AUGUSTA, Ga., April 13 -- Tiger Woods has won The Masters golf tournament, shooting an 18-under par 270 and smashing a variety of records. Woods toured the famed Augusta National Golf Club course in 69 strokes Sunday, giving him a 12-shot victory in the 61st Masters.
At age 21 years, three months and 15 days, Woods became the youngest Masters winner in history. He eclipsed the 72-hole Masters scoring record previously shared by Jack Nicklaus and Raymond Floyd and posted the most one-sided triumph ever in a 72-hole major event. And in the heart of the Old South, playing at a club that admitted its first black member only six years ago, Woods became the first African-American to win a major golf championship. Woods shot a 72-hole total of 18-under 270, a record that brought him $486,000. The old Masters record was 271, set by Nicklaus in 1965 and equaled by Floyd 11 years later. Far away in second place at 282 was Tom Kite, who for the third time in his career was runner-up at the Masters. No other major event played over 72 holes has had a larger margin between first and second place, the old record being the 11-shot victory recorded by Willie Smith in the 1899 U.S. Open. Tom Morris Sr., won the 1862 British Open by 13 shots, but that tournament had just six entrants and was conducted over only 36 holes. ---
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