Nike wasted no time posting their new Tiger Woods commercial, as it went live moments after he won his fifth green jacket at the Masters and his 15th overall major. The commercial starts with Woods in the present day, then flashes back through time as he deals with injuries, then back further to show him dominating the game, getting his first rise to the top of golf, then all the way back to when he was a child.
It ends with Woods at just three years old, making a bold proclamation: He wanted to catch and beat Jack Nicklaus, and his 18 career majors. It’s looking like it actually might happen now.
Tiger Woods secured his first major since 2008 with a win at The Masters on the Augusta National on Sunday. He completed a tremendous comeback out of controversy and injury. And finally, Tiger is back.
Upon sinking his final put, Woods flashed a fist pump, then threw up his arms in celebration with a huge smile. As he left the course, he stopped to see his kids, who embraced their father after the victory in the same place Woods embraced his father after another Masters win.
4,000 days since his last major and you can see the impact he still has on the sport, man. Look at everyone there, chanting his name, even social media. This is a special moment.
I can’t really put into words what we’re seeing here. 2nd oldest Masters Champion. 15th Major. Never thought he’d play again. Many didn’t want him to succeed. All of it. Young guys wanted him, they got him. #masters
On a wild day at Augusta National Golf Club that saw seven different players with a legitimate shot to win with just a few holes to play, Woods delivered some of his finest moments on Sunday at The Masters to win his 15th career major championship. Woods victory at the 2019 Masters comes 14 years after his last win in 2005, the longest gap in history between wins at Augusta.
Woods put himself in contention on Thursday with a solid opening round of 70, but it took a slew of heroic putts from long range, unbelievable escapes after wayward tee shots, and a few instant-classic Tiger moments over the final nine holes to capture the green jacket. Here are Tiger’s TK most-important shots of the weekend.
Woods bogeyed the par-4 5th hole – which was altered and made even more difficult for the 2019 Masters – in each of his four rounds this week, but on Friday he bounced back from two bogeys on the front nine with immediate birdies on the next hole.
This gift of a birdie kicked off what looked to be a vintage Tiger charge that was unfortunately interrupted by a weather delay.
Friday: Absurdity at No. 14
In the span of a few seconds, Woods avoided two potential disasters in his second round. A poor drive off the tee left Woods in the trees, but he imagined and executed a masterful recovery shot that stopped 28 feet from the hole.
As the crowd rushed to admire the shot, a security guard slipped in the mud and crashed into Woods, tweaking his ankle. Tiger was fortunately able to continue, and he went on to drill the birdie putt.
On the very next hole, Woods drained another unlikely birdie putt just as it seemed like he may not take advantage of the par-5. Woods missed several short-range putts over his first two rounds, but his ridiculous string of long makes on Friday kept him in contention.
Saturday: 18-foot birdie putt at No. 6
Is this birdie the spark that will light Tiger Woods’ round?
The past champion gets back to six under par for the Tournament on hole No. 6. pic.twitter.com/ycAvjY1KLc
Woods was brilliant on the back nine on Saturday to earn himself a spot in the final group, and he followed up birdies on both of the par-5s with a gem of a shot at the par-3 16th.
Francesco Molinari would go on to card two ugly double bogeys in his final six holes to fall down the leaderboard, but he carried a streak of 49 consecutive bogey-free holes through six holes on Sunday, while Woods carded back-to-back bogeys on No. 4 and No. 5. He kept pace with Molinari with a clutch birdie putt at a distance he struggled with earlier in the tournament.
Woods lost control off the tee midway through his final round, and the situation looked dire off the tee at 11. Woods sprayed his shot well right of the fairway – but was extremely fortunate to have a sightline to the green. He recovered with a shot to 25-feet, then two-putted to save par.
Sunday: Tiger seals the win at No. 16
When you have Tiger Woods and the 16th hole at the Masters, special things happen. pic.twitter.com/b95cA3p7bn
One shot ahead of stellar group of golfers locked at 12-under par, Woods gave himself some breathing room and nearly one-upped his incredible chip in 2005 with a near ace. The tap-in birdie put Woods two strokes clear, and he held on for one of his greatest career wins.
The final round of the 2019 Masters provided plenty of drama Sunday afternoon as the field raced to finish the tournament before severe weather arrived in the area, and a tornado warning was issued for the region while players were making their way down the back nine. As the final group came to the 15th tee, three players – Francesco Molinari, Tiger Woods and Xander Schauffele – were tied for the lead at 12-under par, and a total of seven players were within a stroke of the lead.
Barring heroics over the final holes, there’s a very good chance The Masters may be decided by a playoff. Wondering how that works? We’re here to help.
The Masters uses a sudden-death playoff format.
If a playoff occurs, play will begin at the par-4 18th hole. If the playoff continues, players will move to the par-4 10th hole. If more holes are required, play will alternate between until a champion is crowned.
Justin Thomas didn’t exactly take center stage during the final round of The Masters at the Augusta National on Sunday – but he earned his way on to the broadcast with a perfect shot at the 16th hole.
He logged the second hole-in-one on the day. The first came from Bryson DeChambeau on the same hole and in the same fashion, with both golfers using the slope of the green to pull the ball to the hole.
Liverpool are taking on Chelsea in a pivotal Premier League match on Sunday, with Liverpool needing a win to keep peace with Manchester City in the hunt for the Premier League title.
Liverpool took the lead in the 51st minute thanks to a goal from Sadio Mane, but it was the goal in the 53rd minute, from Mohamed Salah, that will be one we are watching for a long, long time.
Salah found a bit of space on the right hand side of the field, cut inside, and then his one of the most pure left footed shots you will ever see, and absolute rocket into the top left hand corner
Chelsea fans could only watch, stunned, in silence, and probably trying hard not to think about the fact that Salah used to be on Chelsea until they deemed him surplus to requirements.
The New England Patriots quarterback continues to excel at 41 years old because he’s so committed to his craft and says he rarely takes time for relaxation. But Brady was willing to admit he’d set aside some rare couch time to watch the the Masters.
With golfers like Tiger Woods and Francesco Molinari facing immense pressure, Brady can surely empathize after his fourth Super Bowl appearance in five years.
Francesco Molinari had been a model of consistency through three rounds at Augusta National Golf Club this week, and with Tiger Woods needing to stage a comeback on Sunday to claim the green jacket, the reigning Open Champion was unflappable to start his round. With six consecutive pars to start his round, Molinari extended a bogey-free stretch to an unbelievable 49 holes before finally dropping a shot at the par-4 seventh.
Tiger Woods began struggling off the tee midway through his round, but Molinari bounced back with a birdie at the eighth and calmly navigated the difficult start of Amen Corner with par at the 11th. The 12th hole, however, delivered a dramatic twist to the final round.
As the winds picked up with a storm approaching Augusta, several players near the top of the leaderboard struggled to hit the tiny 12th green on the course’s signature par-3. Just before the final group approached, both Ian Poulter and Brooks Koepka dropped shots into the water. Molinari had the honor in the group – and proceeded to hit a weak shot that never had a chance.
Molinari’s ball rolled back into the water, and after taking a drop, he hit a pitch that left a difficult 11-foot bogey putt. Woods, meanwhile, hit a safe shot to the center of the green, and went on to two-putt for par. Molinari missed his putt to card a double bogey, and his two-shot advantage over Woods vanished in the span of a few minutes.
Rain picked up considerably as the players walked off the green, with Woods, Molinari and Xander Schauffele tied for the lead at 11-under par. Moments later, Patrick Cantlay eagled the par-5 15th to take the lead at 12-under.
[UPDATE]: As a logjam formed atop the leaderboard over the final holes, Molinari spoiled his chance to win the tournament with another disaster at the 15th. After laying up at the par-5 with his second shot, Molinari clipped a tree with his pitch and found the water. He went on to make a double-bogey seven at the hole to drop to 10-under par.
The Masters heads into Sunday with an exciting leaderboard promising a thrilling finish at Augusta. Tiger Woods is three strokes off leader Francesco Molinari, who is -13 through six holes in today’s Final Round. Tiger is locked in a four-way tie for second with the likes of Ian Poulter and Brooks Koepka, and as the 18th hole approaches, it’s clear that the Green Jacket is anyone’s for the taking.
The Masters
Date: Sunday, April 14
Location: Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Georgia
You can watch featured group coverage and streams of Amen Corner and Holes 15 and 16 on Masters.com and the Masters app throughout the day.
Brooks Koepka emerged from the pack and shot to become the joint-odds leader at 9/2 after Thursday’s 66 left him sharing the lead alongside Bryson DeChambeau.
The latter of those, DeChambeau, had a memorable shot to end his first-round outing and tapped home after a 200-yard drive from the fairway hit the flag. He birdied the last hole and said:
“The ball was sitting down in the rough and all I wanted to do was get the shot started towards the middle of the green. Maybe I should have had my caddie attend the pin. The ball was just moving too fast to drop. Overall I’m pleased. I was patient on the front nine but not getting rewarded. But I got going on the 12th where I made a birdie. And from the 15th on, I just sailed through.”
Tiger Woods also approached the 83rd Masters as one of the names to keep an eye on at 14/1, and he’s maintained that status after shooting a 70 on the opening day to improve his chances.
Woods has won the Green Jacket four times in his career and tied for a share of 32nd in the 2018 tournament after missing three of the previous four editions.
Dustin Johnson remains in sight of the top of the table after a strong start and is sure to have more sway on the title conversation as we move closer to Sunday evening. Koepka and DeChambeau are each vying to become the next unsuspecting star to triumph at Augusta, though golf’s better-known superstars remain in the hunt for the first major of 2019.
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Kevin Durant’s contact with Patrick Beverley was careless.
In the fourth quarter of Game 1 between the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Clippers, Durant forced a loose ball and bodied Beverley out of bounds and onto the floor. Officials ejected Durant and Beverley for their run-in. Durant’s Warriors would win, 121-104, without him.
The victory didn’t erase the mistake: Durant should know better.
In Durant’s defense, the call was a soft one. He played physical defense, which put Beverley on the court. It’s not clear why Beverley got ejected for the play. And perhaps the same argument could even be made for Durant, who was probably not deserving of the ejection. The two players already had technicals from an earlier confrontation in the game. This double technical meant an early end to their night.
Beverley got his job done. He clearly wanted nothing more than to frustrate Durant and to bring out this hotheaded side of the two-time Finals MVP. Beverley’s antics didn’t result in a win. Still, it was a mission accomplished.
Durant has a history of these heated mistakes, with one ejection and 15 technicals in 2018-19. His relationship with officials has been particularly contentious in recent months. Officials seem to be looking for any evidence of a Durant tantrum. His run-ins with Beverley were just enough for officials to justify an ejection.
I get that Durant’s physicality made a statement. It served as a reminder that the Clippers are not in the same stratosphere as the Warriors. But that statement was already immediately obvious. The scoreboard made it clear. The difference in talent made it clear. Durant’s towering presence over Beverley made it clear.
While Durant’s teammates awarded him high fives and Oracle Arena cheered him loudly during his exit, Durant’s actions weren’t commendable. Durant became consumed with an unimportant personal beef. He made a mistake, even if it wasn’t a consequential one, but he can’t risk testing officials as the Warriors’ run continues.
