‘My kids used to think golf meant pain for Daddy’

him behind the 18th green. Woods, 43, said: ‘Since I had my last back operation and returned, I think they’ve come to see what this game means to me. ‘Before then, they didn’t like golf much because, as far as they were concerned, they associated it with their daddy being in pain. But this was great. I’ve said many times I wanted to win a major with them present and it was fantastic to have them there. ‘This is going to give me such confidence going forward. I’m sore now because I put so much into it, but I know I can win majors again.’ Woods’ astonishing victory by one stroke — his fifth Masters win, but first since 2005 — rendered his miraculous recovery from back surgery complete and was greeted with rapture in the golf world. Jack Nicklaus was among the first to congratulate Woods, after the latter moved to within three majors of the Golden Bear’s all-time leading total of 18. Nicklaus had been fishing in the Bahamas but made sure he made land in time to watch the final few holes. ‘I’d just like to say a big well done from me,’ said the man whose lifetime achievements Tiger posted on his wall when he was growing up. ‘I’m so happy for Tiger and the entire game. It’s just fantastic for golf and all of sport.’ On American television, Faldo added: ‘There’s just such an outpouring of emotion from everyone because for so long we never thought we’d see him win another major. I said this is the best event in sport and now everyone can see why I feel that way.’ Woods’ former coach Butch Harmon said on Sky Sports: ‘He was humbled by his own mistakes, the things he went through he created, nobody else created them, and he came out the other side. ‘He got himself help, he got his body right, he got his head right and he went to work on his game.’ Three-time major winner Padraig Harrington said on BBC Sport: ‘In the modern era he’s been a sport superstar. This comeback story will break out from golf into all sports, the news. It will be everywhere. ‘There will be people who have never looked at golf and will be seeing this and wondering what it’s all about.’ Woods will now take a break before setting his sights on the US PGA Championship at Bethpage next month — a venue where he just happened to win the US Open in 2002.