He’s baaaack.
Tiger Woods — who many had ruled was done, ka-put, washed up — won his first PGA Tour event in 749 days and 26 attempts this weekend via a dramatic one-stroke victory at the Chevron World Challenge in Thousand Oaks, Calif.
This is but the beginning of Tiger’s resurgence.
I make such a prediction not based on the importance (or lack thereof) of the tournament he just won, but rather on the familiar manner in which he did it.
Facing a one-shot deficit with two holes to play, Tiger displayed the same resilience and mental toughness that willed him to 14 major championships by scoring back-to-back birdies on 17 and 18 for the W.
Also, the 69 that Tiger posted on Sunday came after he blew a three-stroke lead with an ugly 72 the day before. This is reminiscent of the Tiger in the early 2000s, when, like this weekend, he didn’t have to play his best to finish atop the leader board.
Most importantly, for the first time in ages fans got to witness the classic Tiger tournament-clinching-putt celebration: that fist pump, that flashing of gritted teeth, that nostalgic roar that the PGA Tour has missed oh-so-badly.
Tiger is still the savior of golf. And after a brief lull, the savior has risen again.
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