Another decade in the books: What golf looked like in 2009
Another decade is in the books. Here's what golf looked like way back in 2009.
1 / 10
Tiger Woods car crash and scandal
Late on Thanksgiving night 2009, Tiger Woods' world came crashing down, literally and figuratively. The No. 1-ranked golfer in the world, fresh off a Player of the Year campaign, was involved in a car accident outside his home that led to the discovery of Woods' multiple affairs. A disgraced Woods lost several sponsorships, entered a 45-day therapy program and eventually got divorced. After an "indefinite break" from golf, Woods returned to Tour in 2010. Despite all the accolades, this scandal at the end of the decade will always be a permanent stain on his reputation.
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2 / 10
Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in their prime
Neither Tiger Woods nor Phil Mickelson won a major in 2009. But they both had great years on the course. Woods won six events, his tenth Player of the Year award, his ninth money title ($10.5 million) and the FedExCup Playoffs for the second time. Mickelson won three times, including a WGC event and the season-ending Tour Championship, and carried that momentum into 2010, when he won his third green jacket at Augusta National.
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3 / 10
Watson nearly pulls off impossible
At 59 years old, Tom Watson had the chance to become the oldest major champion in golf history at The Open Championship at at Turnberry. Watson, who has eight majors to his name, including five Opens, stood on the 18th tee only needing a par to break the record as oldest winner by a staggering 11 years, but he finished with a disappointing bogey to fall into a four-hole playoff with Stewart Cink, which he ended up losing. The victory was Cink's only career major and last victory to date.
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4 / 10
Cabrera wins Masters for second major title
Angle Cabrera only has three PGA Tour wins to his name. But two of those titles are the U.S. Open and the Masters. Two years after holding off Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk at the U.S. Open, "El Pato" returned to the major championship winner's circle at Augusta National. The Argentinian defeated Chad Campbell and Kenny Perry in a playoff to close out the decade as the keeper of the green jacket.
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5 / 10
Glover wins U.S. Open; Mickelson's fifth runner-up
Lucas Glover won the rain-delayed 2009 U.S. Open, outlasting Phil Mickelson, Ricky Barnes and David Duval in a Monday finish at Bethpage Black. The victory was the only major of Glover's career and one of only three PGA Tour wins. Meanwhile, it was the fifth runner-up finish for Mickelson at the national championship. He'd tack on a sixth in 2013 at Merion.
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6 / 10
Y.E. Yang takes down Tiger Woods
Y.E. Yang closed out the decade of major championships in iconic fashion, by beating Tiger Woods at the PGA Championship. Although he had won the Honda Classic earlier in the year, Yang was relatively unknown to golf fans. That all changed at Hazeltine National Golf Club. Starting in the final group two strokes behind playing competitor Woods, Yang shot 70 to Woods' 75 on Sunday to become the first male major winner from Asia and the first (and thus far only) player to beat Woods when Tiger held the 54-hole lead at a major.
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7 / 10
U.S. wins Presidents Cup; Woods gets revenge on Yang
Fred Couples' U.S. Presidents Cup team took care of business at Harding Park Golf Club, thrashing Greg Norman's International squad 19½ to 14½, their third straight win after a tie in 2003. The result wasn't exactly a surprise, but Sunday was notable for Tiger Woods in particular. Just a couple months after getting beat at the PGA Championship by Y.E. Yang, Tiger earned the cup clinching point by crushing Yang in his singles match, 6 and 5. Woods was a perfect 5-0-0 on the week.
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8 / 10
Mike Whan introduced as LPGA commissioner
After just four years on the job, LPGA commissioner Carolyn Bivens resigned under pressure from players on the tour, paving the way for Mike Whan to take control. Whan inherited a tour struggling with just 23 events and total prize money of $40 million, and ten years later he has led the healthy, diversified rebuild with 33 events and more than $70 million in total prize money. Whan continues to help the tour reimagine itself and signed a long-term contract extension in late 2019.
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9 / 10
Ochoa finishes as No. 1, POY before retirement in 2010
Lorena Ochoa is one of the greatest LPGA pros of all time, despite only playing professional golf for eight years. Ochoa has two majors to her name, and although she didn't win any in 2009, the world No. 1 still won three events and was named Player of the Year and Vare Trophy winner as player with the lowest scoring average. The end of the decade coincided with the end of an era for Ochoa, as she decided to retire in her prime in early in 2010 to spend more time with her family.
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10 / 10
Langer begins his domination
The PGA Tour Champions looked a lot like it does now, at least at the top. Bernhard Langer won the money title ($2.1 million) and Player of the Year award for the second straight year in 2009, and he was just warming up. Langer won both awards eight more times over the course of the decade. The 62-year-old German has won 11 senior majors and is the tour's career earning money leader with more than $28.6 million.
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