As he entered the tee box on No. 18, the roars started, attained a crescendo as he approached the green and shook the pristine Augusta National course once he drained his final putt and spectators raucously chanted his name. Tiger Woods performed it again. Woods is a Masters champion for the fifth time in his illustrious, storied career.
After an 11-year drought, golf’s most polarizing and well known figure has added another major to his dossier, outlasting a star-studded leaderboard on Sunday by posting a final round 2-under 70 to win the 2019 Masters. It’s his first major win since the 2008 U.S. Open, 15th of his career and first at Augusta National since 2005.
With 5 green jackets now in his Augusta locker, Woods is 2nd all-time at the pristine course behind only Jack Nicklaus, who received six times between 1963 and 1986.
Woods turns into a five-time Masters winner on Sunday, which stands alone as the second-most in the sport’s history ahead of Arnold Palmer. Only Jack Nicklaus, who won six, has more. The achievement marks Woods’ first at Augusta since 2005 , when he capped an amazing decade of dominance at the event he also won in 1997, 2000 and 2001.
"It’s overwhelming,” said Woods of winning for a fifth time. "I think just because of what has transpired, and last year i was just very lucky to be playing again. The previous dinner, the champions dinner, I was really struggling and missed a couple years of not playing this great tournament. To now be the champion, 22 years between wins is a long time. But it’s just unreal for me to experience this. My mom was here, she was there in 97 as well. So I just couldn’t be more happy and more excited and i’m kind of at a loss for words, really.”
Woods’ fourth and final round was a roller coaster, similar to the rest of the field. He started with consecutive pars before birdie-bogey-bogey on 3, 4 and 5. In his final four holes on the first nine, he tapped in two birdies to stay on pace with the leaders. His second nine was bookended by bogeys , but in between, he played the seven holes at 3-under, led by consecutive birdies on 15 and 16.
Following the achievement, Woods made an appearance in Butler Cabin to receive his fifth green jacket from 2018 champion Patrick Reed. Sliding on the jacket, a wry smile crept across his face.
