A shot at redemption
PALM HARBOR, Fla. — In the middle of the night last Memorial Day weekend, Tiger Woods was found by Florida police slumped over the steering wheel of his Mercedes in a catatonic haze resulting from a cocktail of pain killers, leading to his arrest for DWI.
Last April, Woods underwent a spinal fusion back surgery that was a last resort to save his golfing career.
On Sunday afternoon, less than 10 months removed from that humiliating arrest and 11 months removed from his most recent back surgery, Woods will stand at the first tee of the Copperhead Course in the Valspar Championship at the Innisbook Resort with a chance to win his first golf tournament since 2013.
It isn’t too dramatic to say that, given how far Woods has fallen from his dominant days, a win on Sunday might be as significant as any in his brilliant career that has produced 79 of them, including 14 majors.
“We’ll cross that when we get there,’’ Woods said. “Hopefully it will be tomorrow. I’m right there. I’m only one back. I’ve got a shot. I am excited. I feel good. I feel like I’m playing a bit better and cleaner. I moved myself up the board. I know it’s packed up there but at least I got a shot.’’
Woods, on the strength of an openinground 1-under-par 70, a second-round 68 and Saturday’s moving-day 67, is eight-under par and one shot behind surprise leader Corey Conners. He enters the final tied for second place with Justin Rose and Brandt Snedeker, with whom he was paired on Saturday.
“I can confirm he’s back,’’ Snedeker said. “The roars are back. He’s playing great. Do it again tomorrow, [and it’ll] probably be crazier.’’
Snedeker, who also was paired with Woods two weeks ago at the Honda Classic (where Woods finished 12th), is seeing something very familiar: the old Woods.
“At Honda, that was his new baseline and it’s better since Honda,’’ Snedeker said. “I don’t see it going backwards from here. It’s only going to get better.’’ What a long strange trip it’s been for Woods, whose career was left for dead by many after the multiple surgeries and the jarring sobriety test and subsequent arrest that was caught on police camera for the world to see.
What might the golf world do if Woods is to win the Valspar on Sunday?
Surely, the Internet will implode. Twitter might disintegrate to dust.
“He’s on the leaderboard and challenging for the lead … that makes it really exciting,’’ Rose said.
“I see the scoreboard, I see what he’s doing … it will be fun,’’ Patrick Reed said.
After his 68 on Friday, only the 12th PGA Tour tournament round of Woods’ comeback, some oddsmakers in Las Vegas elevated him to the third favorite to win the Masters next month at Augusta National, where Woods already has won four green jackets. Woods, it should be noted, hasn’t played a major championship since 2015.
Expectations gone wild, out of control? Perhaps.
But Woods this week has, for the first time in his comeback, truly looked like Woods again. His ball striking is back and so is his confident body language.
“If he ever got back to winning — and I believe he will — it’s going to be the greatest comeback story in all of sports,’’ Tony Finau told The Post. “It has to be the best comeback story, really in the history of sports because of how high and how low his life went.
“I mean, what else can you compare it to based on how great he was and then how far his world ranking dropped and his personal life issues? It’s exciting to see that winning is possible now. As a person, I hope he can accomplish some great things. The game needs it.’’
The Tiger haters and the cynics can rant all they’d like — I get a mailbox full of derisive emails from readers every time I mention his name in a story — but the fact is this: People are interested.
All you need to do is take a look at the sea of humanity that runs 8-10 people deep along the ropes from tee box to green on every hole Woods plays to understand the buzz he creates.
There’s been a palpable current of electricity running through the grounds this week at the Valspar, usually a relatively sleepy affair with a modest field of pros as PGA Tour tournaments go.
“You feel like you’re back to ’12 and ’13 in the good old days, for sure,’’ Woods’ caddie Joe LaCava said. “You get pumped up.’’