On This Date in Sports June 18, 2000: Tiger Cruises on Pebble Beach
In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com
Tiger Woods wins his first career U.S. Open title by 12 under par 272 at Pebble Beach in California. Woods is the only golfer to finish the tournament under par, as Ernie Els of South Africa and Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain finished second at +3. The 15-stroke victory is the largest ever for a major championship. Tiger Woods would go on to win four straight majors, creating the term “Tiger Slam.”
Tiger Woods was already the biggest name in golf; as he got set to play in the 100th United States Open Championship played at the famed Pebble Beach Golf Links overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Northern California. At the age of 24, Tiger Woods was halfway to the career Grand Slam, having won the 1997 Masters and 1999 PGA Championship.
The 2000 U.S. Open began on a somber note, as the players paid tribute to the late Payne Stewart, who died in a tragic plane crash a few months after winning the 1999 U.S. Open. As part of the ceremony, a group of golfers in the days leading up to the tournament lined up and drove the ball into the Pacific Ocean.
Tiger Woods got off to a great start on Thursday, shooting a six-under-par 65, as he played in early the day before a dense fog rolled in. Woods finished the day with a one-stroke lead over Miguel Angel Jimenez, as American John Huston was third, two strokes back. The fog would lead to a suspension of play, forcing the first round to be completed on Friday.
The weather continued to be an issue, as the second round had to be completed on Saturday. Tiger Woods was among those golfers that were unable to complete their round. Despite the conditions and forced to play early on Saturday, Tiger Woods was in firm control after 36 holes, a -8, after shooting a 69 in the second round. Woods was six shots clear of the field by the time the third round started as Thomas Bjorn of Denmark, and Miguel Angel Jimenez were -2.
Heavy winds made the third round moving day hard for the field at Pebble Beach. Tiger Woods did all he could to control his game and ended up with a par 71 score, remaining a -8. Meanwhile, the rest of the field all struggled, as Tiger’s score was the only one under par, with Ernie Els shooting a three-under-par 68 for the low round of the day. Els ended the day a +2 overall, giving Tiger Woods a ten-stroke lead heading into the final round.
Tiger Woods entered the final round as coronation with a ten-stroke lead rather than a contest as the true race was for second place. Woods started the day with nine straight pars before starting a string of birdies on the back nine. With each hole, he moved closer to history, becoming the first player to finish a U.S. Open double digits under par (-12) as his 272 was the lowest score in the tournament's history. Tiger Woods' mastery of the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach was even more remarkable when you consider that no other golfer finished under par. Ernie Els and Miguel Angel Jimenez were tied for second, 15 strokes behind Tiger at +3.
Tiger Woods championship at Pebble Beach would start a remarkable run, as he completed the career Grand Slam by winning the Open Championship at Royal St. Andrew’s in Scotland. He later went on to win the PGA Championship at the Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville and started the 2001 season by winning the Masters. Tiger Woods made history with four straight Grand Slam Titles, becoming the first to hold all four titles at once, giving berth to the term the “Tiger Slam.”