One of the most iconic clubs in golf’s history is a 35.25-inch, chrome-finished Scotty Cameron Newport 2 putter with a single dot on the topline and two distinct red dots, one on the front, the other on the back.
“Yep, it’s been pretty good to me,” Tiger Woods said of the putter he calls “Scotty.” “Seriously, it’s been a special club.”
In tandem, the two have delivered some of the game’s most memorable putts. Here’s our list.
Editor’s note: To see Nos. 10, 9 and 8 on the list, click here. To see Nos. 7, 6 and 5, click next.
7. 17th hole, Medinah Country Club
Final round of the 1999 PGA Championship
After trouncing the field and thrashing Augusta National during his historic win in the 1997 Masters, Woods went 10 majors without a victory. And when he arrived at Medinah north of Chicago, he was overhauling his swing. But after starting the final round tied for the lead, Woods built up a 5-shot advantage through 11 holes.
Then his play turned sloppy. A three-putt, two chunked chips and a bad 8-iron led to four lost shots. When he got to the 17th hole, he was just one shot clear of a scissor-kicking El Nino named Sergio Garcia.
And then Woods sailed his 6-iron tee shot over the green at the severely downhill, 212-yard 17th over water. The lie in thick rough was miserable and Woods did all he could to gouge the ball to 8 feet. But it was a terrifying downhill bender that would make any man shake. Woods slid it in to maintain his lead. Nearly spent, all he could mustered was a few muted fist pumps.
A solid par on 18 closed out his second major title.
“It’s what all those hours of practice are all about, to be able to execute the shots when you absolutely have to,” a weary Woods said afterward.
6. 16th hole, Pebble Beach Golf Links
Final round of the 2000 U.S. Open
In what Phil Mickelson called the greatest performance in golf of all time, Woods, at the zenith of his powers and playing his 100th tournament as a pro in the 100th edition of the U.S. Open, won his first national title by a record 15 shots.
He was the only player to finish under par (12 under, by the way), set records for the largest lead after 36 holes (six shots) and 54 holes (10 shots), had zero three-putts and made 21 birdies during rounds of 65-69-71-67.
But it was a par that stirred him. When he got to the tee at the 16th hole on the final day, he could have finished with a triplet’s worth of quadruple-bogeys and still been three clear of the field at the end. Still, he was a bit steamed after three poor shots left him with a 15-footer for par. He knocked it in dead center and unleashed his most emphatic fist pump of the day.
That putt, that moment, provided another glimpse into the soul of the man.
“The thing is, I worked so hard to not make a bogey in the final round,” Woods said. “When I got to 16 and had that 15-footer, that was all I was thinking about. Bury it. Don’t make a bogey. Do what you set out to do. And I buried it. And I did the fist pump because to me, that putt, that par, meant so much. That putt meant more to me than people might think.”
NBC on-course analyst Roger Maltbie interviewed Woods shortly after the win.
“That’s what he was fired up about – saving a par,” Maltbie said. “He thought differently, he played differently, he executed better.”
He certainly did. The win was the first leg of his Tiger Slam that is unparalleled.
5. 18th hole, Augusta National Golf Club
Playoff in 2005 Masters
This Masters will forever be known for the impossible chip seen round the golf world, when Woods clipped the ball perfectly from below the left back portion of the 16th green, the ball traveling up a severe ridge, then making a right-hand turn onto a descending avenue heading toward the cup. As Woods and his caddie, Steve Williams, moved into a better viewing position, the ball leisurely headed toward the hole before the Nike swoosh hung on the edge for 1.8 seconds before heading south and setting off a celebration for the ages.
The birdie gave Woods a 2-stroke lead over Chris DiMarco. Then Woods said he started “throwing up all over the place,” as he made two bogeys to squander his lead. Instead of heading for the ceremony to slip on another green jacket, Woods headed to the 18th tee for a playoff.
Staggered, Woods immediately righted himself and delivered three flawless shots – a 3-wood into the fairway, an 8-iron right over the flagstick, and a pure downhill, slightly breaking 18-foot putt that earned him his fourth green jacket and triggered a thunderous fist pump and roar from the man in red.
“I kept telling myself, even though I messed up and I lost a chance to win it outright on the last two holes of regulation, I said, ‘It doesn’t matter, because I’ve still got a chance to win in the playoff,’” Woods said as he moved halfway to Jack Nicklaus’ record major haul with his ninth major and first in 34 months. “And I kept telling myself going back to the tee on 18 that I’ve still got a chance to win in a playoff. And I hit two sweet shots. That 8-iron I hit was absolutely phenomenal, right on top of the flag, and then I holed the putt.”
Editor’s note: To see Nos. 10, 9 and 8 on the list, click here. Coming up: Nos. 4, 3 and 2 on the list. Here are some hints: The next set of memorable putts took place at the Presidents Cup, the Players Championship and the U.S. Open.
