Tiger Woods returns from the wilderness
Golf needs Woods, as much as Woods needs golf.
Tiger Woods of the United States reacts after making a putt for eagle on the 18th green during the first round of the TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club on September 20, 2018.
Tiger Woods is not history. Not yet. I haven’t given up hopes of him winning another major. Never mind the Ryder Cup fiasco. I am more encouraged his win the previous week.
The East Lake title was Woods’ first win in years – 1,876 days to be precise. Like the millions of Woods supporters, I too was thrilled by his 80th PGA Tour title – the Tour Championship at the historic East Lake Golf Club. That victory came after five years and four back surgeries after winning his 79th at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational in 2013.
At 42, there’s still more golf left in Woods. The win at East Lake showed just that. It also rekindled my interest in golf. Woods is the reason I follow golf. I always had only a passing interest in the sport. That was until Woods shook the golfing world with his prodigious talent, drawing comparisons with the legendary Jack Nicklaus.
Woods lived up to that promise raking in PGA titles. I watched him win the green jacket at Augusta. He won many more majors, 14 in all. His red shirt became synonymous with winning as Woods became the best player on the planet.
When Woods looked invincible, his world crashed and burned. In 2009, his marriage with Elin Nordegren collapsed amid reports of a string of infidelities. His form dipped, and persistent back injuries pushed him down the rankings – at one stage to 1,199th in the world. A return to the Tour looked remote. I stopped watching golf.
A spinal fusion helped Woods hit the comeback trail. When the American returned to the Tour, I didn’t pay much attention. Must have been one of those many short-lived attempts, I thought. Then East Lake happened. I kept replaying the YouTube video on the 18th hole. The raucous crowd support was amazing.
As a person, Woods is not known to be endearing. He is said to be very indifferent to the throngs who watch him work his magic on the fairways. My colleagues, who have covered Woods in Dubai, say the American is very cold to the press as well. He’s the sort who would answer a question with a question, at press conferences. Despite his aloofness, the crowds still love him. The support at East Lake was sufficient testimony.
The East Lake win has buoyed the hopes of ardent fans like me. But the Ryder Cup setback was a reality check. Woods still has some way to go. But will he ever regain the cloak of invincibility? It is difficult to say. At least, he’s won after a long break. And he’s had a good season.
Woods now trails all-time leader Sam Snead by two in career victories on the PGA Tour. And he’s four behind Nicklaus in major wins. Both are within striking distance. If this season is any indication, it’s only a matter of time before Woods owns those two records.
Golf needs Woods, as much as Woods needs golf.