A moment was delivered on Sunday in Augusta, Georgia, that many thought they’d never see again in this lifetime. With a final round 70, Tiger Woods cruised on Sunday to his fifth victory at The Masters. …
The 2019 Masters victory serves as the 15th major win of Tiger’s career, which now puts him just three back of the legendary Jack Nicklaus (18).
(CBS Sports, April 14, 2019)
You don’t have to be a golf fan, or even a sports fan, to appreciate this historic comeback/redemption. Frankly, if you feel no impulse to hail Tiger, you’re either inhuman or have been living under a rock for the past 11 years.
But, as CBS suggests, you’d be hard-pressed to find a sports analyst who is on record declaring his belief that this day would come. This, because Tiger’s
- sex scandals proved so humiliating, they sapped him of his once-invincible spirit;
- approach to rehabbing his chronic back injuries seemed more fitting for bodybuilding than golf; and
- dismissive treatment of close friends like Michael Jordan suggested he was suffering mental problems too.
This sad confluence of factors made winning again seem impossible.
I duly commented on his travails in commentaries like “Tiger’s Wife Serves Him a Fat Lip for Thanksgiving“ in November 2009, “Tiger’s Back, but His Back Won’t Let Him Play?! Puhleeze“ in February 2015, and “Tiger! Tiger! Driving Drugged“ in June 2017.
More to the point, though, I laid out the path to his redemption early on in December 2009. I argued that winning tournaments in his inimitable fashion was the only way to eradicate bacchanalian images of his private life from public consciousness.
Still, I never doubted this day would come. I declared so as far back as “Tiger! Tiger! Losing Fight” in August 2011 and as recently as “US Open: Tiger Woods Becoming the Hugh Hefner of PGA Players” in June 2018arguing that Tiger would win again – and not just some rinky-dink tournament, but a major.
As the latter indicates, I did so even as I mocked his historic failure to win another major. After all, Jack’s inevitable winless streak on the way to his record-setting 18 majors lasted six years. Tiger’s on the way to his record-chasing 15 lasted eleven.
The point is that I remained mindful of the great expectations Tiger had for his own career after he won his 14th major in 2008.
Apropos of which, what I noted in that August 2011 commentary puts today’s win into further context:
To appreciate how difficult it is for one player to dominate the majors the way Tiger did, bear in mind that 13 different players have won the last 13 major championships.
In a similar vein, bear in mind that no single golfer has won more than three majors over the past decade. And Tiger needs to win three more just to tie Jack’s record.
Well, as much as iPINIONS believed this day would come, I do not believe that day ever will.
But, hey, today is a day to celebrate. Let us rejoice and be happy for Tiger…and for golf!
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