Tiger’s Back!

After battling numerous injuries and problems with prescription drugs, the greatest golfer of all time has once again captivated sports fans across the globe. Even casual sport fans have been mesmerized by Tiger Woods’ unbelievable comeback to professional golf at the age of 42.

It’s now been nine months since Tiger has returned to tournament golf from his spinal fusion. Before then, most golf insiders expected that Tiger may not ever play on the PGA Tour again. It was his fourth back surgery after multiple knee surgeries,  and even Tiger was concerned that he may not ever be pain free or functional again.

It’s easy to forget how good Tiger Woods actually was in his prime. In the 2000 US Open, Woods finished with a 12-under-par total of 272 to blow away the field and win by a record-setting 15 strokes. This margin of victory is the largest in major championship history, surpassing the 13-stroke margin by Old Tom Morris at the British Open in 1862. For US Open history, Woods also surpassed the 11-stroke victory margin set by Willie Smith in 1899.

It is mind boggling to consider that Tiger has won 79 professional tournaments- one more than the combined wins of his peers, Phil Mickelson (49) and Adam Scott (29). Another amazing stat is that Jordan Spieth has already missed more cuts in his career at age 25 than Tiger has in his entire career.

Some of the biggest wins of Tiger’s career are his 1997 Masters win and 2008 US Open win. At only the age of 21, Tiger Woods won the 1997 Masters by a margin of 12. From that moment on, Tiger’s Sunday red and black was feared by PGA Tour professionals. The 2008 US Open is what many golf fans remember the most when they look back on his career. In the 2008 US Open, it was impossible to imagine that Woods, basically playing on a broken leg, outdueled Rocco Mediate in an 18-hole playoff at Torrey Pines.

While Tiger has not yet won this season, his performances have amazed many golf fans across the world. A year ago, Tiger was unable to swing a club and was uncertain if he would ever be able to compete again. It’s hard to believe but Tiger Woods started the 2017-18 season as #668 in the Official World Golf Rankings and has moved up to #20 as of September 10, 2018.

That is just simply amazing, and he has accomplished this without having a win on tour this year. His best finishes from this year have been second at the PGA Championship, tied for second at the Valspar Championship, tied for fourth at Quicken Loans National, tied for fifth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, tied for sixth at the British Open, tied for sixth at the BMW Championship, and tied for ninth at the Hero World Challenge. Thus, Tiger’s remarkable comeback season has sure earned him the captain’s pick for the 2018 Ryder Cup in France in a few weeks.

While Tiger is clearly nearing the home stretch of his incredible career, his physical fitness and golf knowledge suggest that he will continue to compete for years to come and it seems like a given that he will some day win again. Who knows, he only needs one major win per year from age 43 to 47 to surpass Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 major championships.

If there is anyone that can pull this off, I am betting on the BIG CAT!