| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Dates | April 10–13, 1997 |
| Location | Augusta, Georgia 33°30′11″N 82°01′12″W / 33.503°N 82.020°W |
| Course(s) | Augusta National Golf Club |
| Organized by | Augusta National Golf Club |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Statistics | |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 6,925 yards (6,332 m)[1] |
| Field | 86 players, 46 after cut |
| Cut | 149 (+5) |
| Prize fund | US$2.7 million |
| Winner's share | $486,000 |
| Champion | |
 Tiger Woods | |
| 270 (−18) | |
| Location map | |
  Augusta National Location in the United States  Augusta National Location in Georgia | |
The 1997 Masters Tournament was the 61st Masters Tournament, held April 10–13 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.
Tiger Woods won his first major championship, twelve strokes ahead of runner-up Tom Kite. The margin of victory is, as of 2024, still the largest in the tournament's history. The four-day score of 270 (−18) was also a tournament record until 2020 when it was beaten by Dustin Johnson. Woods also became both the youngest (21) and the first non-white player to win at Augusta.[2][3]
Woods struggled on his first nine holes of the first round, turning at 4-over-par 40. Making four birdies and an eagle gave him a 6-under-par 30 on the back nine for a 70, three shots behind first-round leader John Huston.[4]
In the second and third rounds, Woods scored the best rounds of each day (66-65) to open up a commanding nine-shot lead. A final-round 69 gave Woods a then tournament record 270 (−18), bettering the previous record of 271 set by Jack Nicklaus in 1965 and matched by Raymond Floyd in 1976.
Woods' victory set television ratings records for golf; the final round broadcast on Sunday was seen by an estimated 44 million viewers in the United States.[5]
- ^ "Masters Scoreboard". Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. April 11, 1997. p. 8C.
- ^ Reilly, Rick (April 21, 1997). "Strokes of Genius". Sports Illustrated. p. 30.
- ^ Sirak, Ron (April 14, 1997). "It's Tiger's game now". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. p. 1B.
- ^ "Huston: The eagle has landed". Southeast Missourian. (Cape Girardeau). Associated Press. April 11, 1997. p. B1.
- ^ "Woods drives Masters ratings up". Free Lance-Star. (Fredericksburg, Virginia). Associated Press. April 16, 1997. p. B5.
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