A masterful performanceWoods wins golf's ultimate prize by 12 strokes

The Associated Press Tiger Woods reacts after sinking a putt on the 18th at Augusta National yesterday to put a cap on his first Masters championships. At age 21, Woods is the youngest golfer to ever win the 61-year-old tournament. His score of 270 was a course record.

The rollicking cheers and waves of affection that carried Woods through the final few holes and onto the 18th green yesterday at Augusta National Golf Club made that clear.

His golf game seemed to make it inevitable.

When the green jacket was draped over the shoulders of the 21-year-old champion, golf greeted not just the first black to win a major professional championship, but also a player of the talent, intelligence and discipline to achieve his goal of being the best to ever play the game.

By the time Woods was jumping up and trying to see who was away after missing the 18th fairway way left, he had let himself laugh, joked with the crowd, and started to enjoy one of the most startling and easy victories in the history of golf.

After making his final putt, Woods became a kid again when he squeezed his eyes tight and fought back tears as he hugged his father, Earl, the man who taught him the game, and his mother, Tida.

''My dad said last night, 'If you play well and be yourself, it would be the most rewarding round you've ever had.' ''

It might have been more than that.

''Phenomenal performance,'' Nick Faldo, last year's winner, told Woods. ''Welcome to the green jacket.''

Closing with a 69, Woods finished at 18-under-par 270, the lowest score ever shot in the Masters and matching the most under par anyone has ever been in any of the four Grand Slam events.

His 12-stroke victory over Tom Kite was not only a Masters record by three strokes, but the greatest winning margin in any major since Tom Morris Sr. won in the 1862 British Open by 13 strokes.

And Woods was the youngest by two years ever to win the Masters.

''He's out there playing another game on a golf course he is going to own for a long time,'' said Nicklaus, who won the Masters at 23.

What Woods did this week at Augusta means that anything is possible. It was an effort recorded not on a scorecard, but in the record books and pages of history.

His remarkable accomplishments as a golfer almost overshadowed yet another significant achievement:

Woods' victory came just two days shy of 50 years after Jackie Robinson became the first black to play major league baseball.