Truly great sportspersons may have their ups and downs, but they rarely fade away, as Roger Federer and Serena Williams have reminded us. For almost a decade, the golfing world has debated whether the Tiger Woods fairy tale is really over. Having notched up 14 majors and looking as if he would overhaul Jack Nicklaus’s record 18, the story began to sour in November 2009, after Woods crashed his car into a fire hydrant a couple of days after news of his infidelity became public. A broken marriage, four spinal surgeries, and an alarming drop of form left the former world number one’s ranking in tatters; he languished at 1,199 just last December. Last weekend, Woods hinted, and very strongly, that he still has what it takes to be amongst the best. Finishing a close runner-up to Brooks Koepka in the PGA Championship, the fourth and final ‘Major’ of the year, Woods shot a stunning final round 64, signing off with a magical 19-foot birdie. It wasn’t enough to win, but more than sufficient to demonstrate that he cannot yet be written off. The fist pump that followed his loss seemed like a celebration of what his form signalled for the future. Already the golfing world is electrified, speculating whether he can add to his cache of 14 majors and end the drought that has continued since his third triumph at the 2008 U.S. Open.
In a relative sense, 2018 has been a decent year for Woods. He played all four Majors and raised hopes of winning two of them, the other being the British Open, where he eventually finished in a tied sixth place. He had a poor start in the PGA before going on to shoot 64, his best score in the final round of a Major. When personal issues led to his form dropping a decade ago, it seemed as if what prevented him from returning to his winning ways lay entirely in the mind. Over the years though, the challenge also assumed physical proportions. What began as niggling injuries morphed into a major back problem. The spinal fusion surgery 16 months ago and the need to cope with excruciating pain forced Woods to overmedicate himself, after which he was arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) in 2017. An exasperated Woods had said, “I’m done with golf.” But the game was clearly not done with him. It is doubtful whether Woods will ever relive his glory days, when he stood well above his fellow golfers like a colossus. The competition today is talented and runs deep, and it is important to remember that Woods has ‘lost’ about a decade of his golfing life. But the next few months will provide the great man the opportunity to demonstrate that he has truly returned to form and that his run in the PGA was not just a last stab at glory.
