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Mark Roberson: Tiger, Tiger burning bright as the comeback phenom

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America loves a good comeback. The 2004 World Series comes to mind, when the Red Sox ended the Curse of the Bambino, breaking an 86-year World Series drought by defeating the St. Louis Cardinals in four games.

What the world witnessed this past Sunday was bigger than that.

Tiger Woods, the most prominent figure in the history of golf, was written off. After back troubles and significant time away from the game of golf many, including myself, came to the conclusion that the great Tiger Woods, now winner of 15 major championships, had his best years behind him. No way could he ever compete in, let alone win, another major championship.

After all, the game of golf had changed. Too many young, talented contenders have been in the mix over the past 14 years since Tiger last won at Augusta. Did he really stand a chance against the likes of Rickie Fowler, Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, and Jon Rahm?

He had lost his edge off of the tee, ranking 51st in driving distance over the 2019 season. Nothing special. His greatest weapon, the mental edge in the form of a Sunday red mock-neck golf shirt, no longer strikes fear into the hearts of his competitors like it once did.

So how did he do it? How could he make the greatest comeback in sports history? He did it with patience and determination. The unshakable will to remind the world why he is the greatest to ever play the game.

During his 72 holes at Augusta this weekend, Tiger went -8 on par-5s, capitalizing when he need to. He drove the ball consistently into the fairway, minimizing the damage when he faced trouble.

 

His putting was on when it needed to be, making long-range birdies like the Tiger of old which put him squarely in the mix throughout the weekend. And on Saturday and Sunday, when it mattered most, his ball striking was as pure as it has ever been. The Tiger Woods of old would have held a share of the lead or better going into the final day of this tournament, and promptly won by four strokes shooting a weekend low on Sunday.

Using his newfound combination of patience and grit, he captured a green jacket as only “the new” Tiger Woods could. He outlasted his competition. In doing so, he avoided mistakes on the final nine, as he watched Molinari and Finau go into the water on 12, and Molinari again on 15. Cool and calculated, he did not succumb to the pressure, but made the shots he needed to and survived the charge of players lower down the standings.

Capturing this championship cements his legacy. This will be the one that defines him. The world had written him off, and forgotten that who he is as a person and an athlete matters far more than his physical limitations.

He is simply one of the greatest competitors the world has ever seen. No man or woman has had a more profound effect on his or her sport than Eldrick Tont Woods. It only makes sense that his comeback was made on golf’s greatest stage, Augusta National, where his magical career took flight after he set the course scoring record at 18-under-par 22 years ago this weekend.

 

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