Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In this meticulous if dry account, Cook (Waco Rising), the former editor-in-chief of Golf magazine, details the 16 months in the early 2000s when Tiger Woods won golf's four major championships in succession. Cook recounts, sometimes stroke-by-stroke, Woods's performances, describing how he navigated windy conditions to win the U.S. Open, beat Bob May in a playoff round to nab the PGA, and maintained focus in the face of immense hype to come out on top at the Masters. Presenting Woods as a consummate perfectionist constantly looking for an edge over the competition, Cook notes that he asked the manufacturer of his custom putter to make it lighter than their standard model by the "weight of a sheet of printer paper." The match recaps are immersive ("Tiger's tee shot... flew past, missing the flag by inches, then hopped and checked back to ten feet. As he and May headed to the green, waving to acknowledge the crowd, a leather-lunged fan yelled, 'Tiger, Tiger!' "), but the well-known outcome leaves little room for suspense, and even the occasional hiccup (Tiger's caddie forgot to pack enough balls for the U.S. Open, putting Tiger at risk of incurring a two-stroke penalty if they ran out) doesn't add much excitement. The result is a lukewarm overview of one of golf's great hot streaks. Photos. Agent: David Halpern, David Halpern Literary. (Dec.)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Golf history up close and personal. Cook's third book on golf is a captivating tale of what many thought impossible: winning the game's four majors in a row. In a breezy, assured style, Cook begins with a brief biography of Tiger Woods and his family and an insightful short history of golf balls, including Woods' switch to a new brand. His swing guru, Claude Harmon, thought "that his prize pupil might be about to take golf to a higher level." The rough at the Pebble Beach Golf Links would be very thick for the 100th U.S. Open, held in 2000. Word was, even par may win. Woods started with a 65. He finished his second with only one ball (he didn't know that) and a six-shot lead. After the windy third, it jumped to 10. Cook creates suspense even when readers know the outcome, a win, 15 strokes ahead of the next player. The British Open was at hallowed St. Andrews. After the first round, Ernie Els led by one over Woods, who took the lead after round two, then the third, by six shots. He beat his friend, David Duval, to win, using only one tee--the youngest to win all four majors. At Kentucky's lackluster Valhalla Golf Club, he would also be the PGA's defending champion. An opening 66 had him tied for the lead. A 67 resulted in a 36-hole scoring record. Woods battled the competitive journeyman Bob May in a playoff to win his third major in a row. The Masters and his fourth major were 10 months away. Amid the fans' roars he barely beat Phil Mickelson and Duval. Jack Nicklaus called it the "most amazing feat in the history of golf." Chock-full of fascinating golf trivia, pithy profiles of players, and fairway dramas. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
