The 2000 U.S. Open, held a quarter-century ago at Pebble Beach Golf Links, California, served as a tribute to the late defending champion Payne Stewart, who had tragically passed away in a plane crash less than eight months prior.
The event also marked the final U.S. Open appearance for the legendary Jack Nicklaus, an 18-time major winner, competing in his 44th championship.
Ultimately, however, the tournament became a defining moment for Tiger Woods, who delivered what is widely regarded as one of the most dominant performances in the history of men`s professional golf over the four days.
Before arriving at Pebble Beach, Woods had already secured his 19th PGA Tour victory, his fourth of the season, at the Memorial Tournament, where he became the first consecutive winner of Nicklaus`s event. His exceptional form included 11 wins in his preceding 20 PGA Tour starts, featuring dramatic finishes like overcoming a seven-stroke deficit at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and a comfortable four-shot win at Arnold Palmer`s Bay Hill Invitational.
By age 24, Woods had already become the first golfer to earn over $15 million in on-course prize money. He held two major titles: the 1997 Masters, won by an unprecedented 12 strokes, and the 1999 PGA Championship at Medinah, leaving him halfway to completing the career Grand Slam.
Woods entered the tournament as the overwhelming favorite, building on his strong performance the previous year at Pinehurst No. 2, where he finished tied for third, only two shots behind the champion, Stewart.
Jack Nicklaus, commenting before play began, predicted, “If the conditions are dry and windy, then it`s a matter of patience. But if they`re throwing darts, then Tiger will shoot a tremendously low score, no matter what the conditions are. And he`ll probably break the Open record.”
The standing U.S. Open 72-hole scoring record of 272, established by Nicklaus in 1980 at Baltusrol, had been equaled by Lee Janzen there in 1993.
Given Woods` recent dominant form, the prospect of the U.S. Open scoring record being challenged seemed highly likely.
According to fellow competitor Stewart Cink, while Woods had a major breakthrough at the 1997 Masters, the 2000 U.S. Open era marked the beginning of his unprecedented wins by significant margins. Cink noted, “Not just winning but like oh-my-gosh winning, more than five or six shots. That`s just unheard of considering how close all of us are together as far as skill.”
Australian pro Stuart Appleby offered a concise assessment of Woods`s favoritism, stating, “Tiger would be favored anywhere. Put him in a car park and he`d be favored.”
Never seen anything like it
From the moment Tiger Woods arrived at Pebble Beach on Sunday for his preparations, his caddie, Steve Williams, sensed he was the player to beat on the Monterey Peninsula.
Just three weeks before, Woods had competed in the Deutsche Bank Open in Germany, where he reportedly received a significant appearance fee. However, a costly double bogey late in the final round led to a tie for third, marking only the second time to that point in his career he didn`t convert a 54-hole lead into victory.
After observing Woods on the practice range Monday morning, Williams and swing coach Butch Harmon suggested he reduce his typical practice routine ahead of the tournament.
Williams explained their reasoning: “We didn`t want Tiger to overdo it before the tournament started because both of us had never seen him strike the ball with such precision and just the way he was shaping the shots… We didn`t want Tiger to play too much before the tournament because he was so geared and ready to play well.”
Sam Reeves, a longtime observer of Woods`s swing and close friend of Harmon, commented to Williams, “I`ve never seen anything like it… I`ve never seen him hit the ball that well.”
Woods completed two practice rounds alongside his friend Mark O`Meara. During one round, NBC`s lead golf analyst, Johnny Miller, the 1973 U.S. Open champion, joined them on the 16th tee.
Williams recounted Miller`s initial skepticism: “Johnny wasn`t convinced that Tiger was going to be the next best thing… And Mark O`Meara basically told him, `Hey, just watch this kid play for a few holes. This guy`s going to be the best player you`ve ever seen.`”
Under favorable conditions with light wind and sunshine, Woods teed off in the first round Thursday morning alongside Jim Furyk and Jesper Parnevik. For a change, Pebble Beach`s notorious greens were soft and receptive.
Woods proceeded to deliver a masterclass, carding a bogey-free 6-under 65. This round, the lowest ever recorded in a U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, gave him a one-stroke lead over Miguel Angel Jiménez. Having reportedly spent hours on the practice green the night before working on his putting stroke, Woods needed only 24 putts, featuring 12 one-putts.
As Woods moved into a share of the lead on the 14th, Johnny Miller made a striking prediction on the NBC broadcast: “I think it`s going to be very tight with the rest of the field, but I really do believe, I`ve got this hunch, that Tiger`s going to break every U.S. Open record this week and maybe win by a big margin… I just had the feeling that if he could get off to a great start, which he has done, it could be a week that he just says, `See ya, guys.`”
Later in the afternoon, a thick, soupy fog enveloped the course, halting play with 75 players yet to finish their rounds.
After his round, Sergio Garcia offered a note of caution: “He put up a very good score… But if you shoot 1 or 2 under, he could struggle very easily on this course. You can go 2 or 3 over just like that. The tournament`s not over. It just started.”
It`s just not a fair fight
Because of the suspension of play the previous day, Woods` tee time for the second round on Friday was pushed back to 4:40 p.m. PT.
As Woods prepared to tee off, Jack Nicklaus was concluding his final U.S. Open appearance. He received a tearful standing ovation walking up the 18th fairway before ultimately missing the cut with an 11-over 82 for the round.
Reflecting on the championship after his round, Nicklaus stated, “I think the U.S. Open to me is a complete examination of a golfer… The competition, what it does to you inside, how hard it is to work at it. I enjoy that. I enjoy the punishment.”
At that specific moment, Woods` game was arguably the most complete in golf. After recording his first bogey of the tournament on the fifth hole, Woods drove into the right rough on the uphill sixth. While most players would opt for a simple punch-out, Woods contemplated a direct approach – a blind shot from approximately 202 yards, requiring him to carry his ball over a tree growing from the cliffside.
Steve Williams described this aspect of Woods`s game as underrated: “I`ve often said the part of Tiger`s game that`s most underrated is his play out of the rough… He is a phenomenal player of moving the ball out of the rough and getting it very, very close to pin high. He`s just got a freakish ability, and he`s very strong.”
Despite the demanding nature of the shot, Woods asked for a 7-iron. Williams didn`t hesitate, trusting Woods`s capability.
Williams commented, “After caddying for Tiger for a little while, you sometimes prefer him to play it safe… But that was one where I knew straightaway he could get the club on it. Whether he could get it to the green, I didn`t know. I certainly believed he could get it up over the hill.”
Woods took a forceful hack at the ball. It cleared the cliff face, landed in front of the green, and rolled to rest just 18 feet from the pin.
On the NBC broadcast, analyst Roger Maltbie perfectly summarized the astonishing shot: “It`s not a fair fight.”
Woods settled for a birdie on the sixth. He followed up with another birdie on the par-3 seventh, reaching 8 under, and added a birdie on No. 11 to extend his lead to two strokes. The fog returned, causing a suspension of play as Woods approached the 12th hole.
Despite the suspension, Woods and his group were permitted to finish the 12th hole. Informed that no one had made a birdie on the firm green all day, Woods hit a high 5-iron to about 30 feet and remarkably sank the birdie putt, which he could barely see through the fading light and fog.
Williams observed Woods` preference for dramatic finishes: “Tiger loves making a statement… Everybody else wanted to mark the ball and come back the next day. But, you know, Tiger likes to leave with an exclamation mark.”
Completing 12 holes, Woods was 3 under for his round and 9 under overall, establishing a 3-stroke advantage over Jiménez.
Woods commented on the challenge ahead: “We have a long way to go — the second round isn`t even over… This is a more demanding course than Augusta was then. I need to continue to play well in the morning.”
The missing golf balls
On Saturday morning, Woods was back on the driving range by 5:07 a.m. PT, warming up under Butch Harmon`s supervision. The abbreviated schedule meant there wasn`t time for putting practice.
However, upon reaching the 13th tee, Steve Williams discovered a problem: the bag contained only three golf balls instead of the usual half-dozen.
The reason? Woods had taken three balls to practice putting on the carpet in his hotel room the previous night and had forgotten to put them back in the bag.
Williams decided not to inform Woods of the shortage, calculating that three balls should be enough for the final six holes and wishing to avoid adding any unnecessary pressure.
On the 13th hole, Woods drove his tee shot into the rough. His subsequent shot from the tall grass scuffed the ball. After making par, he tossed the damaged ball to a young fan near the green.
Recalling the moment, Williams thought, “The kid was just so excited, showing his dad he`s got a ball with Tiger`s name on it… And I`m thinking, `Geez, maybe I should just get that ball back, just in case, and have the kid come and meet me at the 18th green.`” However, he immediately dismissed the idea: “But, I mean, you can`t do that in front of all the people around Tiger. He`ll go, `What in the hell is going on here?`”
Woods went on to birdie the par-5 14th and made pars on Nos. 15 through 17 without losing or giving away any more balls.
However, disaster struck on the 18th tee when Woods pulled his drive left, sending it towards the rocks along the Pacific coastline.
Woods was unaware he was down to his single remaining ball. Under the Rules of Golf at the time, losing it would have meant a two-stroke penalty if he had to switch to a different type, as he was the only player in the field using Nike balls compatible with his equipment.
As Woods reached for his driver to hit a provisional, Williams cautiously suggested he might consider a 2-iron instead.
Williams, in his book `Together We Roared,` quoted Woods` emphatic response: “Tiger said, `Get your f******g hand off that driver head cover!`” Williams explained his hesitation in revealing the ball shortage: “I didn`t want to tell him it`s our last golf ball because he probably would have told me to get my ass onto 17-Mile Drive and onto a Greyhound bus out of there.”
Fortunately for Williams, Woods` second tee shot found the fairway. He ultimately made bogey, finishing his round with a 2-under 69 for a 36-hole total of 8 under.
This 8-under total gave him a commanding six-stroke lead over Miguel Angel Jiménez and Thomas Bjørn, shattering the U.S. Open record for the largest advantage at the halfway point. Only four other golfers in the entire field were under par.
The scale of Woods` dominance was clearly impacting his competitors.
Miguel Angel Jiménez, trailing by six, commented to reporters, “I think you guys have to realize that there are 156 guys in this tournament… The press thinks there`s just one guy.”
He had more
Entering the third round with a six-stroke lead, the outcome of the tournament appeared almost certain. Woods made one significant error – a triple-bogey on the par-4 third – but remarkably, he laughed as he walked to the next tee.
Williams highlighted the significance of this reaction in his book: “That`s what impressed me most and signified Tiger was in complete control… When did you ever see Tiger Woods laugh when he made a double- or triple-bogey? Never.”
Despite howling wind and finally firm, fast greens, Woods managed an even-par 71. Remaining at 8 under, he was the only player left under par and held a staggering 10-stroke lead over Ernie Els, establishing a new U.S. Open record for the largest 54-hole advantage.
Padraig Harrington succinctly captured the situation at the time: “He`s out there in his own tournament, isn`t he?”
With the outcome seemingly decided, NBC Sports questioned whether television viewership for the final round on Father`s Day would decline. Instead, the opposite occurred; millions tuned in, captivated by Woods` performance, making the final two days the most-watched U.S. Open rounds since tracking began in 1975.
In the final round, Woods carded a flawless, bogey-free 67, concluding the tournament with a 72-hole total of 12-under 272. He remained the only player under par, finishing an incredible 15 strokes clear of Ernie Els and Miguel Angel Jiménez, who tied for second at 3 over.
Woods` 15-stroke margin of victory set a new record for all major championships, exceeding Old Tom Morris`s 13-stroke win at the 1862 Open Championship. He also became the first player in the 106-year history of the U.S. Open to finish the tournament double digits under par.
NBC golf announcer Dan Hicks summarized the event: “It was a complete show with one guy… This was history… How can one single guy be that dominant? How can one guy take it to 12 under par and the next guy be plus-3? We`re never going to see anything like that… it`s the absolute Sistine Chapel of major championship performances, and I really believe it will never be equaled.”
As Woods signed his score card after the final round, he finally asked Williams about the commotion and tension on the 18th tee during the second round.
Williams recounted his nervousness and the eventual revelation: “He could see I was nervous, and he had a nine-shot lead… What would you be nervous about? He could see something was wrong, but I never mentioned it until I told him. We laughed forever about that.”
The following month, Williams traveled to St. Andrews in Scotland a week ahead of the British Open. On July 23, 2000, Tiger Woods secured the Claret Jug with an eight-stroke victory over Bjørn and Els, becoming the youngest player to achieve the career Grand Slam.
He completed the `Tiger Slam` the following April by winning his second Masters title, holding all four major championships concurrently.
Stewart Cink offered a final reflection on Woods`s unmatched talent: “I think Tiger`s skill level was the greatest in history… The majors identified that to an even greater extent because they had the heavy rough, and his power overcame the heavy rough. They had a lot of length; his power overcame that. They required patience, and he had the best mental game and fortitude the game has ever seen… They just required more of everything — and he had more.”