Back in 1999, the golfing world witnessed one of the greatest examples of courage, dedication and the sheer will to win when Jose Maria Olazabal reigned supreme at Augusta National by winning The Masters.
Olazabal won for the second time at Augusta National in 1999, after initially triumphing at The Masters in 1994.
However, his second win was much more impressive due to the fact that he suffered from debilitating back issues from 1995 through until 1997.
At the time, the issue was diagnosed as ‘rheumatoid polyarthritis’, and he was actually unable to walk for around 18 months. The Spaniard genuinely feared that his career was over before undergoing intense treatment.
Olazabal slowly fought his way back and returned to competitive golf in 1997.
The now 59-year-old’s three-year wait for a win ended that year at the Turespana Masters Open de Canarias when he marched on to a two-stroke victory over Lee Westwood, in what was an emotionally driven performance.
He was then victorious at the Dubai Desert Classic in 1998 after beating Australian Stephen Allan by three shots, but at the time, he would have been unaware that one of the best moments of his career was waiting on the horizon for him.
Jose Maria Olazabal’s emotional Masters win in 1999
The Spaniard has always been a highly emotional character. Anyone who watched his two Masters triumphs and Europe’s Ryder Cup win over the United States in 2012 will know all about that.
So it was no surprise when he let it all out on the 18th green after getting the better of Greg Norman, but let’s go back to the start of the week in Augusta, Georgia.
The Spaniard began with an opening round of two-under par 70 to trail the leaders by just one shot. He then followed that up with a second round 66 on Friday to hold the lead on his own heading into the weekend.
On Saturday, Olazabal carded a round of 73 which left him at seven-under par for the tournament, just one stroke clear of Norman with one round still to play.
Sunday was Olazabal’s day in the end, though. He shot a round of 71 to Norman’s 73, and ended up winning The Masters by two strokes from Davis Love III.
Norman actually pulled level with the man from Hondaribbia, Spain, not long after making the turn on Sunday, when the Australian eagled the par-five 13th hole.
However, Olazabal pulled away from Norman immediately after that hole. The eventual champion played the final five holes in one-under par while Norman could only manage three pars and two bogeys.
It was a stunning victory for the popular Spaniard – one made even more remarkable due to the fact that he was literally unable to walk just over two years before the 1999 Masters began.
Interestingly, Sergio Garcia actually won the low amateur prize at The Masters that year. 1999 at Augusta National very much felt like it was meant to be for Olazabal, and indeed his fellow countryman, Garcia.
What Jose Maria Olazabal said about his 1999 Masters win
Unsurprisingly, Olazabal said after his win in 1999 that it was more special than his first victory at Augusta, considering the health problems he had been through.
Speaking to reporters after his somewhat unbelievable victory, he opened up on just how much winning The Masters for the second time meant to him.
“I’m proud of myself and I’m very happy not just for myself, but also for all the people who supported me through the bad times,“ Olazabal explained.
“The first time when I won, it was my first major event.
“I didn’t have the knowledge or the time to enjoy the victory.
“This one I’m pretty sure I’m going to enjoy this one more, for several reasons.
“Most important is the problems I went through to get here. And it’s my second. The first you might say it was a lucky week. The second one, the way I did it, it means a lot to me.“
If you asked Olazabal now where he ranks his win at The Masters in 1999 among his list of career achievements, he may well put it right at the top.
His captaincy at the 2012 Ryder Cup was extremely special to him as well, as it came just over one year after his good friend Severiano Ballesteros passed away.
However, his victory at Augusta was a testament to how mentally strong he was. Not many people could come back from not being able to walk and win a major just two years later.