BBC SPORT | Special Events | 2001 | US Masters | Woods overwhelmed by Grand Slam


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Monday, 9 April, 2001, 06:22 GMT 07:22 UK

Woods overwhelmed by Grand Slam

Woods all smiles after achieving golfing immortality

Tiger Woods admitted he was stunned after becoming the first player in golfing history to hold all four Major titles at the same time.

The 25-year-old clinched his second Masters by two shots at Augusta on Sunday night, surpassing anything the game has seen before.

It was a feat not even this child prodigy contemplated when he was young.

"I don't think kids ever think of doing things like that," said a delighted Woods.

"We think of winning major championships and competing against the best players in the world, but I don't think I've ever thought about four consecutive Majors.

You've got to have your game peak at the right time and on top of that you've got to have some luck

Tiger Woods

"I'm amazed at the fact that I was able to play as well as I did when I needed to.

"It is special. It really is. When I won here in 1997, I hadn't been a pro for a full year.

"I guess I was a little young, a little naive and didn't understand what I accomplished for at least a year or two.

"This year I understand. I've been around the block and I've witnessed a lot of things since that year.

His Masters victory completed a journey that began at Pebble Beach last June and took him to St Andrews a month later, then Valhalla in Louisville and finally Augusta.

Tiger Woods
Woods: Stunned

"I have better appreciation for winning a Major championship and to win four in succession is hard to believe," continued Woods.

"There are so many things that go into winning a Major, for that matter any tournament, but more so Majors.

"Your game has to peak at the right time and on top of that you've got to have some luck.

"You've just got to have everything kind of go right and to have it happen four straight times is awfully nice.

"Some of the golfing gods are looking down on me the right way."

I was losing it a bit, but I pulled it together so that when Phil made his putt I was able to shake his hand

Tiger Woods

Sixteen rounds, 291 holes and 1,083 strokes were involved in the making of history and after the last of those 1,083 dropped into the cup an eerie calm descended on Woods.

"It was weird. When you are focused so hard on each and every shot you forget everything else.

"When I didn't have any more to play that's when I started to realise what I had done.

"I'd won the tournament and I started getting a little emotional.

"I walked over to the side of the green and pulled my cap over my face. I was losing it a bit, but I pulled it together so that when Phil (Mickelson) made his putt I was able to shake his hand," he added.