ESPN.com - Golf Online - Masters 2000 - Frozen moment: Woods implodes on No. 12

By David Kraft
ESPN Golf Online
Thursday, April 6

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Innocent little Rae's Creek is sometimes too much, even for the world's greatest golfer.


	Woods missed a three-footer on No. 12, leading to his second three-putt of the round.

The narrow strip of water guarding the front of one of the world's most famous par-3s drowned Tiger Woods on Thursday in the first round of The Masters, putting the overwhelming favorite in the unenviable position of a seven-stroke deficit.

Woods triple-bogeyed the hole, which was playing 135 yards to the front edge. It was his first triple since November at the World Golf Championships at Valderrama. It should be noted that Woods recovered and won that event.

His 8-iron tee shot hit the bank just below the front-right bunker and rolled back into the water. After taking a drop, he hit a wedge from the drop area to 15 feet, rammed his first putt three feet past the hole and missed the putt coming back.

Woods, who came to the hole 2-over -- thanks to another uncharacteristic double-bogey 6 at No. 10 -- got two shots back the rest of the way in. He birdied the par-5 13th and the par-3 16th, when he hit a 7-iron to 10 feet and drained the putt.

He finished the day with a 75.

"It's not easy out there," Woods said. "Just look at the scores, look at how many guys are under par (nine). It's a great indicator that it's not easy out there."

Still, it's uncharacteristic of Woods to lose five shots to par in the span of three holes. At the 10th, a downhill 485-yard par-4, he hit his 7-iron second shot into the right-side bunker, blasted out and three-putted.

After par at 11, he came to the scenic 12th, which played as the second-toughest hole on the course Thursday.

"I hit 8-iron and I hit it pretty solid," Woods said. "And you could see the wind stand the ball up and (it went) in the water."

Someone asked if Woods, who was caught by an on-course microphone swearing earlier this year, had cursed on the isolated green, which is only accessible to players and caddies, not fans.

"You'd have to be there," he said. "This isn't the NBA."

He smiled as he said it, the sign of a more mature Tiger. In the past, Woods might have stormed off the green and avoided the media altogether after his round. Instead, he talked with caddie Steve Williams on his way to the 13th tee -- and ended up making birdie. After he finished his round, he was still boiling inside, but remained cool on the exterior.

"I told Stevie walking off 12, if we just get to 2-over par or 3-over par, we're fine," Woods said. "We'll just keep plugging along and make the putts when we can; give myself legitimate chances and I'll be all right."

Ironically, he hit the same 8-iron he'd hit at No. 12 to the green at No. 13. This time, the shot was 197 yards, with the wind at his back.

"The wind is swirling and blowing," Woods said. "It's gusting, (then) it's calm ... (It) makes for a very difficult day."

Woods finished the day with an unusually high 33 putts -- a pair of three-putts helped inflate that number -- and hit just eight of 14 fairways. He also birdied just two of the par-5s, where he usually dominates Augusta National.

Phil Mickelson, who shot 71, recalled that Woods was 4-over after nine holes in 1997, then went on to win the tournament at a record 18-under. Of course, he played the back nine in 30 that day.

But Woods knows history is not kind to players who open like he did on Thursday. Only one eventual Masters winner has shot as high as 75 in the opening round -- Craig Stadler in 1982.

"I'm not the only one who can mistakes out there," he said. "I just need to limit my own mistakes to a minimum."


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