18 CALIFORNIA GOLF NEWS • JUNE 2010 8-under for the tournament. He still gained on the field and now had a 10-shot margin from second-place Ernie Els. Entering the final day it was a foregone conclusion that Tiger would earn his third major title of his young career, but by what margin of victory and how many records would fall in the process was still to be determined. In the end, a barrage of birdies on the back nine landed Tiger with a record-setting double-digit 12-under finish along with a major record-setting 15-shot margin of victory over Ernie Els and Miguel Angle Jimenez. Tiger would go on and win the next three major championships in a row and hold all four trophies at the same time for what is now referred to as the Tiger Slam. CGN into the rocky Pacific. A fortuitous start for Tiger came on the opening day when his early tee time allowed him to finish his round before thick fog moved in for the afternoon groups. His 6-under 65 placed him in the lead over Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez by one shot and two shots ahead of John Huston – a lead he would never relinquish. Weather conditions also played a factor for the players on day two, which only helped Tiger, who seemed impervious to the ele- ments, shooting a two-under 69 for an 8-under two-day total that was six shots clear of his nearest com- petitor, Thomas Bjorn. Day three conditions were the worst yet and even Tiger, who had a triple bogie on the par 4 third hole, could only manage an even-par 71 to stay at In the end, the 1992 U.S. Open was the only major championship that Kite would win in a 19 PGA tour victory career. 2000: Woods buries the field by a record 15 shots Expectations have always been a part of Tiger Woods’ career, but after a 1999 season with eight vic- tories and a major win at the PGA Championship, the Tiger faithful had grown accustomed to winning. He did not disappoint. The millen- nium craze of 2000 moved Pebble Beach up in the rotation to host the 100th U.S. Open and was also notable due to Jack Nickluas’ final U.S. Open appearance. One change to the course that Nicklaus did not agree with was the USGA’s decision to change the number two hole from a par 5 to a par 4, making the course a par 71 for the U.S. Open. Also marking this tournament was the defending U.S. Open Champion Payne Stewart, who died tragically in a plane crash and was commemorated at the start of the tournament with a group of players teeing off simultaneously part of Kite to maneuver through the windy condition, but inspired by a Father’s Day Sunday and a scram- bling mindset that had the Texan exhausted at the finish where he pronounced, “That was one tough day.” The shot that started Kite’s fate- ful final round came on the short- est hole on the course. Hitting a 6-iron into the 107-yard 7th hole, the fierce winds lifted his ball into the rough near the eighth hole and by all appearances it was the start of another high score for the leaders. He then hit what he calls the shot of his life, a perfect pitch shot that banged the flagstick and dropped into the hole for a bird- ie two. Reminiscent of Nicklaus and Watson on the 17th, the final round flagsticks were once again kind to the eventual champion Kite. But with conditions that bad, Kite still had to execute several more remarkable shots before hoisting the trophy. A 25-foot par putt at the 11th combined with a 30-foot birdie at the par-3 12th was indicative of the even par 72 round that Kite would need to win the tournament. Tom Kite was all smiles after a winning a very windy U.S. Open in 1992 at Pebble Beach. PHOTO BY DAVID GANNON/GETTY IMAGES Tiger Woods tees off on the 18th during the third round of the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach in 2000. Woods went on to win by a record 15 strokes. PHOTO BY MIKE FIALA/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
View this content as a flipbook by clicking here.