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AUGUSTA, Ga.—The much-anticipated return of Tiger Woods got off to a roaring start on the first hole at Augusta National. PGATOUR.COM's crew was on the scene to capture all the sights and sounds.
BUILDING UP TO THE FIRST SHOT
It all started hours before Tiger Woods even got to the course when Augusta National members and security started lining out stations on the lawn.
Tiger Woods seemed pleased by … PGATOUR.com - Apr 8, 3:03 pm EDT Golf Gallery It was the perfect vantage point to watch him walk through the breezeway, make that slight curve to the right underneath the porch and angle his way to the putting green. The chute started forming about 12:50 and by 1:15, security had eased into place underneath the tree and began inching toward their designated spots.
Team Tiger was already in place. Tida Woods, in shorts and wide brimmed hat, came out to greet the Nike group— Cindy Davis, Mark Thaxton and Kel Devlin. Phil Knight had already been through earlier. The rest of his team wasn't far behind.
"It won't be long now,'' someone said.
By 1:25, the lines had been drawn and people were trying to slide into prime spots along both sides of the line. A minute later, Steve Williams rounded the bend and patrons took note "There's his caddie."
Three minutes later, there was a clack on the porch and he popped around the corner. Everything stopped—except the pollen—and there was silence for about 10 seconds as he stared straight ahead. Then a "Go Tiger" followed by two more.
"That's the old game face there,'' said one reporter.
That done, the lawn crowd slid toward the first tee. In minutes it was 10 deep, just waiting for him to hit that shot. Forget that you couldn't even see his clubhead at its highest point.
The whole scene was reminiscent of Tiger's pre-round routine that Sunday in 1997. Everything stopped when he came out early to practice putt. Everything stopped again when he walked to the range. Again, when he walked to the first tee.
Back then, he was up nine with 18 to play. History was on the horizon. A black man was going to win the Masters.
This time, he was returning to the game, to competition as the best player in the world, but a man who had fallen from grace; a man trying to pull himself back up.
And the lawn. I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only one who was there both then and now.
We couldn't see the tee shot, but we heard the crack at 1:42 p.m. and listened for the reaction of those much closer.
It was, as it was back in 1997, the place to be.—Melanie Hauser
EARLY ARRIVERS SURROUND THE FIRST TEE
Yes, Ian Poulter picked up his first PGA TOUR win earlier this year. And yes, Steve Stricker is the No. 2 player in the world.
But those two talented players, as well as the third member of their group, Yuta Ikeda, knew the crowd gathered by the first tee at Augusta National was there more to get in position so they could see the 1:42 tee time than to watch anyone else's opening drive.
Polite applause rippled through the crowd as Tiger Woods' name was placed on the information sign beside tee. The anticipation was palpable—even if one rather clueless fan exclaimed, "Oh my, he's teeing off next. I didn't even know it."
Patrons were 10 deep on either side of the walkway between the putting green and first tee. The slight hill leading toward the clubhouse was a popular vantage point for another thousand or so more crowded together, waiting to see history made.
When Woods began to walk down the corridor to the first tee, the applause began in earnest, loudly, accompanied by cries of "Let's go, Tiger," or "Yea, Tiger." One man lifted his daughter high into the air so she could get a better view.
Only the earliest of adopters on the front rows could see Woods' face. But you had to believe the enthusiastic reception pleased the man who admitted he was worried about how the fans would react.
A plane flying around the perimeter of the grounds was the only thing that could mar the scene. The words on the trailer it pulled don't bear repeating, but it was clear some of the fans were not impressed.
"I can't believe that plane up there," one fan said. "Haven't they got a surface to air missile so they can shoot it down?"
Another agreed. "Everyone just wants to get back to golf," he said.—Helen Ross
FINALLY, HE'S INSIDE THE ROPES
By the time Tiger Woods confidently strode to the first tee, looking like a prize fighter walking toward the ring, the gallery had swelled from 25 to beyond 35 deep.
As Woods made his way from the putting green to the teeing ground amid growing cheers, he had hints of a smile before tipping his cap and later briefly waving his left hand to again acknowledge the support from the gallery. A small group of patrons beind the right corner of the tee box cheered Woods as well, defending him by talking about how the media had been unfairly critical of Woods the last five months.
In other words, it was all about golf—and what was going on inside the ropes.
Inside those ropes, Woods shook hands with his playing partners, their caddies and a few members, smiling during much of the plesantries. As the first player in the group to tee off, Woods then tipped his cap for a second time before hitting a perfect shot that split the fairway as it landed softly atop the hill on the first hole.
Matt Kuchar and then K.J. Choi found the short grass as well, but to much less fanfare. As the three men made their way down the first fairway, the gallery followed, like a huge flock of migrating birds headed south for the winter.
On Woods' second shot, he repeatedly studied the wind, first looking at the surrounding treetops and then tossing blades of grass in the air. Then Woods switched clubs, hitting a knockdown shot that drew loud cheers when it landed hole high some 15 feet away.
Kuchar and Choi also found the green with Kuchar on the lower level in front and Choi also hole high opposite Woods. Kuchar two-putted for a tap-in par and Choi did the same. Woods then settled in over his putt after stalking it from both sides. The wind picked up and a leaf danced across the green, apparently just out of the sight of Woods, who struck his putt anyway.
Woods' birdie attempt rolled perfectly toward the hole, but missed on the low side, causing the world's No. 1 player to crouch his knees in anguish. After tapping in for par, Woods tipped his cap for a third time amid more applause before disappering between the trees on his way to the second hole.
As some of the patrons made their way back up the first hole, one was overheard saying, "It was definitely worth the wait. There was no rust in that hole."
—Brian Wacker
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