Comeback For the Ages at the Masters

A few weeks ago the greatest comeback in all of sporting history was completed. Tiger Woods won the 83rd playing of the Masters, emerging from a crowded leaderboard in one of the greatest final rounds in major championship history. He began the final round 2 shots behind 54 hole leader Francesco Molinari, and fired a final round 70 to win his 5th green jacket, and his 15th major title.  

It was not even two years ago when Tiger Woods got arrested in Florida, and his mugshot was shown all over the world. At that point, nobody thought he would ever swing a golf club again, nonetheless actually play the game. This was a guy who had more back surgeries than PGA Tour wins the previous 3 years, and had tried many times, and failed many times to make a comeback. At that point, there was a higher chance of pigs flying than him winning the Masters. 

This story began in earnest in late 2017, when Woods was playing in the Hero World Challenge for the third year in a row. It was his third comeback attempt in as many years. The previous two did not last long. He got through all four rounds, and it was considered progress. In late January 2018 he played four complete rounds of golf on the PGA Tour for the first time in three years at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. Torrey Pines, of course, was the site of what many believed would be his final major championship title. That was the 2008 US Open, were he dramatically birdied the 72nd hole to force an 18 hole playoff which he won the following day.  

After the progress showed in La Jolla that week, it looked as if he might actually play in the Masters. Still, nobody expected him to contend. That began to change, when in March, Tiger nearly won his first tour event since 2013, when he lost the Valspar Championship by a shot. Then, he was 5th a few weeks later at Bay Hill. The comeback was on. Woods went to Augusta in 2018, hoping to contend on Sunday afternoon. He made the cut, and played all four rounds. It was good enough for T32 finish. Progress was made. At the Players Championship in May, Woods played well and tied for 11th. In the run up to the 118th US Open at Shinnecock Hills, it was not unrealistic to think he would contend. Tiger went 78-72 finished 150th, and missed the cut. People thought the comeback was over, they just has to wait until the Open in July. 

After a T4 at the Quicken Lones National in early July, the comeback was back on, and Tiger headed to the 147th Open Championship full of confidence. Woods shot 71-71 the first two days at Carnoustie, and made the cut. He sat 6 shots off the 36 hole lead. In the third round, Tiger shot a five under 66, and was just 4 back with 18 holes to play. It was the first time Tiger was contending at major through 54 holes since 2013. 

In the final round at Carnoustie, Woods was -2  for the day, and -7 for the tournament through 10 holes, and the field was falling apart. Tiger stood on the 11th tee of the final round at the Open with the outright lead. It did not last long though, as he made a double bogey at 11, on his way to a final round 71. Woods finished 3 back of eventual champion Francesco Molinari. 

It was dramatic theater with Tiger involved during the final round of a major. Nobody had even dreamed that would happen the previous summer. But, Woods was not done contending for majors in 2018. At the 100th PGA Championship at Bellerive, he sat 4 off the 54 hole lead set by Adam Scott and Brooks Koepka. The final round in St Louis was pure drama from the start. He shot a 3 under 33 on the front, and after birdies at 12 and 13, Woods was only 1 shot off the lead. Woods bogeyed 14, but birdied 15 and 18 to shoot a final round 64. Unfortunately, it was not enough as Koepka made some huge putts down the stretch to claim the Wanamaker Trophy. Nevertheless, it was tremendous theater, with Tiger involved, again. At that time, the countdown to Augusta was on. 

But, before Tiger could make it to Augusta, the golf season had to end. At last tournament of the year, the Tour Championship, Woods fought off 30 of the best players on the planet to win his first PGA Tour event in 5 years. The scene on the 72nd hole at East Lake was something to behold, as thousands of people jockeyed for position to get a glimpse of Tiger putting the finishing touches on his victory. It was a perfect end, to an unbelievable season from Tiger Woods. 

Tiger finished in the top 30 in each of his first five tournaments in 2019, even reaching the quarterfinals of the match play. The buzz going into the Masters was unbelievable, but Woods was not the favorite on Thursday morning. The favorite, was Rory McIlrory, who was going for the career grand slam, and was playing the best golf of his life in the run up to the Masters. Nevertheless, on a beautiful Thursday morning at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, GA, Tiger began his quest to win his fifth Masters. Woods posted a round of 70, and sat 4 behind 18 hole leaders Koepka, and Bryson DeChambeau. On, Friday, Tiger got hot on the back 9, as he had the only birdie of the day of the treacherous 11th, and had 33 coming in en route to a round of 68. It was a 68 where he played the par 5s at only even par. It was good enough to be 1 shot off the 36 hole lead. 5 players led at -7, all of them major champions. Two of them were Molinari and Koepka, who had each beaten Tiger at Carnoustie and Bellerive respectively. There were 9 players within 1 shot of the lead on Friday night.  

Saturday. Moving day at the Masters. Woods got off to a shaky start, he parred the first four, before bogeying the fifth for the third day in a row. He sat -5 for tournament, and a few off the lead. But, Tiger responded in a big way, making birdie on three consecutive holes before parring the 9th. He sat 3 back of Tony Finau, who had shot a 3rd round 64, and was in the clubhouse at -11. On the inward 9, Woods made birdie on both par 5s and the 16th to come home in 33. It was a round of 67 to him at 11 under for the tournament. Molinari put up 66 and led after 54 holes by 2 over Tiger and Finau. Koepka shot 69 and lurked only a shot behind at -10. That night, the tournament committee made the unprecedented decision of moving up the final round tee times due to forecasted weather late Sunday afternoon. The final round would be played in threesomes off of both sets of tees. Woods was in the final group with Finau and Molinari, Koepka was just ahead of him. It was all setting up to be riveting final round. 

It was an iffy start for a majority of the leaders, Woods birdied 3, bogeyed 4, then bogeyed 5 again, but birdied 7 and 8. He was out in 35, and made the turn 1 back of Molinari who went out in 36. Molinari’s lead was three after an unbelievable par save at 6, but he bogeyed 7 when Tiger birdied. Koepka also went out in 35, and was 1 back of Woods, and 2 off the lead. Woods bogeyed 10 to drop to 2 back of Molinari, then made a huge par save at 11 to stay 2 behind. While he was playing 11 Koepka put his tee shot at the 12th in the water, in route to making a double bogey that put him four back of Molinari. Then, on the 155 yard par 3 12th, everything began to change. Molinari and Finau both put their tee shots into Rae’s creek, and both made double bogey. Finau never got close to the lead again. Woods made par and was tied for the lead heading to 13. Up ahead, Koepka eagled the hole and he was back to 11 under. At 14, Xander Schauffele joined in on the fun making back to birdies to momentarily take the lead at -12. Woods and Molinari both birdied to join Schauffele at 12 under. With five holes to play, there was 5 players within one shot of lead, and many more within 2. Koepka birdied 15, to make it a four way tie at -12. Woods found the 15th green in two, and made birdie to go to -13. Molinari did not. He chunked his third into the water, and made his 2nd double bogey of the back 9. Suddenly Tiger Woods had the outright lead by himself with 3 left. Up ahead, Dustin Johnson had birdied three holes in a row, before barely missing his birdie bid at 18. He had posted-12, instead of -13. On 16, Woods put his tee shot to a foot on the par 3. After the tap in 2, the lead was 2 with 2 left. On the green at 17, Koepka, still only two back nearly made his birdie put, but it did not fall. The lead was still two. Woods made an easy par at 17. And led by 2 on the 72nd tee. On the green, Koepka missed another make able birdie putt, and he posted-12. Woods was at -14. After playing the conservatively, Tiger had a 20 footer for par, he missed it by a foot. He was 12 inches from the green jacket. The putt went in. Good for a final round 70, and his fifth green jacket and major #15. The chase was back on to try and break Jack Nicklaus’s record of 18 major titles. The greatest comeback story in the history of sport was complete.