Woods victory at Augusta will be greatest sporting story ever told

THEY called it the Greatest Story Ever Told, an epic film of the story of Jesus from Nativity to Resurrection.

Let’s hope that by next month Steven Spielberg is clearing a space in his diary to commence work on an uplifting sequel – the Greatest Sporting Story Ever Told, starring Tiger Woods.

For now, more than at any other point in the decade since his 14th and last Major success, Woods once again looks a serious contender.

Forget all those cautious words in November at the time of Tiger’s latest comeback after a fourth and most extreme bout of spinal surgery.

Back then this column was preaching the need to lower our expectations. To judge him differently to the standards he set in the past and accept his comeback would be taken in baby steps.

But now? Those tentative first steps have quickly become leaps and bounds back where he belongs – in contention to win tournaments.

Credit to Paul Casey for pipping Woods by a shot to win the Valspar Championship on Sunday. But as impressive as the Englishman’s 19th career win was, even he would admit the limelight was only going to be pointed at the guy finishing runner-up.

Golf has just gone Tiger crazy again and it would be churlish of his peers to complain.

He is, after all, the guy responsible for most of them being on Tour in the first place – and certainly the reason why most of them are now multi-millionaires.

Commercially, a successful return to action for Woods is an enormous boost for golf.

In America alone the viewing figures for Saturday’s third round of the Valspar were up by 181 per cent on last year. It was also the highest-rated PGA Tour third round on any network in nearly 12 years.

As impressive as Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson and the rest are in full flight, no other golfer possesses the pulling power of Tiger.

And that wasn’t meant as a joke about his personal life. He is the one guy who makes non-golf fans want to watch it. One of the most recognisable and iconic sporting figures.

So to have him looking so strong again is a blessing after we came close to losing him.

Ben Crane, a pro who has played through Tiger’s golden years and his dark days, summed up Sunday’s drama.

Crane said: “This couldn’t have worked out better for the PGA Tour. They developed legitimate, marketable stars in Tiger’s absence and now he’s back to compete with those who play golf because of him.

“He’s facing competition he literally created. What a sport.”

And what an adventure we have ahead of us at Augusta as Tiger gets the chance to write the script for that Greatest Sporting Story Ever Told.

If he can live up to the hype and knock off his 15th Major at the Masters, 10 years since he won the US Open on one leg? It will go down as unquestionably the greatest comeback in golf, possibly in all of sport.

Right up there with Muhammad Ali’s Rumble In The Jungle with George Foreman. Better even than Jack Nicklaus winning his record 18th Major title at Augusta at age 46.

It’s the moment surely every lover of sport craves. The story of the fallen hero – who this time last year had to be helped from his bed to the couch – being helped into his fifth Green Jacket the week after Easter Sunday. What a sporting resurrection that would be.