Tiger Woods arrived in Hoylake in the long, hot summer of 2006 on the back of making his first ever losing cut at a major tournament after shooting consecutive 76 seconds at the US Open. This hurt a man, then 31, who felt every major golf tournament he was going to lose—a belief instilled in him from childhood by his father, Earl, who had passed away just two months earlier.
Determined to put his lackluster performances at Winged Foot behind him, Woods stepped out into the polished links at Royal Liverpool with a clear game plan. Stay in the lane and get out of the bunkers. Nothing else matters.
In 2000, when Woods won his first-ever Claretty Jug, he avoided every dugout on the Old Course at St. Andrews. Could lightning strike twice, enabling him to do the same at Hoylake, another course notorious for its treacherous dangers?
And while it was a plan that, before going out, was unlikely to result in the rancor of the Birds and Eagles, it also avoided the possibility of smashing cards 6 and 7 which could knock you out of the tournament before it even started properly.
With the field baked hard by the M1, and the ball rolling down the fairways like marbles on ice, even keeping the ball in play with an iron off the tee was no mean feat. But once again, Tiger proved the doubters wrong. In a record low-scoring first round – 59 players shot par – he opened with a 5-under 67 to sit just one short of the pace set by course record-breaking Graeme McDowell, who shot a 66.
Using the driver only once – on the 16th hole – Tiger put his trust in his 3 woods and 2 irons to put him within the well-protected Hoylake greens and let his mastery with the wedge and gold finish with the putter do the rest.
Friday’s second round saw Tiger take full control of his golf ball as he stormed into the lead with a near-faultless par 65, which included a monstrous eagle putt on the 14th hole from over 200 yards. Tiger was sitting at -12 for 36 holes
A shot in front of Ernie Els, who was matched by 65, with two shots wide from Chris DiMarco with 65 of his own kicks.
Saturday – a moving day – saw Tiger maintain their lead by a steady 71, but Els, DiMarco and Sergio Garcia, who fired a third round 65, were poised to pounce if Woods wavered.
Wobble Woods? Not a chance. He barely aroused interest as he paced around Hoylake in the final round on Sunday, spinning his club after nearly every shot on his way to a masterful 67, 18-under-par total, and a two-putt victory over DiMarco. Like a maestro conducting an orchestra, Woods never missed a beat and never found sand. In fact, such was the level of perfection that Nick Faldo, who knows a thing or two about golf links, calls “the best of tactical golf.”
“My dad was always on my mind about thinking my way around the golf course and not letting emotions get the better of you.”
After sinking the winning putt, Woods fell into the arms of caddy, Steve Williams, tears streaming as he remembered the father who had inspired him and driven him to this point in his career.
“I’m the kind of person who packs things in a bit and moves on, and tries to handle things my own way,” she says.
He said during his press conference for the tournament. “But in that moment I just walked out and of all the things my dad meant to me and golf, I wish he’d seen it again.”
For a man with 15 major victories – though only two since 2006 – and over 80 other championship victories – Hoylake will always hold a special place in Tiger’s heart. It was a celebration and memorial in deep meaning to his relationship with Earl, the man who successfully guided his son from child prodigy to full-fledged global star who transformed the sport of golf.
“My dad was always on my mind about thinking my way around the golf course and not letting emotions get the better of you, because it’s so easy to do in this sport,” Woods recalled. And just use your brain to plot your way around the golf course and if you have to deviate from the game plan then make sure it is the right decision to do so. My father was very adamant that I play this way throughout my football career.”
Sadly, Woods won’t be at Hoylake this year to try and recreate some of those spellbinding shots he fired in 2006, as he tries to recover from another career-threatening injury, but hasn’t had much luck. Watch those four magical days on Wirral, and you’ll forget what it must be like to be in the presence of greatness.