Tiger Woods eschewed the safe play for the risky one at the 15th hole, then used his power to nail a career shot and button up his comeback win

Courtesy of CBS

By Nancy Quarcelino
One of Golf Magazine's Top 100 Teachers

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Tiger Woods hits plenty of shots that amaze his fans, but rarely does he do something so spectacular that he impresses even himself. Woods hit one of those career shots on Sunday: a low-rising, 203-yard bullet on the 15th hole that punctuated his victory at the Buick Invitational. "I absolutely roasted that four-iron," said Woods, describing his approach to the 477-yard par-4. At that point Woods had a four-shot lead and could have coasted home, but he thrives on drama and instead made the risky play, even though a big number would have given his pursuers a chance to catch him. After pushing his drive Woods was nestled in gnarly rough. To reach the green he had to whistle his ball below the limbs of two large trees 60 yards ahead, then have the ball rise high enough to carry a greenside bunker and stop by a pin tucked just beyond the trap's lip. Woods's enormous strength was the key to executing the shot. To keep the ball down, Woods had to drive the club face through the rough longer than normal. The shot came off exactly as planned, softly landing on the green and stopping 15 feet from the cup. "Not a single [other] player on the face of the earth is capable of that," said CBS's David Feherty. Of course Woods drained the twisty downhiller for birdie.

Nancy Quarcelino, 47, runs the Nancy Quarcelino School of Golf at the Legends Club of Tennessee in Franklin and is one of Golf Magazine's Top 100 Teachers.

Issue date: February 24, 2003