Tiger Woods dominated golf for decades with several incredible feats of low scoring. Of all the memorable shots, victories and fist pumps, less memorable, maybe, are his low ones. He actually shot a 59 at Isleworth a week before his Masters win in 1997, alongside Mark O’Meara, but, while he’s threatened the supposed golden number, the closest he’s managed are a quartet of 61s.
The 61s…
1999 Byron Nelson Classic (Cottonwood Valley)
This was a strange one as Woods opened up with a nine-under effort, and he only led by one. Come the end of the week, he would only tie for seventh, though he would then win eight of his last 11 starts that season, including the PGA Championship, his second Major triumph.
Woods was out in a five-under 29 and he wasn’t even the lowest in the threeball. Paul Goydos took 28 shots to the turn while Nick Price had 30. By the end of the round, he only led by one, from Sergio Garcia, who would push him all the way at Medinah. The 61 tied the tournament and course record set by Ernie Els four years earlier.
“It’s always fun when you can really get it going like this,” Woods said. “Granted, par is 34 (on the front),” Woods said. “But it still was kind of strange when you shoot 29 and you’re not leading in your own group.”
2000 WGC Invitational (Firestone)
Woods would win eight of these and this would be the second of them. This one came on day two, which was good enough for a seven-shot lead, two days later, he would famously finish in the dark, 11 shots ahead of Justin Leonard and Phillip Price of Wales.
Woods, who had just polished off the last three Majors of the year, including the play-off success over Bob May the previous week, opened with a 64 and followed it up with this nine-under effort.
One factor that isn’t often discussed is Woods’ eye surgery, which coincided with his incredible streak.
“After I had the LASIK surgery done, it took me probably two or three months where my eyes stabilised. The first couple of weeks I came back, the hole looked bigger and the slopes looked bigger, because I was seeing everything in its natural size. The only problem was that my eyes would fluctuate from day to day. One day, everything would be blurry.
“My eyes then cleared up and I could see and I made everything. It was just one of those things where they kept fluctuating and now I’m able to see things the same way each and every day, which helps a lot.”
2005 Buick Open (Warwick Hills)
A fortnight after capturing The Open at St Andrews, Woods went 10 shots better than his opening 71 to tie Billy Mayfair’s course record and this one included back-to-back eagles.
He began in slightly shaky fashion, almost finding the 10th fairway off the 1st tee and pulled his second drive, but things soon settled. There was mention of a 59 – the par here was a 72 – but the American, as always, was sticking to the process.
“Any time you shoot 61, it’s going to be a special day, and this was certainly one of those special rounds. As far as 59, somebody shouted it out on 14 after I made eagle. Steve and I were talking about it, and we said, “These people don’t understand, you still have to position the golf ball.”
“I got to a point where I was 7 or 9 under par, and I got there because I was positioning my ball. So you just focus on positioning your ball. And I birdied the next two holes, same thing. 17, put the ball underneath the hole; didn’t do that and made par there. 18, tried to keep the ball below the hole again and didn’t do that either. It crosses your mind, but you still have to position your ball to make birdies.”
He would add rounds of 70-66 to finish four adrift of Vijay Singh.
2013 WGC-Championship (Firestone)
His eighth and final victory at Firestone and this 61 came on day two. Again, there was a sniff of a 59 but he was unable to pick up a couple of late birdies.
He would, though, take a seven-shot lead and win the tournament by seven.
It would prove to be his final WGC win and his last for another five years when he did what he did at East Lake, which proved to be the precursor to Augusta the following April.
He would hit 13 greens but only need 22 putts – he was out in 30 and then birdied his next four holes to be nine under for just 13 holes.
“Am I disappointed (not to shoot 59)? Absolutely not. Sixty-one is pretty good. I’m not bummed. I just kept thinking, whatever lead I had, let’s just keep increasing this lead.”
Woods added that it wasn’t even in his top 10 rounds but “it’s up there. I had a lot of control from tee to green and obviously the way I putted. I felt I was in total control of my game, and obviously things like that don’t happen every day, and it’s fun when it all comes together and I was able to take advantage of it.”
⚡️ Tiger Woods was dominant at @FirestoneCC from 2000-2009.
Starts: 9
Wins: 7
Worst finish: 4th
Avg finish: 1.4
Rounds: 36
Par or better: 31
Scoring avg: 67.4
Low score: 61
To par: -92@NUCLRGOLFSTATS | @TWlegion
pic.twitter.com/owtIKeEh09
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) August 1, 2023
What about the Majors?
Woods managed one 63 in the big ones and it took place at possibly his least memorable Major victory.
2007 PGA Championship (Southern Hills)
Woods would shoot one 63 in the Majors and it came on day two at Southern Hills, It would be the 21st 63 in Major history and we would have to wait another 10 years before Branden Grace’s 62 at Birkdale.
There would be eight birdies and one bogey and he would finish the week with a 13th Major to get within five of Jack Nicklaus and he was still only 31.
There was actually a chance to shoot the first 62 but Woods’ putt on 18 stayed above ground.
“I was trying to make it and I hit it a little bit firm and I thought I made it, because it was breaking at the end. I knew it broke a lot more at the end than at the beginning. Started diving. Evidently didn’t want to go in.
“I hit a good putt and I thought I made it. It would have been nice to have gotten a record and got a three-shot lead going into the weekend. But the good thing is I hit a good putt. And that’s the important part. It just didn’t go in. Nick Price did the same thing at Augusta in ’86 and hit the same kind of putt and it horseshoed as well.”
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