Tiger Woods makes an ace in the desert and shines in the dark

By Sky Sports Golf

Tiger Woods sends the crowd wild with a sensational hole-in-one at the loudest hole in golf during the 1997 Phoenix Open

Ahead of the eagerly-awaited return of Tiger Woods to competitive golf, we look back at two of his most memorable iron shots that helped establish his place in history.

Phoenix Open, 1997

After kicking off his first full season on the PGA Tour with victory at the Mercedes Championship in California, Woods lit up the third round at TPC Scottsdale with a sensational ace at the famous 16th.

Image: Tiger Woods watches intently after hitting his tee shot to 16, and moments later he was celebrating a hole in one

Regarded as the loudest hole in the world of golf, Woods sent the thousands in the stands into a frenzy when his perfectly-struck tee-shot pitched a few feet short of the target and hopped into the cup.

The noise reverberated around the course as he made his way to the green to pick his ball out of the hole, and he went on to complete a 67 before a disappointing final-round 72 saw him slip into a tie for 18th place as Steve Jones stormed to an 11-shot victory.

WGC-NEC Invitational, 2000

Woods was already assured of victory at Firestone Country Club in Ohio as he arrived at the 72nd hole 10 strokes clear of the field, but the only challenge he faced was getting the tournament finished on Sunday evening.

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Tiger Woods seals victory in the 2000 WGC-NEC Invitational with a stunning approach to the final hole in near-darkness.

Earlier weather delays meant that the event would be concluded long after the sun had set, and there is little doubt the last couple of holes would have been played on Monday had the result not been a foregone conclusion.

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However, Woods defied the darkness to knock an incredible approach to within three feet of the flag, and he tapped in amid a vast array of camera flashes to complete his eighth win of the most dominant season of his career.

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