NEC Invitational
Dates: Aug. 26-29,
1999 Site: Firestone Country Club, Akron, Ohio. Winning score: 270. Margin of victory: 1 stroke over Phil Mickelson. Earnings: $1 million.
Summary: With five
birdies over a seven-hole stretch -- none longer than 10 feet -- Woods seized
control in the third round with an 8-under 62, giving him a five-stroke lead
over Fred Couples. Mickelson birdied five of the first seven holes Sunday to
close the gap, and was only one stroke behind after Woods made bogey on No. 16.
Woods made a 20-foot birdie putt on the 17th for a two-stroke lead, and two-putted
for bogey on the last hole for a 71.
Noteworthy: It was
the first time Woods has led a PGA Tour event after the first round and gone
on to win.
National Car Rental
Classic at Disney World
Dates: Oct. 21-24, 1999 Site: Palm and Magnolia courses, Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Winning score: 271. Margin of victory: 1 stroke over Ernie Els. Earnings: $450,000.
Summary: In his
first competition since the Ryder Cup, Woods opened with three consecutive rounds
of 6-under 66 and was tied with Bob Tway going into the final round. Tway fell
out of contention by hitting into the water on No. 12. Els caught Woods with
birdies on three of the first four holes on the back side at Magnolia. Both bogeyed
the par-5 14th, and the tournament was effectively decided on the 17th. Els left
his approach on a ridge, hit his 35-foot birdie putt off the green and made bogey.
Woods, in the group behind, hit his approach below the pin and two-putted for
par. He finished with a 73.
Noteworthy: It was
the second straight tournament in which Woods shot over par in the final round
and still won.
Tour Championship
Dates: Oct. 28-31, 1999 Site: Champions Golf Club, Houston. Winning score: 269. Margin of victory: 4 strokes over Davis Love III. Earnings: $900,000.
Summary: With a
pall over the tour because of Payne Stewart's death in a plane crash, Woods trailed
Love by one stroke after the first day of 27 holes. Woods slightly injured his
wrist trying to hit through a rock on No. 15 and winced on every shot after that.
Players had Friday off to attend Stewart's memorial service in Orlando, Fla.
Woods was 6-under on 27 holes Saturday to take a three-stroke lead over Chris
Perry. Woods closed with a 69 and led by at least two strokes the entire round.
Noteworthy: Including
his victory in Germany, Woods, 23, became the youngest player to win eight times
in a season since 21-year-old Horton Smith in 1929.
American Express Championship
Dates: Nov. 4-7, 1999 Site: Valderrama Golf Club, Spain. Winning score: 278. Margin of victory: First playoff hole over Miguel Angel Jimenez. Earnings: $1 million.
Summary: Trailing
hometown hero Jimenez by one stroke going into Sunday, Woods played perhaps the
greatest round of his professional career until disaster struck. He was on his
way to a 5-under 66 -- the course average that day was 75.1 -- when he came to
the par-5 17th with a two-shot lead. His third shot, a 9-iron from 100 yards
to eliminate spin, trickled some 40 feet off the green and into the water. Woods
made triple bogey, wound up with a 68 and appeared certain to finish second when
Jimenez parred the 17th. But the Spaniard took bogey on the last hole, and Woods
won on the first playoff hole with a 12-foot birdie putt on No. 18.
Noteworthy: Woods
became the first player since Johnny Miller to win eight PGA Tour events in one
year.
Mercedes Championships
Dates: Jan. 6-9, 2000 Site: Kapalua Golf Club, Maui, Hawaii. Winning score: 276. Margin of victory: Second playoff hole over Ernie Els. Earnings: $522,000.
Summary: Woods and
Els were tied after 54 holes and turned the final round into a classic duel.
Neither player led by more than one stroke. Woods took the lead for the first
time when he made birdie on No. 10 and Els made bogey. They were tied again when
Woods bogeyed the 17th, and the finish was a thriller. Both made eagle on the
par-5 18th. Els reached the 18th in the playoff, narrowly missed his eagle putt
and Woods made a 6-footer to match the birdie. On the second playoff hole, No.
1, Woods made a 40-foot putt, downhill but into the grain with 2-1/2 feet of
break. Els' 35-foot attempt stopped just short.
Noteworthy: It was
the 14th consecutive time Woods has won worldwide when he has had at least a
share of the lead after 54 holes.
AT&T Pebble Beach National
Pro-Am
Dates: Feb. 3-7, 2000 Site: Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill and Poppy Hills courses, Pebble Beach,
Calif. Winning score: 273. Margin of victory: 2 strokes over Vijay Singh and Matt Gogel. Earnings: $720,000.
Summary: Seven strokes
behind Gogel with seven holes to play, Woods holed a 97-yard wedge shot for eagle
on No. 15 and birdied two of the last three holes. Woods closed with an 8-under
64, the lowest final round by a champion in the 53-year history of Pebble Beach.
Gogel, the 28-year-old tour rookie, missed a 10-foot birdie putt on the 18th
that would have forced a playoff. He shot a 40 on the back nine for a 71, while
Singh shot a 70.
Noteworthy: Woods
is the first player since Ben Hogan in 1948 to win six straight PGA Tour events.
Byron Nelson had a record 11 straight victories in 1945.
