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| For the first time in over two years, Tiger Woods is back in the winner's circle. |
It took 749 days, 107 weeks and 26 tournaments. He was the punch line of almost every joke and some considered him more of a cheetah than a tiger. He went through a major swing change and a pricey divorce and some thought the former world number one would never win again. Tiger Woods has always been one to prove his nay-sayers wrong and he certainly did that Sunday afternoon when he drained a birdie putt on the final hole to win the 2011 Chevron World Challenge.
Tiger Woods has certainly been through a lot over the last 24 months. He went from a man who seemed destined to rewrite golf history to someone who looked lost and unfocused. Woods went through a major swing change, battled several lower body injuries and lost the respect of most, but he never gave up. During this time, his ‘go-to’ line to the media was that his game was a ‘process’ and it’s going to take time to get back to superstardom. Along with his play in Australia, where he finished T3 at the Australian Masters and clinched the President’s Cup for the US, Woods has definitely taken massive steps in the right direction.
Some have argued that this victory doesn't mean anything because the Chevron World Challenge was only an 18 man field and wasn't a sanctioned PGA Tour event. Sure, Tiger only had to beat 17 other golfers, but they were some of the top players in the world. With this victory, he also earned over $1 million and jumped 31 spots in the world rankings (from 52 to 21). Even though the win doesn't count as an official victory on the PGA Tour, Woods proved to the world that he can still win. His performance confirmed that he can still make the crucial putts down the stretch and hit the important shots when they really matter. Plus, it was great to see Tiger pull off one of his vintage fist pumps, something that will definitely be imitated on golf courses around the world (at least where it's warm) in the upcoming weeks.
Woods' victory will only bode well for golf in the upcoming season. TV ratings were down this year and a big reason for that could be pointed at the demise of Tiger. Now that he finally ended his 749 day winless drought, I'm guessing TV ratings will shoot through the roof in 2012. Many people want the former world number 1 back at the top of his game, whether it's the fans or the players. In fact, several top-notch professionals tweeted after the victory that they're looking forward to competing with Woods again next year.
Tiger is not only a golfer, but a world-renowned public icon too. When he is in the field, an entirely new demographic tune in to the broadcast. After Woods sealed the deal on Sunday, I found it fascinating to see the Facebook status of several people that couldn't tell you who is currently the best player in the world, but were so excited to see Tiger back to his winning ways. The better Tiger performs, the greater the television audience will be on a weekly basis.
Over the past two years, we’ve seen flashes of Tiger brilliance that had defined him for years. What had been missing was that supreme confidence to finish it off and win another tournament. Many pondered if he still had the ability to win and his performance at the Chevron World Challenge proved he still can. Woods said after the victory that he was nervous, but felt comfortable throughout his final round. If he can get himself into contention more often next year, 2012 could be a banner year for Tiger Woods.
