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Mike Weir, 2003 Masters champion



2006: For all his thrills, Phil Mickelson made his second Masters victory look easy. He entered the final round with a one-shot lead over Fred Couples, with Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh — Nos. 1 and 2 in the world — only two shots behind. Everyone else made the mistakes, however, and Mickelson didn't make a bogey until the 18th hole, when it didn't matter. Couples had a chance to pull within one shot when he hit his approach into 4 feet at the 14th. But he three-putted for bogey, and Mickelson sailed home to a 69 for a two-shot victory over Tim Clark. It was the second straight major for Mickelson, who had won the PGA Championship at Baltusrol the year before.



2003: Only five years after going to Q-school to keep his PGA Tour status, Mike Weir was being fitted for a green jacket. The Brights Grove, Ont., golfer made a pair of clutch par putts and needed a tap-in bogey on the first playoff hole to defeat Len Mattiace and become the first Canadian golfer to win the Masters. Weir also became the first left-handed player to win a major since Bob Charles at the 1963 British Open. His winning score of 7-under 281 was the highest at the Masters since 1989. It was Weir's sixth career victory and ironically, all of them have been comebacks. Tiger Woods made it to the green jacket ceremony for the third straight year, only this time it was to slip the coveted prize around Weir's shoulders. "Thanks, Tig," Weir said. "It feels good."



2001: Perhaps no player faced more pressure at the Masters than Tiger Woods as he tried to become the only player in history to win four straight majors. Woods shot 68 in the third round for a one-shot lead over Phil Mickelson. It became a three-man race on the back nine Sunday among Woods, Mickelson and David Duval. Ultimately, it came down to missed opportunities. Duval missed birdie putts of 12 feet and 5 feet on the last two holes. Mickelson took bogey on the 16th when his ball stayed on the top shelf, and couldn't convert birdies on the last two holes. Woods made a birdie on his 18th hole for a 68 and a two-shot victory. Starting with the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach the previous year, he won all four majors in a span of 294 days.



1991: Ian Woosnam became the first No. 1 player to win the Masters, having gone to the top of the world ranking only a week before. Going to the 18th hole, Woosnam was tied for the lead with Jose Maria Olazabal and 41-year-old Tom Watson, who made eagle on the 13th and 15th holes. Olazabal, in the group ahead, drove into a fairway bunker and made bogey. Watson, playing alongside Woosnam, drove into the trees and three-putted for double bogey. Woosnam holed a 6-foot par putt to close with a 72 for a one-shot victory.



1986: Jack Nicklaus was 46 and thought to be washed up, at least according to one Atlanta columnist. Starting the final round in a tie for ninth, four shots behind Greg Norman, Nicklaus began his famous charge with a birdie on the ninth hole. Then a 4-iron to about 15 feet on the 15th began an eagle-birdie-birdie stretch that carried him to a 30 on the back nine for a 65. He won by one shot when Seve Ballesteros hit into the water on No. 15, Norman's late rally ended with a shot into the gallery on the 18th for bogey and Tom Kite missed a birdie putt on the last hole. Nicklaus won his sixth green jacket, along with his 18th — and last — professional major. Nick Price became the first player to shoot 63 at the Masters in the third round.



1961: In another Monday finish because of rain, Gary Player of South Africa became the first foreign-born Masters champion in a tournament that also was remembered for Arnold Palmer's collapse. Player built a four-shot lead over Palmer going into the final round, only for Palmer to charge into the lead by playing 3-under par. But on the 18th hole, Palmer hit into the bunker, bladed his shot into another bunker and took double bogey for a 71 to finish one shot behind. Player closed with a 74. It was the first year the Masters awarded winners a trophy that was a replica of the Augusta National clubhouse.



1936: In the third year of what was then called the Augusta National Invitation Tournament, Horton Smith won for the second time with rounds of 68-72 on Monday. Rain washed out the opening round Thursday and postponed play Sunday. In the fourth round, Smith rallied from a three-shot deficit against Harry "Lighthorse" Cooper by chipping in from 50 feet on the 14th and making birdie on the 15th. Smith closed with a 72. Cooper, who never won a major but was four times a runner-up, shot 76.

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