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Woods, Tiger

Tiger Woods Dominates U.S. Open, Breaks Major Records

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Tiger Woods continued to assert his dominance over the golf world with a historic victory at the U.S. Open, shattering several major records and amassing a staggering 15-stroke winning margin. His performance has put him in a league of his own, leaving many of his peers in his wake. As Nick Price noted, Woods's unparalleled control over his game and emotions has left a lasting impact on the golfing world.

Key Takeaways:

  • Woods broke the record for largest winning margin in a major championship, surpassing Old Tom Morris's 13-stroke lead in the 1862 British Open.
  • He also shattered the U.S. Open record for largest winning margin, surpassing Willie Smith's 11-stroke lead in 1899.
  • Woods established a new record for largest 54-hole lead, surpassing James Barnes's 7-stroke lead in 1921.
  • He tied Henry Cotton's 1934 British Open record for largest 54-hole lead with a 10-stroke margin.
  • Woods's winning score of 272 was the lowest in relation to par, matching Lee Janzen's and Hale Irwin's 1993 and 1990 records respectively.
  • He became the first player to win the U.S. Junior Amateur, U.S. Amateur, and U.S. Open.
  • Woods tied Jack Nicklaus's 1980 record for lowest 72-hole score and lowest 36-hole score with a 134.
  • He tied Gil Morgan's record for lowest score at any point with 12 under in the third round.

Statistics:

  • Tiger Woods's winning margin: 15 strokes
  • Previous record for largest winning margin: 13 strokes (Old Tom Morris, 1862 British Open)
  • Previous record for largest winning margin in U.S. Open: 11 strokes (Wilie Smith, 1899)
  • Woods's 54-hole lead: 10 strokes
  • Previous record for largest 54-hole lead: 7 strokes (James Barnes, 1921)
  • Woods's 36-hole lead: 6 strokes
  • Previous record for largest 36-hole lead: 5 strokes (Willie Anderson, 1903)
  • Woods's winning score in relation to par: 12 under
  • Previous record for lowest winning score in relation to par: 8 under (Lee Janzen, 1993, Hale Irwin, 1990, Jack Nicklaus, 1980, Ben Hogan, 1948)

Sources:

  • Nick Price's quote, unnamed article on U.S. Open 2000
  • "Tiger is just a man who is in total control of his game and his emotions . . . Jack (Nicklaus) caught golf with its pants down when he came out and could overpower a golf course. And we've seen the same with Tiger. . . . There are a lot of great players out there who aren't getting any credit because Tiger's taking it all."
  • U.S. Open records and statistics on U.S. Open 2000

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