I think it will be remembered as one of the greatest moments in professional golf. Just two years removed from indicating his playing career was on the ropes, 43-year-old Tiger Woods pulled off a come-from-behind win at the Masters.
After an 11-year drought, Woods finally has his 15th major. And there was nothing fluky about the win since it came against a star-studded leaderboard that included three-time major winner Brooks Koepka, the ridiculously talented Dustin Johnson and the normally unflappable Francesco Molinari. It’s like a chapter of our lives that had long been closed has reopened. Woods has been recast as one of the most beloved athletes in our country.
One of my colleagues, Richie Whitt, has penned a column saying he’s conflicted about Woods’ win because Tiger’s “one of the worst humans on the planet.” I assume he’s referring to Tiger’s serial philandering that led to his divorce. And there have always been stories about Tiger being a bad tipper. I sort of think Matt Kuchar has surpassed him in that department, but we’ll keep our focus on Tiger. I understand why folks, like my wife for instance, don’t exactly admire Woods due his off-the-course deeds. But I’ve tried to explain to her (and Richie) that Woods paid a terrible public and private toll for his transgressions.
As some of us prepare to celebrate Easter, surely there’s a path to redemption for Woods. His remarkable career basically vanished due to scandal and numerous back surgeries. On Sunday, he talked poignantly about how his two children mostly associated golf with how much “pain” it caused their father. I haven’t been conflicted about Tiger because I truly believe that being pushed from the time he was a 3-year-old by a relentless father and then being thrust onto a national stage can’t be the easiest thing to navigate.
Most of us have no way of relating to that life, so I find it harsh to simply dismiss him as a bad person and move on. I believe his determination to have at least one more run at greatness is admirable. The Tiger “roars” at Augusta National have been a thing since his first win in 1997, but it felt different Sunday. The patrons were attempting to will Woods to victory, and that seemed to manifest itself in his playing partner, Molinari, putting the ball in the water on the par-3 12th hole. Woods’ body language as he crossed the famed Hogan Bridge suggested it was suddenly his tournament to lose.
Richie wrote that Woods basically “lagged” his way to victory. But I think Tiger put the hammer down after No. 12. His birdie at the par-3 16th sent roars through the pines, causing his nearest challenger, Koepka, to back off his shot. I think another reason I loved Tiger’s win is because so many experts had predicted it could never happen. Here’s famed golf writer Alan Shipnuck in a recent tweet:
“There’s an old guy on Tour who has won only one tournament in the last six years, hasn’t even played in three of the last five Masters and is saddled with very mediocre putting yet is still being touted as a favorite to win the green jacket. Tiger’s cult of personality endures.”
Shipnuck was attempting to defend his take Sunday evening, but it was too late. Tiger remains one of the best iron players in golf, and when he’s straight and long off the tee, it’s a deadly combination. The talk has already turned to whether Woods can track down Nicklaus’ record of 18 majors, but I’d rather savor his 15th. Maybe it’s because I’m basically the same age as Tiger and enjoy seeing an older golfer have some success. Or maybe it seems like he’s more human than ever. He was humbled in front of everyone, and he’s seemingly emerged as a more complete person.
Call him flawed. Call him sorry. But also call him the 2019 Masters champion.