I was going to blog about this yesterday but was too busy watching some Elite 8 action and massive sensory overload with two fantasy baseball drafts at once. That being said, something wonderful happened yesterday at Bay Hill Country Club in Florida.
As he walked up the 18th fairway with a five stroke lead on the final day of the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Tiger Woods had that infectious smile on his face. The one that captivated us all 15 years ago at Augusta National when he dominated the Masters for the first time. The one that said "Hi, I'm Tiger Woods, and I'm the best in the game."
It wasn't typical Woods, pulling away from the field and leaving little doubt, but it was quintessential Tiger. The red shirt, the pin point accuracy from the fairway, the booming drives from the tee, the dominance on the green. He wasn't all the way back, but for the first time since September of 2009, he was a champion.
There had been 72 different winners on the PGA tour since his last victory, and Woods even dropped to 58th in the world. After winning his 72nd event, he has catapulted back up to sixth. The joy and adulation that came from Tiger after sinking that final point was a beam of hope to the game of golf.
The man synonymous with the sport for the last 15 years was returning to the pedestal he had rightfully owned for a decade. You could see, and hear, that coming from the crowd who began chanting his name as if they had been rooting for him all along. And some have. Golf needs Tiger. As long as he is still an active player, he is the biggest draw to the game. His battles with Phil, Duval, and others were legendary. His potential meetings with McIlroy, Watson, and the young guns is awe-inspiring. The question is, can this happen when it truly matters: as he challenges Jack Nicklaus for "Greatest of All-Time" status.
This wasn't a typical field littered with the big names like Phil and Rory, but peppered with former surprised like Graeme McDowell and fading champions like Ernie Els. It wasn't an intimidating course like a Pebble Beach or a Congressional. It wasn't a pressure tournament like the Open, or the Masters which begins in 10 days.
I have gone on the record (with about five friends) as saying that Tiger will not catch the Bear. There are very few times I want to be wrong, this might be one of them. I love seeing Tiger compete because it draws you to something so basic it makes the most ordinary person feel a part of it. He isn't back just yet, but Tiger is certainly out of the Woods.
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