When the 2019 Masters began, many expected Tiger Woods to make the cut, some expected him to finish in the top 10, but not many expected a win. He hadn't won a major tournament since 2008, hadn't won the Masters since 2005, and had even said he would never win the tournament again back in 2017. That is all in the past as Woods reclaimed golf's throne with a 1-stroke victory to add his 15th major to his collection.
After winning the U.S. Open in 2008, many golf pundits fully expected Tiger to surpass the major record of 18, currently held by Jack Nicklaus. Things began to spiral for Woods however, with health and personal issues becoming a common trend throughout this decade. A cheating scandal and multiple injuries not only held him out of many competitions but even made him an afterthought in most tournaments. Tiger was merely a shell of his former self.
Then, last year, he posted two top 10 finishes in the last two major tournaments of the year and then won his first professional event in five years at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, winning the Tour Championship, the last event of the season. This seemed like a resurgence from Tiger, but also could've been the final time he won. Fans just didn't know what to think of this improbable win. Those three tournaments really set into motion this incredible comeback from Woods, culminated by winning the Masters.
It wasn't just the issues he was dealing with that made winning an anomaly for Tiger, but the talent level increased throughout the sport, guys like Rory Mcilroy, Jordan Spieth, and Brooks Koepka, all who followed Tiger as a kid, becoming the faces of the sport. Golf has never seen this amount of competition, where multiple guys have great chances of winning a major tournament, compared to when Woods was dominating the sport, facing one or two guys down the back nine on Sunday.
That's one of the ways it made this major win so memorable for Tiger. We've never seen him go through a wave of golfers to get to the top before. In fact, this was the first time Woods has won a major tournament when not leading to start the final round. Instead of starting from the front on Sunday, he started just 1-shot back. He fended off several golfers when he took the lead on 15 en-route to his 5th green jacket.
Fans also were treated to a laser-focused Tiger, one many hadn't seen in years. At one time it was talked about never seeing that kind of focus from him again but every shot had a purpose for Tiger, especially when he took the lead. His shot at 16, hit within 5 feet of the hole, couldn't even bring a smile to his face, pure intensity and focus read his expression instead. He also never allowed himself to get into major trouble and didn't let the bad shots faze him as they had in the past. He hit every fairway when he needed to, lagged putts to give him easier two-putts, and played cautiously at times. He didn't even pull his driver out on the final hole, something very unlike Tiger, at least Tiger of the past.
Tiger's win at the Masters in 2019 is the feel-good story golf has been waiting for. Well, some people just wanted him to win again for rating purposes, and I can respect that. However, for many fans of Tiger and fans of golf in general, the win yesterday felt good. The ultimate comeback from a man who appeared washed up and out of his prime, defying the odds and proving almost everybody wrong. If you don't believe that he proved people wrong, go on Youtube or Twitter and find the video of Tiger watching sports personalities say he would never win again, it's eye-opening how many people had given up on him.
Tiger winning Sunday provides a message to not just golfers, to everybody. Everybody that has been told they're not as good as they once were, they're never achieve anything again, or should just give up. This win shows that even the most impossible things can happen with hard work and dedication to whatever your craft is. That's why this Masters will not only be apart of Tiger's lasting legacy, it is so much bigger than that.
Now, for all the golfers on the tour right now, a quick little message. Watch out, a Tiger is on the prowl again. Welcome back champ.
