Woods claims a place in history

IN THE chill of evening, as fresh winds brushed the pines of Augusta National, Tiger Woods realised his destiny yesterday by becoming the first black player to win the US Masters. And as we watched a record shattering performance, there was an awareness of something very special of a talent that may not be matched for another generation.

If admiration is to be measured by the status of the admirer, then Jack Nicklaus captured the essence of an astonishing achievement. "Tiger is out there playing another game," said the six times winner of this title. "He's playing a golf course he'll own for a long time."

One suspects he will also retain possession of some remarkable scoring figures. As if playing to order, he sank a four foot par putt on the last green to card the 69 he needed for an 18 under par aggregate of 270 - one stroke inside the target set by Nicklaus in 1965 and matched by Raymond Floyd on the old, Bermuda greens, 11 years later.

His 12 shot margin over second placed Tom Kite, was also a record three strokes better than Nicklaus managed 32 years ago. At 21, he became the youngest winner of the title, surpassing the achievement of 23 year old Seve Ballesteros in 1980. And, of course, he is the first black winner of a major championship.

On a broader basis, the only player to surpass his margin of victory was Old Tom Morris, and that was way back in the 1862 British Open, which he won by 13 strokes. More realistically, in the four majors this century, nobody has secured a margin in double figures.

Only in tearful hugging of his at her and mother, who greeted him in his moment of triumph beside the 18th green, did we suddenly realise he was little more than a boy, but an exceptional one. The moment was especially emotional for his father Earl, whose recent heart by pass surgery preluded him from following his son, out on the course.

"It was an amazing week for me," said the new champion. "I knew my game was ready when I shot a 59 last week. I have never played an entire tournament with my A game, but this was pretty close, if you exclude the first nine holes (on Thursday). My dad said last night that I was facing probably the toughest round of my life, but that if I played it well, it would be the most rewarding."

As to his status as the first black winner of the title, he said: "I'm pleased about that, but I wasn't the pioneer. Charlie Sifford, Lee Elder and Terry Rhodes - those guys are the ones who paved the way for me to be here. If it wasn't for them, I might not have had thee chance to play golf."

Meanwhile, it was a desperately disappointing outcome for Europe's leading challenger, Costantino Rocca, who battled bravely to hold onto his second place, only to see it all slip away at the end of the round. With Kite having taken over second place on six under par ahead of him, Rocca attacked the pin on the 17th, 26 yards in and only four yards from the back of the green.

Even with a wedge, it was fraught with danger. In the event, he overshot the green and ran up a bogey. And with a share of fourth place beckoning, he slipped further adrift at the 18th, which he three putted for another bogey and a round of 75. Up to those last two holes, he had borne up remarkably well to the pressure of partnering Woods.

But there were other, admirable European performances, even if there was never a chance of adding to their haul of to titles since 1980. Among them was a closing 70 from England's Lee Westwood, who will be 24 later this month.

On his Masters debut, Westwood survived the horrendous start of double bogey, bogey on Thursday to eventually earn the reward of partnering Nicklaus on the final day. "It was nerve racking to play with such a hero of mine," he said breathlessly, before dashing off to have his photograph taken with the great man.

Then there was the closing 69 by another debutant, Per Ulrik Johansson, who captured the Smurfit European Open at The K Club last September. He secured an aggregate of 287 by carding four birdies in the last six holes.

But the most significant European move came from twice former champion Bernhard Langer. With a run of three birdies from the seventh, Langer reached the turn in 33 strokes to be one under par overall. He then went on to collect expected birdies at the 13th and 15th on the way to a closing 68, which gave the German an aggregate of 286.

Towards its glorious climax, the final round became a victory march for a smiling champion elect. But he admitted afterwards that his favourite stretch in golf, Augusta's treacherous back nine, remained a menacing prospect, even though he covered it is a record 16 under par, over the four days.

"I had to get through Amen Corner (11th, 12th and 13th holes) on even par - and I did them in two under," he said. "Those holes can hurt you in a heartbeat. In fact I knew I couldn't relax until I got past the water holes. "Once I got past the 16th I knew it was pretty much all over."

It had been a decidedly edgy outward journey in which, after chipping and sinking an eight foot putt for a birdie at the long second, Woods carded his first bogey in 37 holes when he found a greenside trap on the fifth. Then came the re emergence of the damaging hook which created so many problems on Thursday.

He was in the trees at the seventh far another bogey. Within minutes, however it had become nothing more than a temporary scare. Like a high wire artist, Woods was throwing in the odd stumble, simply to enhance the excitement. From left of the green at long eighth he played a glorious chip and run over the mound to within four feet of the target and sank the putt for a remarkable birdie.

The ship had been steadied again, mainly through some brilliant work with the blade, which saw him complete the four rounds without three putting. And by the time he entered the fateful, final nine, Woods had regained total control of his game and the tournament. A 20 foot birdie putt found the target at the 11th and with a 10 stroke lead, the title was effectively his.

Fittingly, Lee Elder, the first black player to compete in the Masters, was there to see his victory march. For him, however, there was further evidence of just how difficult it is to get into Augusta National, even as a guest of the chairman, Jackson Stephens.

During an 85 mph dash by car from Columbia, South Carolina, Elder was waved in by a state trooper. "What's the rush?" Elder was asked. "I'm heading for Augusta National to watch Tiger Woods win the Masters." "Who's Tiger Woods," mumbled the trooper, as he wrote a traffic ticket.

Even for this golfing Philistine, enlightenment is at hand.