1998 Masters: O'Meara is O'Major

Mark O''Meara holds the trophy after winning the 1998 Masters Tournament
1998 Masters champ Mark O'Meara in the Green Jacket and showing off the Masters trophy. David Cannon/Getty Images

After a long, successful career with plenty of wins - but none of them in majors - 41-year-old Mark O'Meara became a first-time major champion at the 1998 Masters.

Quick Bits

  • Winner: Mark O'Meara, 279
  • Dates: April 9-12, 1998
  • Location: Augusta National Golf Club in Augusa, Ga.
  • Tournament number: The was the 62nd time the Masters Tournament was played.

O' What a Feeling for O'Meara at 1998 Masters

Mark O'Meara had been a very good player for a long time on the PGA Tour, but entering the 1998 Masters had not won a major championship. During 1998, O'Meara won two majors - this one, plus the British Open later in the year.

Why was 1998 such a good year for O'Meara? Many believed - and O'Meara himself said as much - that O'Meara's friendship with the young star Tiger Woods played a role. O'Meara and Woods played together often, and competed against each other in practice rounds. O'Meara said that watching Woods' killer instinct and Woods' work ethic made him work that much harder himself.

Whatever the reason, O'Meara won The Masters in 1998 by closing with rounds of 68 and 67, and by birdying the final hole to secure the victory. In fact, O'Meara birdied three of the final four holes on Sunday, capping his surge with a 20-footer on the 72nd hole for the one-stroke victory over David Duval and Fred Couples.

O'Meara opened with a 74, five off the first-round lead. He jumped into the Top 10 with a second-round 70. And O'Meara's scores continued downward with a third-round 68. He stood tied for second heading into the final round, two strokes behind Couples.

The 1998 Masters is also notable as the last time Jack Nicklaus was part of the story in the final round. Nicklaus, 56 years old, tied for sixth, four strokes off the lead, with a final-round 68. Gary Player, age 62, made the cut in a Masters for the last time this year.

David Toms made his first-ever Masters appearance here, and it included a 64 in the final round. Toms finished tied with Nicklaus in sixth place.

As defending champion, Woods slipped the Green Jacket onto O'Meara. Woods finished tied for eighth, six strokes behind O'Meara.

1998 Masters Scores

Results from the 1998 Masters golf tournament played at the par-72 Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga. (a-amateur):

Mark O'Meara, $576,000 74-70-68-67--279
David Duval, $291,600 71-68-74-67--280
Fred Couples, $291,600 69-70-71-70--280
Jim Furyk, $153,600 76-70-67-68--281
Paul Azinger, $128,000 71-72-69-70--282
David Toms, $111,200 75-72-72-64--283
Jack Nicklaus, $111,200 73-72-70-68--283
Justin Leonard, $89,600 74-73-69-69--285
Darren Clarke, $89,600 76-73-67-69--285
Tiger Woods, $89,600 71-72-72-70--285
Colin Montgomerie, $89,600 71-75-69-70--285
Per-Ulrik Johansson, $64,800 74-75-67-70--286
Jose Maria Olazabal, $64,800 70-73-71-72--286
Jay Haas, $64,800 72-71-71-72--286
Phil Mickelson, $64,800 74-69-69-74--286
Ian Woosnam, $48,000 74-71-72-70--287
Scott McCarron, $48,000 73-71-72-71--287
Mark Calcavecchia, $48,000 74-74-69-70--287
Ernie Els, $48,000 75-70-70-72--287
Scott Hoch, $48,000 70-71-73-73--287
Willie Wood, $38,400 74-74-70-70--288
a-Matt Kuchar 72-76-68-72--288
Stewart Cink, $33,280 74-76-69-70--289
John Huston, $33,280 77-71-70-71--289
Jeff Maggert, $33,280 72-73-72-72--289
Steve Jones, $26,133 75-70-75-70--290
David Frost, $26,133 72-73-74-71--290
Brad Faxon, $26,133 73-74-71-72--290
Michael Bradley, $23,680 73-74-72-72--291
Steve Elkington, $22,720 75-75-71-71--292
Jesper Parnevik, $21,280 75-73-73-72--293
Andrew Magee, $21,280 74-72-74-73--293
Phil Blackmar, $18,112 71-78-75-70--294
Lee Janzen, $18,112 76-74-72-72--294
Fuzzy Zoeller, $18,112 71-74-75-74--294
John Daly, $18,112 77-71-71-75--294
Davis Love III, $18,112 74-75-67-78--294
Tom Kite, $15,680 73-74-74-74--295
Bernhard Langer, $14,720 75-73-74-74--296
Paul Stankowski, $14,720 70-80-72-74--296
Corey Pavin, $13,440 73-77-72-75--297
Craig Stadler, $13,440 79-68-73-77--297
John Cook, $12,480 75-73-74-76--298
Lee Westwood, $11,840 74-76-72-78--300
a-Joel Kribel 74-76-76-75--301
Gary Player, $11,200 77-72-78-75--302

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