With back surgery forcing him off the course for at least the next couple months, Tiger Woods is noticeably absent from Augusta National and the Masters. Woods has been forced off the course due to injury before, even missing a few major championships, but this will be the first time he won’t be in the Masters field since 1994.
A snapshot of the world the last time Tiger Woods missed the Masters
Tiger Woods won’t tee it up at the Masters this year, something that hasn’t happened since 1994. It’s safe to say a lot has changed since then.
Stephen Munday
Woods first played in the Masters in 1995, finishing as the low amateur. He’s battled for the green jacket every year since, a streak of 19 straight appearances. Golf, and the world in general, are very different today than they were the last time the Masters teed off without Woods in the field. Here is a look at a few of the changes.
| Category | 1995 | 2014 |
| No. 1 player in the World Golf Rankings | Greg Norman | Tiger Woods |
| Masters winning share | $360,000 | $1.44 million |
| Augusta National total yardage | 6,925 yards | 7,435 yards |
| United States population | 262.32 million | 317.80 million |
| No. 1 song on Billboard top 100 | "The Sign" Ace of Base | "Happy" by Pharrell |
| Sports Illustrated cover athlete | Nolan Richardson/Arkansas Basketball | Aaron Harrison/Kentucky basketball |
| Average price of a gallon of gasoline in the U.S. | $1.01 | $3.65 |
| Cost of a share of Apple stock | $8.37 | $542.55 |
| No. 1 movie in America | D2: The Mighty Ducks | Noah |
| Richest person in the world | Bill Gates ($9.35 billion) | Bill Gates ($76 billion) |
| Nick Saban's CFB win total | 9 | 165 |
| Most popular baby names in the U.S. | Michael and Jessica | Graham and Peyton |
If Jose Maria Olazabal had taken every dollar of the $360,000 he received for winning the 1994 Masters and invested it in Apple stock, his stock would be worth more than $23 million today. Still a bit short of Bill Gates’ net worth, though.
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