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Woods’ streak began with the 1998 Buick Invitational and ended with the 2005 Wachovia Championship. Irwin also became a great champion, capturing the U.S. Between 19, Tiger Woods made the cut in 142 consecutive events to break the PGA TOUR record of 113 events previously held by Byron Nelson. Watson went on to become one of the game’s great champions, with eight major titles, including five British Opens. They wound up working together a few years later. He was having a beer in the clubhouse afterward when he was approached by Byron Nelson, who offered to help him with his game.
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“You didn’t take it head on,” said Irwin, who said his goal the whole week was to keep the ball under the hole so he wasn’t putting downhill.įor Watson, who shot a 79 in the final round, it was far from a total loss. His approach was similar to how he might tackle a fullback. While many players may have been intimidated by Winged Foot, that wasn’t the case with Irwin, an All-Big Eight Conference safety for the University of Colorado. Irwin didn’t tell anybody except his wife, Sally. He said that a few months before he had a dream he would win the Open. Palmer was still in it, three back.įor Irwin, it was a dream come true. Watson, seized the lead over Irwin after 54 holes by one with a 69 on Saturday. Tom Kite and Tom Watson were only a shot behind. Irwin, started with a three-over 73, three shots behind the leader, Gary Player, who had won the Masters tournament two months before.Īt the halfway mark, Irwin and Player were tied, along with Arnold Palmer and Ray Floyd. He wasn’t a star, but he had proven himself more than capable with two impressive victories at the Heritage Classic in 19, on the formidable Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, S.C. Horton is familiar with the theory that blames Miller’s 63, but he made clear, “That never got down to me for one minute.” We also achieved green speed that had not been seen in any tournament to that date.” One of the new courses is Bethpage Black, an extremely difficult course located in Washington. “It allowed us to firm up the greens.” The players, he added, “ran into what I’ll call their perfect storm, with the rough being as tough as it was. Most of the courses from 2003 have made it, with seven new courses, both real and fantasy. “It was a superintendent’s dream,” said Ted Horton, the course superintendent in 1974. For another, the weather in the months leading up to the tournament featured the perfect amount of rain.
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