Tiger Woods: ‘Never seen the likes of this’: Remembering Tiger Woods’ iconic ‘Shot in the Dark’ at Firestone Country Club
Tiger Woods: AKRON, Ohio — There are a lot of moments in Tiger Woods’ illustrious career that were unbelievable and unforgettable, but one in particular drums up memories for many right here in Northeast Ohio. With the Kaulig Companies Championship teeing off at Firestone Country Club this week, those memories are flooding back.
It was 8:25 p.m. on August 27, 2000. Woods was up 11 strokes at the end of the 2000 World Golf Championships NEC Invitational played at Firestone, looking to close out the contest and claim his victory on the 18th hole following storm delays that shut play down for some time that day. By the time they were able to resume, the sun was setting quickly, and visibility was becoming scarce.
Glenn Duncan, a resident of Stow, has been a chief marshal on the 18th hole of Firestone’s South Course for 32 years. He knows firsthand just how dark it was outside as Woods attempted to finish the round that day, 25 years ago.
“I couldn’t see the shot to begin with, it was so dark,” Duncan recalled. “We heard the tee shot hit, but we didn’t know who hit it or where it was going to end up and then this ball showed up in the first cut over here, and when Tiger walked over and asked if there was a ball over here, I pointed to where the ball was and the rest is history.”
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The shot did, in fact, become history. Woods’ tee shot landed near the edge of the fairway, 167 yards out from the green. Some lights from fans and cameras surrounding the green were visible, but everything else all but faded into the growing dusk. Woods had to get close to his shot to see exactly where the lie was, and after realizing it was in a good position (and wanted to close out his blowout win), he opted to keep playing in the increasingly dark evening. So he pulled out his 8 iron, took his shot and landed it on the green within two feet of the pin.
The call on the broadcast was one of disbelief.
“You can’t do that!”
“I’ve never seen the likes of this.”
Don Padgett III, the executive director of the Kaulig Companies Championship, was also at the 18th hole of Firestone’s South Course that night. He recalled how impressive that moment was.
“Daylight was dwindling,” Padgett said. “What I remember is him hitting a shot, having it drop about a foot away from the hole. TV made it look a lot more light than it really was. I remember the lighters, it looked like an old-school concert, and it was an unbelievable finish.”
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With fans lighting the green as they burst into thunderous applause, Woods walked up, tapped the ball into the cup and claimed his victory at 21 under par, setting the tournament record, while finishing 11 strokes ahead.
For Woods, playing in that lighting, or lack thereof, was something he grew up doing.
“I used to sneak out on the golf course to go play in twilight like this. Dad and I used to have probably two or three holes in pitch-black dark and you would have to call the shot. That’s the feeling and this is how I grew up playing,” Woods said after the win back in 2000.
The iconic moment has been christened as the “Shot in the Dark.”
There’s a plaque 167 yards out from the green on the 18th hole of Firestone’s South Course marking the spot where Woods took his shot. The commemorative plate has immortalized the moment with the date, time, distance, and the moniker “Shot in the Dark” adorning the metal plate.
Even now, 25 years later, golfers playing the historic Akron course stop to take pictures of the plaque. Many even try their hand at it, mostly in brighter conditions than Woods had, by dropping a ball by the marker and aiming for the green.
“You see some divots around that because a lot of people like to take a shot at that Tiger Woods shot,” Padgett smiled.
Not everyone gets it as close to the pin as Woods, one of the game’s best to ever play, did, but it’s a moment in history many look to experience themselves.
And as the actual date of the Shot in the Dark draws near, the memories are flooding back, especially for guys like Hall of Famer Ernie Els, who is defending his title in the Kaulig Companies Championship this week.
“That’s one of those moments that Tiger Woods brought to this place…that was one of those unbelievable moments the ‘Shot in the Dark’ was one of them,” Els said. “He hit it to a foot and tapped it in for birdie. He’s just an amazing, phenomenal player, and hopefully we’ll see him out here next year or the year after that.”
