The Daily Telegraph

A fairytale finish as Tiger completes his redemption

Golfer who looked finished by injury and scandal wins fifth Green Jacket in one of the greatest comebacks

- By Tom Morgan

IT WAS a day that even as little as a year ago would have seemed unthinkabl­e. Tiger Woods, the billionair­e golfer undone by lurid sex scandals, a drug arrest and back injuries, had spent a decade in the wilderness. The American had plummeted to 1,199th in the world rankings and came close to quitting as he was treated for sex addiction and was arrested at the wheel of his car with a cocktail of drugs in his system.

But yesterday saw him complete one of sport’s most remarkable career comebacks last night by winning the Masters tournament in Augusta.

It was a long-awaited 15th major tournament triumph for Woods.

Woods hugged his children and mother and looked close to tears as he completed his redemption by winning the green jacket for a fifth time. “Last year I was just lucky to be playing again,” he said. “I just couldn’t be more happy or excited. I’m lost for words. It would be up there with the hardest I’ve ever had to win because of what has transpired in the last few years.”

The 43-year-old, who began the final round two shots behind the overnight leader, Francesco Molinari, carded a two-under-par 70 to finish one shot ahead of fellow Americans Dustin Johnson, Xander Schauffele and Brooks Koepka. It was a fairytale finish for Woods, who dominated the sport for more than a decade after winning the Masters by a record-breaking 12 shots in 1997. At the Masters in 2001 he completed the so-called “Tiger Slam” by becoming the first player ever to hold all four major titles at the same time.

In his pomp, Woods was by far the most valuable brand in sport. According to Forbes, he became the first billion-dollar sportsman. Guided by his late father Earl, a special forces Green Beret in the US Army, he earned a £2million appearance fee just to play in tournament­s.

However, following the 2008 US Open, his last major title until yesterday, his life unravelled, with knee and back injuries adding to his personal despair. The scandal around his private life erupted in November 2009 when he crashed his car into a fire hydrant and a tree outside his Florida mansion as his then wife, Elin Nordegren, chased him with a golf club in hand.

Sordid details of Woods’ affairs with a string of pornograph­y actresses, cocktail waitresses and a neighbour’s daughter were published by the National Enquirer. The scandal cost him hundreds of millions of pounds in sponsorshi­p and his form also plummeted on the course as he suffered crippling back pain. He would have four operations, the most recent a career-saving procedure to fuse together discs in his lower spine.

Having come close to quitting, Woods’ lowest point came in May 2017 when he was arrested in Florida on charges of driving under the influence and reckless driving. Police released mugshots of him looking bleary-eyed.

Toxicology reports released by the Palm Beach county sheriff ’s office showed Woods had several painkiller­s, the anxiety calmer Xanax, a sleeping pill and THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, in his system.

He was sentenced to 12 months probation but since then his health and his game have improved. He came close to winning an elusive 15th major at last year’s Open and finished runner-up to Koepka in the USPGA Championsh­ip, before securing his 80th PGA Tour victory at the 2018 Tour Championsh­ip.

‘Last year I was just lucky to be playing again ... I just couldn’t be more happy or excited. I’m lost for words’

 ??  ?? Tiger Woods celebrates with his family after winning the Masters tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia yesterday
Tiger Woods celebrates with his family after winning the Masters tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia yesterday

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