another slice of mojo to call on– August in Oklahoma is not for the timid. Upon arrival, the participants knew it was going to be a long, hot week at the 89th playing of the PGA Championship, and the forecast did not wane as temperatures hovered above triple digits the entire week.
It would be a survival of the fittest – and no golfer was in better physical condition than Woods, who was 31 at the time.
So, all was good – until the first round started. In an uncharacteristic, sloppy round, Woods made five bogeys and four birdies and signed for a 1-over-par 71. While that placed him six shots out of the lead set by Graeme Storm, and four shots behind John Daly, who spent most of his week at a nearby Cherokee casino, Woods knew there were 54 holes to play.
In other words, time was on his side. And as it turned out, Woods tightened up his game and only made five more bogeys the rest of the tournament.
One of those came in the second round, but it didn’t much matter. Woods bounced back with a sizzling 63, which tied the course record set by Raymond Floyd in the 1982 PGA Championship. The 63 tied the lowest single-round score – at the time – in major championship history. He would have put his signature to a record-setting 62 if not for a cruel lip out on the 18th green on his 15-footer for birdie.
“It got me back in the tournament,” Woods said of the second round. “It wasn’t like I was out of the tournament, but I just felt that winning score this year was going to probably be around 4-, 5under par and to go ahead and get it in one lump sum felt pretty good.”
The round took him from a 5-shot deficit to a 2-shot lead through 36 holes.
Arron Oberholser, who would finish fourth that year, said Woods just plodded along with “such horrifying precision.”
“The rest of us are made to fire at flag sticks in cases where normally we wouldn’t and therefore we make mistakes,” Oberholser said. “He’s the greatest in the world for a reason. He definitely is the greatest I’ve ever seen play without a doubt.”
Woods tacked on a 69 in the third round to increase his advantage to three shots.
“I accomplished my goal today,” Woods said. “My goal was to shoot under par and increase my lead. And I was able to do that today. So positive day all around.
“Only made one bogey today, which was good. And really kept myself out of trouble most of the day. Just try to keep hitting fairways and put the ball in the center of the greens and lag putt well. Try not to leave myself a second putt. The greens aren’t very smooth out there.”
Woods would be paired with Stephen Ames in the final round.
“It’s tough to play with Tiger, no doubt about it,” Ames said. “He’s relentless, constantly making great shots, making great putts.”
So how to do you beat him?
“I don’t know,” Ames added.