x
Skip to main content
Golf Logo
InsideGolf Join Now  / Log In
Jack Nicklaus says this is the shot that won Tiger Woods the 2019 Masters
SHARE
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share by Email
Golf Logo
  • News
    • Latest
      • News
      • Features
      • Shows
      • PGA Tour Schedule
    • Series
      • Tour Confidential
      • Monday Finish
      • Hot Mic
      • Rogers Report
    • Shows
      • The Scoop
      • Subpar
      • Seen & Heard
  • Instruction
    • Game Improvement
      • Driving
      • Approach Shots
      • Bunker Shots
      • Short Game
      • Putting
      • Rules
      • Fitness
    • Series
      • Top 100 Teachers
      • Rules Guy
      • The Etiquetteist
      • Emergency 9
    • Shows
      • Warming Up
      • Play Smart
      • Short Game Chef
      • Pros Teaching Joes
  • Gear
    • Clubs
      • Drivers
      • Irons
      • Hybrids
      • Fairway Woods
      • Wedges
      • Putters
    • Other Gear
      • Balls
      • Shoes
      • Apparel
      • Golf Accessories
    • Series
      • ClubTest
      • Winner’s Bag
    • Shows
      • Fully Equipped
  • Travel & Lifestyle
    • Travel
      • Course Finder
      • Courses
      • Resorts
    • Lifestyle
      • Accessories
      • Celebrities
      • Food
      • Style
      • Betting Advice
    • Shows
      • Super Secrets
      • Destination Golf
  • Shop
    • Shop
      • Clubs
      • Shafts
      • Training Aids
      • Balls
      • Bags
      • Technology
      • Apparel
      • Accessories
      • Our Picks
      • Shop All
    • Collections
      • The GOLF Collection
      • The Birdie Juice Collection
      • The Fully Equipped Collection
      • Shop All
  • Newsletters
    • Sign Up for GOLF’s Newsletters
      • Hot Mic
      • Monday Finish
      • Play Smart
      • Our Picks
      • Top Stories
      • Sign Up for All
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Features
    • Shows
    • PGA Tour Schedule
  • Instruction
    • All Instruction
    • Driving
    • Approach Shots
    • Bunker Shots
    • Short Game
    • Putting
    • Rules
    • Fitness
  • Gear
    • All Gear
    • Drivers
    • Irons
    • Hybrids
    • Fairway Woods
    • Wedges
    • Putters
    • Balls
    • Shoes
    • Apparel
    • Golf Accessories
  • Travel & Lifestyle
    • All Travel
    • All Lifestyle
    • Course Finder
    • Courses
    • Resorts
    • Accessories
    • Celebrities
    • Food
    • Style
    • Betting Advice
  • Series
    • Tour Confidential
    • Monday Finish
    • Hot Mic
    • Rogers Report
    • Rules Guy
    • The Etiquetteist
    • Emergency 9
    • ClubTest
    • Winner’s Bag
  • Shows
    • The Scoop
    • Subpar
    • Seen & Heard
    • Warming Up
    • Play Smart
    • Short Game Chef
    • Pros Teaching Joes
    • Fully Equipped
    • Super Secrets
    • Destination Golf
  • Shop
    • Clubs
    • Shafts
    • Training Aids
    • Balls
    • Bags
    • Technology
    • Apparel
    • Accessories
    • The GOLF Collection
    • The Birdie Juice Collection
    • The Fully Equipped Collection
  • Newsletters
    • Hot Mic
    • Monday Finish
    • Play Smart
    • Top Stories
    • Our Picks
    • Sign Up for All
InsideGolf Join Now  / Log In
InsideGolf

Great for yourself...or your Dad

InsideGOLF
News

Jack Nicklaus says this is the shot that won Tiger Woods the 2019 Masters

By: Michael Bamberger
November 10, 2020
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share by Email
Tiger Woods holds up Masters trophy.

Tiger Woods celebrates his 2019 Masters victory.

Getty Images

This week’s Augusta National-centric Bamberger Briefly will bring you Masters tidbits straight from the man, Jack Nicklaus, culled from a recent wide-ranging interview. Part I, on Monday, covered the feat this year’s winner will be in position to accomplish that no one has before. [Interview lightly edited.]

On Thursday morning, 80-year-old Jack Nicklaus and his 85-year-old friend Gary Player will stand on the first tee at Augusta and hit ceremonial tee shots to begin this delayed playing of the 84th Masters. Yesterday, today, and again tomorrow and Thursday, we bring you some Masters tidbits straight from the only man with six green coats, culled from a wide-ranging interview Nicklaus gave to Sean Zak and me at his home in North Palm Beach, Fla., last month.

I asked Nicklaus if, on Sunday at last year’s Masters, Tiger Woods had a big advantage, as he was the only player in contention to have won a green jacket.

Shop the Nicklaus Collection

Shop Now
Nicklaus x AHEAD Vintage-Patch Cap: Limited Edition

Nicklaus x AHEAD Vintage-Patch Cap: Limited E…

$30
View Product
Nicklaus x Jones Golf Shoe Bag: Limited Edition

Nicklaus x Jones Golf Shoe Bag: Limited Editi…

$70
View Product
GOLF x Asher Golf Limited-Edition Gloves

GOLF x Asher Golf Limited-Edition Gloves

$75
View Product

“Well, I don’t pay much attention to that,” Nicklaus said. “I think that last year when Tiger was there. Yes, Tiger hadn’t won for a while. But he was playing well. He got to the 12th hole and [Francesco] Molinari I think was leading.”

He was, and Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Xander Schauffele and others, along with Woods, were in the mix.

“But they all filled up Rae’s Creek,” Nicklaus said, referring to the famous stream that fronts the 12th green. “And they all, every single one of them, played a draw into that green. That green does not want a draw. I mean, that green runs front-left to back-right, and any time you’re hitting a draw you’re going across the green.

“So you either leave it out to the right and it doesn’t get there, or it goes all the way through on the left side. It’s got to be started on the left side and worked up the green. All of my watching, I was sitting there and I just kept shaking my head.

“Tiger got up and he played the prettiest little cut shot, right over where he should put it, over the center of the bunker, the left side of the bunker, into the middle of the green,” Nicklaus said.

He was watching on a boat, during a fishing trip.

“I said, ‘Tournament’s over. Tiger hasn’t won [for a while] but he will remember how to play the last six holes.’

“Because that’s what you do when you’re a good player and you really know what you’re doing. He knows what he’s doing, he knew what he did at 12, he knew what a great shot he had played, and from then on it was automatic for him. I mean, sure he still had to play a couple under par but he played it pretty darn well. So, that was my feeling. It made no difference who was there at that point because once he moved into the lane and once he played 12 the way he did, everybody else was trying to say, ‘How do I recover?’”

Michael Bamberger welcomes your comments at Michael_Bamberger@golf.com.

Latest In News

1 hour ago

U.S. Open 2025: Final round suspended due to dangerous weather

2 hours ago

U.S. Open 2025: Pro hit with 'one of the worst breaks' of the week

3 hours ago

U.S. Open winners: Here are the last 30 champions

3 hours ago

Sam Burns’ roommate? He’s World No. 1. They share something special

Michael Bamberger

Michael Bamberger

Golf.com Contributor

Michael Bamberger writes for GOLF Magazine and GOLF.com. Before that, he spent nearly 23 years as senior writer for Sports Illustrated. After college, he worked as a newspaper reporter, first for the (Martha’s) Vineyard Gazette, later for The Philadelphia Inquirer. He has written a variety of books about golf and other subjects, the most recent of which is The Second Life of Tiger Woods. His magazine work has been featured in multiple editions of The Best American Sports Writing. He holds a U.S. patent on The E-Club, a utility golf club. In 2016, he was given the Donald Ross Award by the American Society of Golf Course Architects, the organization’s highest honor.

Related Articles

News
Rory McIlroy

What happened to Rory McIlroy on Friday?! And airport tears | Weekend 9

By: Nick Piastowski
News
Augusta National

2026 Masters tickets lottery opens (with slight price increase)

By: Josh Berhow
News
rory mcilroy and jim nantz pose next to AT&T Pebble Beach trophy.

Al Michaels' 1-word text to Jim Nantz perfectly captured Rory McIlroy's Masters

By: James Colgan
Food
rory mcilroy after masters win, and 1990 chateau lafite rothshild wine

The fabled wine Rory McIlroy uncorked to celebrate his Masters win

By: Alan Bastable
Gear
Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Adam Scott hold their green Trackmans.

Rory McIlroy just got golf's most exclusive launch monitor. Here's the backstory

By: Jack Hirsh
News
rory mcilroy marking his ball on the green

Rory McIlroy’s handmade ball markers have fascinating backstory

By: Alan Bastable
News
Rory McIlroy walks up to the Masters trophy after winning the 2025 Masters

Why 1 unseen part of Rory McIlroy's Masters celebration spoke to me

By: Josh Schrock
News
Kyle Lowry, NBA player for the Philadelphia 76ers, plays during the Pro-AM, prior to the Truist Championship

What's next for Rory McIlroy? This golf-crazed NBA champion has thoughts

By: Josh Schrock
News
Rory McIlroy

Why Rory McIlroy felt 'the worst' at this year’s Masters ... after a birdie

By: Nick Piastowski
Sign up for GOLF's Newsletters
Get the latest news, the hottest instruction tips, new product releases, golf media insider reports and more delivered directly to your inbox. Choose your favorites now.
Sign Up
Categories
  • News
  • Instruction
  • Gear
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
Services
  • Masthead
  • GOLF Media Kit
  • GOLF Magazine Customer Service
  • TERMS OF SERVICE
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • Opt-out of Ads/Sharing
  • Your Privacy Choices
Social
  • facebook
  • x
  • instagram
  • youtube
Membership
InsideGOLF Logo
More than $140 Value for JUST $39.99

INCLUDES 12 SRIXON Z-STAR XV GOLF BALLS, 1 YR OF GOLF MAGAZINE, $20 FAIRWAY JOCKEY CREDIT - AND MUCH MORE!

LEARN MORE

© 2025 EB Golf Media LLC. An 8AM Golf Affiliated Brand. All Rights Reserved. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy a linked product, GOLF.COM may earn a fee. Pricing may vary.

Go to mobile version