By TERRY MADDAFORD
Tiger Woods turned to his Kiwi caddy Steve Williams, nodded in agreement, took out his six iron and cool as you like smacked the ball 240 yards out of a bunker, over the water and watched in delight as it stopped just 20 feet from the flag.
That shot on the 72nd hole - one few would have dared contemplate let alone attempt - provided one of the truly memorable sporting highlights of the year.
When Woods rolled in the two putts for victory he had denied New Zealand's Grant Waite any chance of winning the Canadian Open.
Woods joined the Olympic stars as one of the year's sporting greats. Winning three golf majors and more money than most of us could even think about set him apart.
It was not one of the great sporting years for New Zealand. After all the hype and even more dollars thrown at the Olympic team - with the Games in our backyard this was our best chance, they said - it was a sad and sorry mob that chef de mission Les Mills brought home from Sydney.
Athletics, cycling, rowing (apart from Waddell), yachting (apart from Barbara Kendall and Aaron McIntosh), triathlon, equestrian (Mark Todd excepted) and hockey all failed after being touted as medal hopes.
The failure of the so-called Olympic stars to shine was the major disappointment for a sports-mad country, which could not even find sporting salvation in the All Blacks or the Kiwi league team who fell at the last hurdle at the World Cup.
Year in review: If only we had a Tiger
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