Tiger Woods’ 12-stroke victory made the 1997 Masters a major event in sports history. His domination of the field at Augusta National Golf Club as an athletic, aggressive golfer and a person of color resonated around the world.
“Tiger really inspired me to play,” Finau said recently. “Golf’s not that cool, if we’re being honest, for kids, especially growing up in Rose Park. Nobody played golf. It wasn’t that cool. But something struck a chord with me when I saw him play.”
Golf has taken Finau to Augusta National 21 years later. His debut coincides with Woods’ return to the Masters for the first time in three years.