Flying Tiger
Slam or not, Tiger Woods was simply grand.
With a heart-stopper at Augusta National, Tiger Woods claimed the greatest feat in modern golf Sunday by winning the Masters, giving him a clean sweep of the four professional majors in a span of 294 days.
He punctuated it with an 18-foot birdie, raising both arms in triumph as a breathless gallery roared its approval. Woods doffed his cap to cover his tears as he left the green and walked into the arms of his father, who trained him to be a champion from the time he was in a high chair.
Woods, who won the U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship in 2000, won his second career Masters green jacket after a stirring final-round duel with former world number one David Duval and number two Phil Mickelson.
The 25-year-old Woods, who won his first career major at Augusta National in 1997, finished with a final round of four-under 68 and a total of 16-under-par 272 to beat Duval by two strokes and Mickelson by three.
Woods was steady down the haunting back nine of Augusta National as Duval and Mickelson failed to harness the magic that has carried Woods to five of the last six majors.
"I've succeeded in what I wanted to accomplished," Woods said as he sat in Butler's cabin waiting for last year's winner, Vijay Singh, to help him put on another green jacket. "I don't feel ecstatic yet. It hasn't sunk in."
Woods' clean sweep of the four professional majors is a feat never accomplished since the Masters began in 1934.
Duval, who missed make-able birdie chances at the final two holes, shot a final-round 67 for a 274. Mickelson finished third at 275 after closing with a 70.
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