Unable to hit anything to the left all day, Woods left his tee shot on the par 5 number 15 in the right rough with a Georgia pine blocking his second shot to the green. To get to the green, he would have to go around the pine branch to a back right flag position. The smart play would be to lay up and hit onto the green with his third shot. Instead, Woods tried to hit a slice into the 15th green. He later termed it a “miracle shot” after his round. To hit that big a slice onto the green, he needed a fairway wood in his hands but only had a 5 iron. Woods ended up leaving the shot woefully short and rinsed it in the pond in front of the 15th green. To rub salt into the wound, he ended up getting up and down from his drop in front of the water which only verified that the proper play on his second was to leave it short of the green.
In his post round interview just off the 18th green, Woods stated that he didn’t “throw it away” with that shot but that his bogeys that finished two previous rounds did him in. At that point, it became clear that his “crappy shot” on 15 had been in his mind for the rest of the final round. He knew what questions were coming to him before he got off the 18th green and tried to downplay what had to be one of the biggest bonehead decisions in major championship golf. The Associated Press bought Woods’ nonsense about previous bogeys on other rounds doing him in! Oh my God! This guy gets every break! If Mickelson did that on 15, he’d never hear the end of it, but Woods’ ridiculous decision is somehow overlooked! Where is the justice!
The pressure that he created for himself became all too evident with his birdie putt on 16. You knew what was going through his mind on the 16th green, “I blew it on 15 now I have to make this putt on 16.” The pressure was too great and he missed on 16. At that point, mentally, the tournament was over for Woods although the announcers gave him every shot to birdie the last two holes and then, when he only parred 17, eagle the last. CBS’s announcers even started making excuses for Woods before he finished. There was speculation that he was “under the weather.” Peter Oosterhuis still held onto that theory hours after the finish of the Masters.
Woods’ decision on 15 may have been an even bigger bonehead play than Mickelson’s decisionmaking on 18 at the 2006 U.S. Open. Why in the world did he think he needed to hit it on in 2 at 15? I can understand amateurs going for it but Woods had no reason to try to hit the green in two. Birdie 15 and birdie 16 and he’s right where he needs to be. Just goes to show you that when the pressure’s on even the “world’s best” can choke.
Other Master’s thoughts:
1 – Rose hits a better shot than Woods into 16 but Verne Lundquist barely acknowledges Rose’s effort but wets himself over Woods’ shot.
2 – Faldo’s prediction that Woods would have an off day was not that prescient. I made that call on Thursday. I’ve never seen someone try so hard to hit the ball left and still lose it way right time and time again.
3 – The IBM commercial quoting Bobby Jones that competitive golf is played in the 5 inches between the ears could have been a little more timely (after Woods hit his second at 15).
4 – I’m watching future majors with the volume off. Couldn’t the announcers say something besides how great Woods is and how every other player is blowing their round because somehow Woods still intimidates them. Whatever!
5 – Luck played a huge role in the Masters. When you barely tap a putt and any little imperfection in the green can throw it offline because of the speed of the greens, that tells me that luck played too much of a factor in the outcome. It was basically hit and hope.
6 – “Have you ever seen anything like that in your life!” – Verne Lundquist on Woods’ shot at 16 in 2005. Well actually I saw three shots better in this Masters, Vernie. Putts by Westwood, Sabbatini, and heck there were so many I’ve forgotten the third. Just another example of Lundquist’s penchant for hyperbole when it comes to Woods and only Woods.