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He’s Back

A reconstructed knee, four back surgeries, a sex scandal, a very messy breakup, a prescription drug problem, lost swing and the yips. These are just a few demons that haunted Tiger Woods since he last won a major. He’s now 43 years old, and he just remarkably won the Masters for the first time in 14 years. When many thought he was finished, Tiger bested the world’s greatest field and claimed his 15th career major. OH MY GOODNESS.

I personally didn’t think he had a prayer. With the possibility of a storm, they moved up the Sunday starting times, and Tiger was paired with Tony Finau and Francesco Molinari. He started the day two strokes behind. Several others out front were making some noise too.

Everything changed when the final group got to the iconic 12th hole. Molinari had only carded one bogey in the previous 54. But the solid Italian somehow found the water just short of the green. He took a double, and we now had a four-way tie for the lead with a few to go.

Brooks Koepka, Xander Schauffle, Dustin Johnson and Patrick Cantalay were now in the mix. Tiger continued to grind and dropped a dagger on the par 3, 16th. His tee ball landed ten yards past the stick. He used the slope to perfection leaving him a tap in birdie below the hole. The place went nuts, and Tiger Woods was all alone.

I watched everything unfold on CBS this past Sunday morning. From the opening drives to Tiger’s tap in for victory. The TV coverage was spectacular. Jim Nance and Sir Nick went a full two minutes without saying anything. An emotional Tiger Woods was hearing the roars and found his two kids behind the 18th green for a hug. It was the most fantastic stretch in sporting TV history. History was made that day. Tiger later received congratulations from Presidents, fellow players, other sporting superstars, rivals, countless celebrities, and average Joes. Unbelievable and surreal at the same time folks.

Tiger has overcome several years of embarrassment that have plagued him like a virus. He was on the front cover of every tabloid, and his messy breakup was in the public spotlight. Then we spotted an incoherent Tiger on pain meds in the spring of 2017. Officers found him sleeping at the wheel in his running car just a few blocks away from the homestead. The world’s former number one was a complete train wreck.

Tiger has nearly missed the past two seasons with severe back pains that have required four surgeries. He has often said that he had trouble walking over that clip.

Woods’ comeback has been about so much more. You could make the argument that his comeback was far more psychological than it was physical — not to downplay how debilitating his back issues were.

Whether you like Woods or you don’t, whether you embrace what he’s done for the game or will never forgive him for his sins off the course, it’s difficult to come up with any argument against this being one of the more remarkable comebacks in SPORTS history. Well done Tiger. Cheers.

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