Kris Shannon’s World of Sport A Tiger major triumph tops 2017 wishlist

Now a more sympathetic figure, Woods’ return to the top of golf would make great sporting drama

It’s December, a time to commemorate the best of 2016 and celebrate all the fairytales that illuminated the sporting world in the past 12 months.

But how about an optimistic prediction for 2017? The unlikely sporting stories are set to continue. Next year, Tiger Woods will win his 15th major championship and at long last return to the top of the golfing world.

To be clear, this desire to see Woods complete one of sport’s great comebacks is coming from someone who never counted themselves a fan before that infamous Thanksgiving night in 2009. And, to leave no doubt, all the lurid details that emerged after he drove his Escalade into a tree made Woods even less likeable.

But that all seems a lifetime ago. The 40- year- old Woods has inexplicably become a source of sporting sympathy, even pity, as a catastrophic loss of form combined with some devastating injuries to humble the most dominant athlete of a generation.

There was a brief resurgence in 2013 before a 13- over- par finish at the US Open, Woods’ worst score as a professional. There was the missed Masters in 2014, the first time in 20 years he had skipped the event, and the missed cuts at the 2015 US Open and Open Championship, the first time he had failed to reach the weekend at consecutive majors.

And, through it all, there was his health. He had knee surgeries, he sustained leg injuries, he suffered elbow ailments. He had back pain, then back surgery, then more back surgery. A bone popped out of his wrist mid- round.

It’s no wonder, as that troublesome back left him struggling to walk and saw him sit out all four majors in 2016, Woods said he had “no timetable to return to competitive golf ”.

But last week that return came, and all the various maladies were a distant memory. In leading the Hero World Challenge with 24 birdies, Woods hinted at what could await in 2017. Sure, he faded on the final day to finish 15th out of 18 players, but a bit of fatigue and a lot of rust was to be expected.

Also expected, at least for the optimist: a chance to once more see Woods unleash his trademark fist pump, hopefully sooner rather than later.

Picture / AP Tiger Woods has struggled to rediscover his best form in recent years but showed glimpses of excellence during his comeback at the Hero World Challenge.