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PHIL AT LAST: Phil Mickelson celebrates winning the 2004 Masters Tournament after sinking a birdie putt on the 18th green at Augusta National Golf Club. It was Mickelson's first major victory of his career.
Michael Holahan/Staff
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A year to remember
Web posted Saturday, December 25, 2004
By Chris Gay
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JOY OF SOX: The Boston Red Sox became the first Major League Baseball team to overcome a 3-0 deficit to win the American League Championship Series over the New York Yankees. The Sox went on to win the World Series over St. Louis.
Associated Press
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TEARFUL FAREWELL: Rulon Gardner, of the United States, gave the Summer Olympics one of its most emotional moments when he left his shoes on the mat to symbolize his retirement after defeating Sajad Barzi, of Iran, during the men's GrecoRoman 120kg wrestling bronze medal bout.
Associated Press
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SEASON ON ICE: National Hockey League teams' dressing rooms sit empty as the league has locked out its players because of failed contract negotiations.[
Associated Press
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PACK MENTALITY: The Greenbrier softball team took home the Class AAAA state title after defeating Chapel Hill, 12-0. The Wolfpack were led by record-setting senior pitcher Kristan Glover.
Jonathan Heeter/Staff
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IN THE LIMELIGHT: Dogwood Stable and president Cot Campbell entered Limehouse into the Kentucky Derby in May. The 38-to-1 underdog finished fourth in the first race of the Triple Crown.
Rob Carr/Staff
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SWEET SUMMER: Seventeen-year-old Lantz Lamback, of Augusta, won two bronze medals at the Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece in September. Lamback, who practices with the Aiken-Augusta Swim League, took third in the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly events.
Andrew Davis Tucker/Staff
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TAYLOR MADE: Former Hephzibah and Augusta State golfer Vaughn Taylor celebrates after sinking a birdie putt to win a one-hole playoff against three others at the Reno-Tahoe Open.
Associated Press
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It might go down as the leap that shook the world. At least, the golfing world.
Phil Mickelson jumped into the air, and the sea of fans surrounding the 18th green followed in a title wave of pent-up jubilation. The best player never to win a major finally did, curling in an 18-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to capture the Masters Tournament by a shot.
While Arnold Palmer competed in his final Masters, Mickelson seemed to take the torch as sentimental favorite.
Mickelson placed third in his three previous showings in Augusta. This time, he became the second left-handed golfer in a row to win the Masters.
"I think that winning this tournament, the reason it's so special, is that now I get to be a part of this great event for the rest of my life," Mickelson said.
"I'll be back here every first week of April, and I will look forward to this tournament every year for the rest of my life."
The victory goes down as the top local story of 2004.
Other top stories, in chronological order:
• Butler's near miss in the Georgia Class AAAA basketball state championship.
The Bulldogs found themselves in position to win their first boys basketball title since 1966. Butler, which sought respect throughout the season, knocked off top-ranked Dunwoody in the semifinals.
In Duluth, Ga., the Bulldogs took a 44-40 lead over Mays with 1:10 remaining. But Butler lost its touch at the foul line, missing four consecutive free throws.
Mays tied the game in regulation and went on to win the game in overtime.
• Augusta State's women's squad advanced to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight.
Talk about getting hot at the right time. The Lady Jaguars received a last-minute at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament and made the most of it.
After losing in the first round of the Peach Belt Tournament, and believing their season ended, the Lady Jaguars knocked off Shaw on their home court and added wins over league foes Armstrong Atlantic State and Georgia College & State to win the Southeast Regional.
Augusta State, which won a school-record 24 games, became the first No. 8 regional seed to advance to the Elite Eight in St. Joseph, Mo. The Lady Jaguars led Merrimack at halftime, but lost 76-68 in the quarterfinals.
• Limehouse's valiant run for the roses in the Kentucky Derby.
The Dogwood Stable horse was a late entrant into the world's most prestigious horse racing event.
A 38-to-1 underdog, Limehouse rode under champion jockey Jose Santos. In 2003, Santos won the first two legs of the Triple Crown atop Funny Cide.
With Limehouse owner Cot Campbell, Santos sought another success. Despite muddy conditions, Limehouse ran strong. Imperialism passed Limehouse down the stretch to finish in third.
• Richmond Academy's share of the Georgia Class AAA soccer championship.
The Musketeers sought respect all season despite an unblemished record and a No. 1 national ranking. Richmond Academy blazed its way through the playoffs and appeared ready to show the rest of the state, if not the nation, it had the best team.
Against Grayson, William Batson scored 11 minutes into the championship to give the Musketeers a 1-0 lead, but the Rams tied it early in the second half. The teams battled for 80 minutes of regulation and 20 minutes of overtime. The contest remained knotted.
A disappointed Richmond Academy bunch finished the season 24-0-1, but won the first GHSA state soccer title in Augusta history.
In November, Westminster won the GISA state championship following a 3-2 overtime win against Stratford.
• USC Aiken's first Division II golf national title.
After three runner-up finishes in the national tournament, coach Michael Carlisle watched his team make history. The young and unheralded Pacers went to Deland, Fla., with few expectations.
USC Aiken put together a strong second round to get into contention and found itself atop the field after 54 holes. The Pacers, led by sophomores Scott Brown and Dane Burkhart and freshman Clint Smith, pulled away from the field in the final round. The school brought home its first ever national championship in any sport by defeating No. 1 Chico State by 10 shots.
USC Aiken continued where it left off, winning all four of its fall events.
• Vaughn Taylor's breakthrough victory on the PGA Tour.
In a rare display of emotion, the usually calm and shy Augustan let out a yell and threw his right arm into the air. The former Hephzibah High and Augusta State golfer drained an 11-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to win the Reno-Tahoe Open.
Taylor rolled in a 14-foot birdie putt on the last hole of regulation to earn a spot in a four-man playoff.
The 28-year-old Taylor finished 67th on the tour money list with almost $1.2 million in earnings.
• Lantz Lamback's pair of bronze medals in the Paralympic Games.
For anyone who gets out of bed in a bad mood, consider the 18-year-old Lamback. Cerebral palsy forces him to live with everyday pain, especially in his back and legs.
But for one week in September, he overcame his physical ailments. The Augusta teenager swam to bronze medals in the 50 free and the 100 fly in the Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece.
Reese Hoffa, a Lakeside and University of Georgia graduate, qualified for the shot put portion of the Olympic Games. He failed to make the finals.
• Greenbrier's girls softball team finally takes the Class AAAA championship.
For Lady Wolfpack coach Garrett Black, the sixth time was the charm. Kristan Glover tossed a shutout as No. 1 Greenbrier knocked off Chapel Hill to win its first title.
It marked the first time any Columbia County team won a team championship since 1999 (Greenbrier baseball).
Glover, the Class AAAA pitcher of the year, became the first Georgia softball player to notch a unique record. She won 100 games and struck out 1,000 batters in her high school career.
• Asahi Ryokuken International Championship leaves Mount Vintage Golf Club in Edgefield County.
Maybe it was a bad omen when the LPGA tried to resume its affiliation with the Augusta area the week after Sept. 11, 2001. About 40 golfers pulled out of the event, and attendance lagged.
After three more tournaments, the event failed to catch on. The title sponsor from Japan dropped its support. The LPGA Tour also severed ties with Mount Vintage International Corporation.
Reach Chris Gay at (706) 823-3645 or chris.gay@augustachronicle.com
--From the Sunday, December 26, 2004 printed edition of the Augusta Chronicle
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