Jerry Pate is the only man this century to win a major golf title in his first try as a professional, a span of 315 tournaments.

He'll keep that distinction for at least a few more hours.

Barring a major catastrophe, Tiger Woods will win the Masters Tournament today and join Pate in the record book. Pate, a native of Macon, Ga., won the 1976 U.S. Open at the Atlanta Athletic Club in his rookie season.

``It's a done deal, it's over with,'' Pate, now a CBS golf announcer, said outside the clubhouse at the close of Saturday's play. ``It was obvious (Friday). I said that in the locker room.''

Woods fired a third-round 65 to reach 15-under par and build a nine-stroke lead. Pate's route to history was considerably more difficult.

John Mahaffey took a two-stroke lead into the final round of the '76 Open. Mahaffey still led by one shot through 15 holes on Sunday before finishing with three straight bogeys.

That opened the door for Pate, who nailed a majestic 5-iron into a well-protected 18th green. His birdie seized the victory, the first of eight on the PGA Tour for the 1974 U.S. Amateur champion.

Pate, then 22 years old, missed the cut in his next three events, including the British Open, before breaking the skid at the Canadian Open that summer. He shot a final-round 63 to beat Jack Nicklaus by four strokes and prove he wasn't a one-hit wonder.

``The most difficult thing in my career was to win again after winning the Open,'' he said.

Pate doubts such a post-euphoria slump will happen to Woods.

``I'm telling you, he's got a lot of game that Jack Nicklaus never had,'' Pate said. ``Jack's never had the wedge game, the knockdown wedges, the little shots around the collar of the green. Jack was never a good bunker player like Tiger or a good chipper of the ball.

``Jack just absolutely manhandled a course with his long drives and his precision with the irons. Jack was a great player, but Tiger has every single shot possible you can imagine in his bag.''

Pate said the real surprise isn't Woods' annihilation of this year's field but the fact he missed the cut last year at the Masters.

``I was absolutely shocked to no end last year when he played the way he played here,'' Pate said. ``I would have bet the ranch (on that not happening). Knowing Tiger Woods' game and the type of person he is, I was shocked he didn't make a run at winning it last year. I don't know what happened.''