Back on the Prowl
Tiger Woods won the Chevron World Challenge on Sunday in emphatic fashion, making birdies on holes 17 and 18. Woods has been playing Minor League baseball for the Birmingham Barons (Michael Jordan reference) since his last win, over two years ago, at the Australian Masters. Or something like that.
After his two-year hiatus from the winner’s circle, seemingly nothing has changed. On Sunday, Tiger was flashing his million-dollar smile, dropping birdie putts on the closing holes to win, and wearing his patented Sunday red shirt fist pumping in everybody’s face.
Granted, Tiger’s win came against only 17 players, but the tournament field boasted 11 of the top 25 golfers in the world, enough to give a shot of Red Bull into Tiger’s confidence.
Woods’ world ranking has dropped from No. 52 down to No. 21 after his win. Do the world’s top ranked golfers have reason to start looking in the rearview mirror at the Tiger that’s chasing?
2011 US Open champion Rory Mcilroy, No. 2 in the world, is licking his chops at the new opportunity. “It’s something I look forward to… (Playing against Tiger) would be a huge experience and a huge learning curve for me to see how I would handle it.”
The last time Woods and Mcilroy battled was at the 2011 Masters, when Tiger shot 31 on front nine of the final round to charge at Mcilroy, who blew his seven stroke lead shooting 81. In the end, however, both players were eclipsed by Charl Scwartzel, with Tiger finishing T-4.
This, of course, was a Tiger Woods that was playing on one leg, half of his billion-dollar bank account, and recently divorced.
With Woods’ regained confidence, healthy leg and a more morally sound lifestyle, maybe its time for the world’s best to start worrying.
Rickie Fowler can wear his flamboyant, all orange Sunday outfit, Bubba Watson can swing his pink-shafted driver, and Rory Mcilroy can over-confidently strut down the fairway all he wants, but is it any match for the fist pump of Tiger Woods wearing his Sunday red Nike shirt? Maybe I won’t speak too soon.
Is Tiger really back? That remains to be seen. Is Tiger’s win bringing golf back? You can bet on that. No one changes the station from a Jets or Giants game to watch Luke Donald, that’s a guarantee.
Cue the music!
