Masters 2012: How Golf's Greatest Major Has Defined Tiger Woods' Career

Everything you need to know about Tiger Woods can be found on the hallowed grounds of the Masters. 

You can't judge a book by its cover, but you can certainly glean a great deal from its punctuated chapters. 

Woods may one day lay claim to the title "best golfer who ever played," but his legacy will be far deeper and more complex that just a one-off statement of grandeur. 

Woods began his career with promise, delivered heroic results and showed that he was far more human than we would have ever thought. 

Through it all, Augusta has been the stage for some of the most memorable moments of that career, and we take you through some of the best of them here. 

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1997 Masters: Tiger Woods First Win at Augusta

Tiger Woods was special from the start, taking the PGA and its fans by storm in 1996 and completely annihilating the field at the 1997 Masters at Augusta. 

Woods' performance at his first major meant everything as we saw that he was not the same golfer we were used to. Both the color of his skin and remarkable ability rocked the sport from the beginning. 

The front nine of the first round was rough on the young golfer and showed his nerves as he opened play. By the back nine, the Tiger we would see rattle off so many majors, including four Masters' titles, emerged. 

By the end of four magical days, Woods would put up a record 18-under 270, 12 strokes better than runner-up Tom Kite. 

The aftermath was mixed with both adulation and controversy. We still remember the comments made by veteran Fuzzy Zoeller in the wake of Woods' domination. 

Outdated thoughts across the board were washed away. 

2001 Masters: Tiger Woods' Grand Slam

There are a myriad of moments outside of Augusta that typify his dominance, but the 2001 Masters solidified the first time a golfer owned all four majors at the same time. 

He would finish with a 16-under 272 on the tournament, leaving behind a mediocre 1998 season and building on a couple years of sheer brilliance. 

We would see some special golf in the next couple of years. 

2002 Masters: Tigers Woods' 3rd Green Jacket

There was talk about where Tiger Woods would take the sport prior to his third green jacket, but it reached a fever pitch after this win. 

After his third Masters victory and seventh major, many began wondering if we were in the midst of a golfer who could run down one of the greatest feats in all sports, Jack Nicklaus' 18 majors and six wins at Augusta. 

After a couple days of trailing by a few strokes, Woods dropped a 66, tying him with leader Retief Goosen. 

From there, his mystique and prowess were enough to command day four with 71, giving him a 12-under 276 overall, and another slice of history. 

2005 Masters: Tiger Woods' Comeback and Fourth Green Jacket

One of the greatest golfers ever certainly needs one of the greatest shots. 

The 2005 Masters came after a dismal couple years that saw Woods really struggle for the first time in his career. 

After the 2002 US Open, Tiger would fail to win any majors until he entered a memorable four days at Augusta in 2005. 

It all came down to the final day and a battle between the legend and Chris DiMarco. The magical moment came on 16. 

Both DiMarco and Woods birdied 15, making the remaining holes all the more pressure pack. DiMarco placed his shot in the middle of the green with Woods sitting off the green with a beyond difficult lie, and that is when history was made. 

The great ones on every sport are defined by their overall body of work, but they have certain moments that punctuate their legacy like ornaments on a Christmas tree. 

It was an impossible shot that kept Woods in the running, leading to a playoff he would take for his fourth Masters win. 

2011 Masters: Tiger Woods' Near Return

Tiger Woods would again hit a slump, but this time it would be a massive one that would also include a fateful night in 2009 that brought to light infidelities and the loss of Woods' mark as a heroic figure that could do no wrong. 

After a respite, he made a strong showing at the 2010 Masters but clearly wasn't the same man. The entire year would be marked by futility with brief showings of his classic self. 

In 2011, Tiger Woods had a chance for his fifth jacket. 

In fact, he was tied for the lead during the final round along with budding star Rory McIlroy. The Northern Ireland youngster would falter in the end, and so would Woods, giving the tournament to Charl Schwartzel. 

Injuries and lack of closing form beat an already broken man. 

2012 Masters: New Era?

Finally, we can call the losing days as officially over. 

After 924 days of frustration, Woods put together four straight days of fantastic golf at Bay Hill, taking the tournament. 

He is driving the ball remarkably well, and he is finally putting like he used to. More than that, he is playing with confidence and, for moments, is allowing himself to have a good time. 

The awful moments of 2009 are long past, and it seems that Tiger is ready to move on, but we have no idea how that will translate to the grandeur and demands of Augusta.

The classic Tiger Woods is gone, but there is hope, because the new Tiger Woods can prove to be just as good.