Renowned for his distance off the tee, the Californian produced yet another display of links wizardry, successfully navigating Royal Liverpool’s tricky terrain with exquisite iron play, proving that his ability through the bag is unrivalled.
“… [T]he most dominant, most skilled player we’ve ever seen,” was two-time Champion Golfer Arnold Palmer’s assessment.
Sir Nick Faldo, a winner of three Claret Jugs, was commentating at Hoylake that week and watched on in awe. “This has been a masterclass,” he said. “It’s really been fantastic to watch. Sheer perfection.”
Tiger led from Friday morning onwards, but wasn’t allowed to run away with proceedings, with Sergio Garcia and Chris DiMarco on his tail.
But, as Montgomerie suggested a year earlier, Tiger found an extra gear when he needed it most, reeling off three straight birdies from the 14th on Sunday to pull clear before embracing his caddie Steve Williams on the 18th green.
