Tiger Woods enjoyed one of his most successful seasons on the PGA Tour in 1997. He picked up four PGA Tour victories that year, including a win at the Masters. The fourth win came at the 1997 Motorola Western Open, which is now known as the BMW Championship.
Woods won the 1997 version of the event by three strokes, and a score of 15 under 273, edging past second-placed Frank Nobilo. Thousands of fans watched the young sensation take the final shot.
The crowd burst into cheers as Tiger Woods won the BMW Championship, following him from the tee till the hole. Some fans even stormed onto the golf course to congratulate Woods on the victory.
In the 1997 season, Woods won the season-opening Mercedes Championships, the Augusta Masters, the Byron Nelson Golf Classic, and the Western Open.
Tiger Woods' 1997 PGA Tour season
Woods had a strong start to the 1997 PGA Tour season, with a win at the very first tournament, the Mercedes Championships. Within a year of turning pro, Woods had already picked up four PGA Tour wins.
The 1997 Masters tournament was the highlight of Woods' year, as he won by a record-breaking 12 strokes ahead of runner-up Tom Kite, which is still the largest margin of victory at the Masters. Woods also became the youngest and the first non-white player to win the prestigious tournament.
Woods started off the Masters tournament with a dominant 66-65 to open a nine-shot lead in the third round. His last round of the Masters was witnessed by over 44 million people via broadcast.
He also became World No. 1 two months later. Woods won the Byron Nelson Golf Classic soon after, beating Lee Rinker by two strokes. He ended the season well with his win at the BMW Championship over Frank Nobilo.