BACK WHERE HE BELONGS
Tiger’s charge to top of leaderboard put Scotland at centre of sporting universe
IN the chilly Angus air it came across in an excited ripple and minor rumbling.
Across the sporting world it was more a thunderous crash and bang.
At 4.13pm on Saturday, July 21, Tiger Woods put his name back where it belongs. At the top of an Open leaderboard.
At Carnoustie, one of sport’s most famous faces wasn’t able to see the job through, the brilliant Francesco Molinari just having too much class.
But for those 20 glorious minutes when Tiger prowled his way back to the summit the eyes of the sporting world were on our shores.
The famous yellow scoreboards and modern electronic screens had the 10 letters of his name up in lights. Towering over the rest.
Players, fans, sponsors, tournament organisers hadn’t seen this happen at a Major for more than five years since the Friday of the Masters at Augusta in 2013. It felt like the moment when the injuries, turmoil and torment for Woods had ended. The bitter battles to restore the health of his body and his reputation coming to fruition when many thought it couldn’t happen.
Some see Tiger’s previous struggles as self-inflicted, brought upon himself by bad behaviour. There’s not really an argument against that.
But for anyone who likes golf there is a magic about him.
When Woods was ruling the roost he did things no one else could contemplate.
Tiger was like a pied piper on the golf course. Galleries followed his genius and other players would cower in fear.
Watching his golfing demise was often painful. The sight of a sporting idol hirpling around the course, being carted away on a buggy having had to retire hurt and struggling through awful play was hard to stomach.
It’s why it was such a big story a month after Carnoustie when Woods earned his first PGA Tour win in five years at the Tour Championship.
But for those who were at Carnoustie that afternoon felt the moment he really returned.
Fittingly, the move to the top was completed after an hour of classic Tiger which took everyone back to 2000 at St Andrews or 2007 at Hoylake when he was destructive and dominant in equal measure.
An outrageous putt holed on the ninth for that famous clenched-fist celebration. An approach stiffed at the following hole and then on to the par-four 11th when he ripped one down to the edge of the green like he was a muscle-laden teenager again.
By the time another putt dropped on the 14th, Angus joined the golfing world in returning to the palms of his imposing hands.
Woods must have known it. He claimed afterwards he didn’t but the name stayed up there for 20 minutes. It was all around him yet only when he spoke afterwards did the scars of the past appear evident.
Tiger was humble, refined as he spoke with humility.
It was refreshing to see his human side and it just made people want him to win more.
Carnoustie roared for him on the Sunday only for Molinari to emerge as a deserving winner.
But for 20 minutes on the Saturday the sporting world and The Open belonged to Woods again.
Carnoustie roared for him on the Sunday only for Molinari to emerge as the winner