Tiger Woods Wins a Record 4 ESPYs

LAS VEGAS (AP) â€” Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus made the ESPY awards a golf show. <br><br>Woods won a record four awards, giving him 11 career ESPYs, and Nicklaus received a lifetime achievement award

Tuesday, February 13th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

LAS VEGAS (AP) â€” Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus made the ESPY awards a golf show.

Woods won a record four awards, giving him 11 career ESPYs, and Nicklaus received a lifetime achievement award from the ESPN television network Monday night.

Woods won male athlete of the year, pro golfer of the year, championship performance of the year and come-from-behind performance of the year as he capped his 2000 season by breaking the one-year record of three awards he shared with Michael Jordan. Woods now has 11 career ESPYs, surpassing Jordan's 10.

``It was a very special moment, one I will always remember,'' Woods said of his victory at Pebble Beach, where he was seven shots down with seven holes to go. ``I guess I like Pebble Beach.''

Nicklaus, winner of 71 golf tournaments including 18 majors, received a standing ovation at the ninth annual ESPY Awards show hosted by Samuel L. Jackson at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

``It's both gratifying and humbling,'' Nicklaus said of the first lifetime achievement award given at the ESPYs.

Nicklaus' name ``is synonymous with golf,'' said actor Martin Sheen, who introduced Nicklaus.

Olympic star Marion Jones won three ESPYs â€” female athlete of the year, U.S. female Olympic athlete of the year and, for a fourth straight year, women's track and field athlete of the year.

For the third consecutive year and fourth time in five years, Joe Torre was the coach-manager of the year. His New York Yankees were cited as team of the year for the third time in five years.

Australian Olympic star Cathy Freeman received the ESPY for most memorable moment for her performance at the Olympics and a courage and humanitarian award named after the late Arthur Ashe, which earned her an emotional standing ovation.

Other notable winners were Pete Sampras as male tennis performer of the year for the seventh time; and Walter Ray Williams as bowler of the year for the third time in four years.

The ESPY â€” or Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly â€” is voted on by a panel of Hall of Fame athletes and print and broadcast sports journalists.