TT Postscript: The strangest nine holes ever and a closing 76

AUGUSTA, Ga. — After making a 10 at the par-3 12th, Tiger Woods birdied five of his last six holes, including his last four in a row, to cap off a final-round 76 Sunday at the Masters.

Now, after eight years, I can really say I’ve seen everything.

• That was maybe the strangest nine holes I’ve ever tracked — and I’ve seen some stuff, people.

I was there for the 2013 POY season.

I’ve tracked wins at the Tour Championship, at the Zozo, and at the Masters.

I’ve witnessed more WDs than I care to remember.

I feel like I went through the yips in 2015.

But I will never forget this back nine at Augusta.

• Let’s skip right to the obvious, his septuple-bogey 10 at the par-3 12th. What a difference a year (and seven months makes). It was the 12th hole that played such a pivotal role in his victory last year, when it was everyone else taking dips in Rae’s Creek. This time, it was his turn, and his turn, and still his turn. I joked that he was in trouble when he went to the drop area after his tee ball zipped back into the water. I had no idea he was in that much trouble. Really, I think this might be the best way to walk through it all:

Three balls in the water, and the highest score on a hole in his PGA Tour career.

• If you were willing to put up a dollar, you could have made 15,000 more.

• I’ll leave it to him to explain: “Well, I committed to the wrong wind,” he said after the round. “The wind was off the right for the first two guys, and then when I stepped up there it switched to howling off the left – and the flag on 11 was howling off the left. I didn’t commit to the wind, but I also got ahead of it and pushed it, too, because I thought the wind was more off the right, and it was off the left, and that just started the problems from there. And then from there, I hit a lot more shots and had a lot more experiences there in Rae’s Creek. And then as you said, this is unlike any other sport; you’re so alone out there and you have to figure it out and you have to fight, no one’s going to pull you off the bump, and I did coming in.”

• And then, the charge was on. Birdie at 13. Birdie at 15. Birdie at 16. Birdie at 17. Birdie at 18. Five of his last six. Four in a row. It was a 3-over 39 second nine that included five birdies, two pars, one bogey, and one septuple.

Scorecard for player 11111 during event 18491.

• This final round was always going to be special. But to watch him go on that last run, to anticipate that final birdie try on 18, to see him pour it in …

There’s only one thing left to say:

Thank you.