Success on par-5s fuels victories

One of the lasting images of Tiger Woods’ 1997 Masters victory was his domination of the par-5 holes.

In his first appearance at Au­gusta National Golf Club as a professional, Woods figured out the course’s long holes can play an essential role in winning.

After a sluggish start, going out in 40 for his first nine holes, Woods got back into the mix with birdies at Nos. 10, 12 and 13. The momentum really shifted in his favor at the 15th, where he crushed a drive.

Using only a pitching wedge for his second shot, Woods hit it stiff and made the eagle putt to get into red numbers.

“The eagle I made (at 15) in the first round in 1997 got me under par for the first time after shooting 40 on the front nine,” Woods said in the Masters Journal. “It also kept the momentum going that I had built up.”

He didn’t look back as he romped to a 12-stroke victory and set the 72-hole scoring record at 18-under 270.

For the week, Woods played the par-5 holes in
13-under fashion. In addition to the eagle at No. 15 in the first round, he also made an eagle at the 13th in the second round.

He also made 10 birdies against just one bogey, which came on No. 8 in the first round on Thursday.

Every champion has played the par-5 holes under par except for one. Craig Stadler played them 1-over when he won in 1982.

Twenty-five champions have been 10-under or better on the long holes, and no winner was better than Ray­mond Floyd in 1976. Using a 5-wood to attack, he played them in 14-under-par with just one eagle.

“I came in, and with that golf club, I had great confidence,” Floyd said in 2010. “I never used it in a tournament previous. I practiced with it from the fall right up through the tournament, but I never used it in another tour event.”

The tournament standard for excellence on the par-5s is 15-under. That mark was set in 1995 by Greg Norman and matched in 2010 by Tiger Woods and in 2013 by Ernie Els.

But none of them won the tournament in the year they dominated those holes.