Tiger Woods broke the mould when he obliterated the field to win the Masters at the age of 21… and in doing so changed golf forever.

Now aged 46, Woods is trying to win it for the sixth time, a year on from his horrific car crash.

Tiger Woods punches the air in triumph at winning the 1997 MastersCredit: AFP

But 25 years ago, his career took off in style, with a spectacular display of golfing mastery over four unforgettable days.

His amazing 12-shot victory at Augusta was the culmination of years of hard work, and some crucial moments during the week.

But no one realised at the time quite how much of an impact Tiger would have on the sport.

He told how the week before the Masters he was playing at his local course in Orlando, Florida, with his pal Mark O’Meara when they unexpectedly witnessed seeing the Space Shuttle taking off.

Woods  said: “On the third hole, a par-5, we hit our drives around the corner. I looked up and saw a white plume

Tiger Woods and his pal Mark O’MearaCredit: Reuters

The Space Shuttle takes off from Florida’s Kennedy Space CentreCredit: Getty Images

“The Space Shuttle Columbia had just launched from the Kennedy Space Centre.

“We saw the whole thing and it was chilling.

“I felt both small by comparison to space travel and in awe of what man could achieve. I felt exhilarated sitting there.”

Tiger went on to shoot 59 that day, a round that was to prove crucial days later when he found himself in trouble, having shot 40 on the front nine in the first round of the Masters.

Tiger Woods tees off at The Masters in 1997Credit: AP:Associated Press

Defending champion Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods in AugustaCredit: AP:Associated Press

“I was bewildered and furious as I walked to the tenth tee. I needed to figure out what went so wrong, he wrote in Unprecedented: The Masters and Me.

“I was hot inside. Just before I stepped on the tenth tee, I let go of that anger and calmed myself.

“I was thinking of the feeling I had the week before at Isleworth, when I hit one perfect shot after another.

“The feeling washed over me. My heart rate slowed. I felt free.

“I pulled the two-iron out of my bag. I blistered the two-iron down the fairway.

“There, right there, that was it. I didn’t miss a shot the rest of the way.”

Tiger came back in six under par over the back nine holes to finish with an opening round of 70, three strokes off the lead held by John Huston.

Woods, who has won the Masters four times in all, also revealed a putting tip from his sick dad Earl had made a crucial difference.

His father had struggled to be at Augusta, as he had undergone a triple heart bypass only a few weeks earlier.

Tiger Woods’ father Earl in 1997

Tiger Woods and his dad Earl who died in 2006Credit: Reuters

Tiger Woods hugs his dad Earl after winning the Masters in 1997Credit: AP:Associated Press

Tiger Woods aged 15 and dad Earl celebrate winning the Junior Amateur Championships in 1991Credit: Getty Images

Tiger asked his father for advice about his putting grip, and from his bed Earl told him to make a small but significant change.

Woods writes: “I grabbed three balls and got into my posture as he lay there in bed and asked him if he saw anything.

“He did and told me: ‘Your hands are too low. Lift them up. Get that little arch in your hands like you always do.’

“I made the modifications and tightened my left-hand grip.

“Now I felt ready for the opening round. My putting wasn’t the problem. Pop had solved that.”

Tiger shot a second round of 66 on Friday to move into a three-stroke lead.

He moved into the front on the 13th hole he holed a 20ft putt for an eagle.

In the book he reveals had spent watching re-runs of previous Masters at the Golf Channel’s studios in Orlando.

Golf Channel’s TV studios in Orlando, Florida

“I had seen that put before – not because I had it during practice rounds or in the Masters but because I saw the putt while watching it at Golf Channel studios in Orlando in the months before,” he said.

“I wasn’t concerned with the other shots but fast-forwarded to the putts. I made the putt for eagle and took the lead for the first time.

“I’ve always been thankful to Golf Channel for letting me come in to use its video library.

That round put him into a three-shot lead over Colin Montgomerie, who inadvertently put his foot in it at a press conference before the two were paired together for Saturday’s third round.

Tiger wrote: “Monty spoke his mind, saying that everyone would see in the third round what I was made of and that his experience might be a key factor.

Colin Montgomerie plays with Tiger Woods during the third round of the 1997 MastersCredit: AP:Associated Press

Colin Montgomerie’s comments fired up Tiger Woods in 1997Credit: PA:Press Association

“His comments only strengthened my resolve to play my best golf the rest of the way.

“The last thing Butchie (coach Butch Harmon) did as we left the range was to remind me of Monty’s comments the day before.

“I was itching to play and to take on the course, Monty, and the rest of the field. But Monty especially.

“Monty probably realised his comments were giving me extra motivation. He was walking with his head down and his shoulders slumped.”

Tiger shot 65, while Monty could only manage 74.

Woods remembers: “He was beaten up but cordial.”

Former pro golfer Lee Elder is the first black man to play the MastersCredit: Getty Images

Lee Elder with Tiger Woods at Augusta in 1997 Credit: Reuters

On Sunday morning Woods had a nine-shot lead over his nearest rival and stood on the verge of history, about to become the first black man to win at the Augusta National, for so long a symbol of racial segregation.

He tried to drive the enormity of the moment from his mind as he prepared for the final round.

But the sight of many African-Americans on the first tee, including former tour pro Lee Elder, made it impossible.

Elder had suffered prolonged racial abuse in 1975 when he became the first black man to play at the Masters.

“As I was practicing some chipping before the round, I spotted Lee Elder,” Woods wrote.

“He had flown up to Atlanta with his wife Rose from their home in Florida and then driven to Augusta.

“He wished me well for the round and that made me even more determined to take care of business.

“I later learned that Augusta staff members, many of them African-Americans, came to the oak tree on the lawn near the first tee to watch me start.

“It was time to do something at the Masters that had never been done before.”

Nick Faldo places the Green Jacket on Tiger Woods in 1997Credit: Reuters

Tiger Woods made history with his 1997 Masters triumphCredit: Reuters

Woods finished 12 strokes ahead of nearest competitor Tom Kite, and previous champion Nick Faldo helped him into the famous Green Jacket as history was made.

Tiger said: “A barrier had been broken.

“Later that night, after much celebration, I fell asleep fully clothed and hugging the Green Jacket like a blanket.

“I said afterwards that I hoped my win would open some doors for minorities.

“My biggest hope, though was that we could one day see one another as people and people alone.

“I wanted us to be colour-blind. Twenty years later, that has yet to happen.”