After 1,876 days, Tiger Woods is back in the winner’s circle again as he won the 2018 TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club by two shots. There was a slim chance that Tiger could’ve won the FedEx Cup as well but Justin Rose was able to make birdie on the 18th hole to seal the season long race to the $10 million purse. Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy were Tiger’s two closest competitors – perhaps it was the “Tiger Effect,” but both players shot rounds of 3-over and 4-over, respectively.
This was a long awaited victory for Tiger Woods. After a back fusion surgery last year and DUI arrest, no one knew if Tiger would ever be competitive in the sport of golf again. Many “experts and analysts” had wrote him off, saying he was a shell of his former self. But with each passing event, golf fans everywhere could see he was making progress and it all came together in the season ending TOUR Championship. Along with the $1.62 million winner’s cheque, Tiger also receives a $3 million bonus for finishing second in the FedEx Cup. This victory also moves Tiger back into the top 20 in the OWGR and he is now ranked #13 in the world.
🇺🇸🐯@tigerwoods broke a 5-year win drought, most of which he spent coping with debilitating back pain, and completed a long and arduous career comeback with a victory at the TOUR Championship, jumping back into the World Top 20 at World No. 13!#OWGR#OfficialWorldGolfRanking pic.twitter.com/CdgIzUlUvv
— OWGR (@OWGRltd) September 24, 2018
Starting the final round with a three shot lead, Tiger came out of the gates firing as he set the tone and birdied his first hole, increasing his lead by one. The lead stretched to as much as five shots but in the end, Tiger’s final round of 1-over 71 was enough to capture his 80th career victory. It was an incredible sight to see the day unfold – this is definitely one of Tiger’s greatest victories of his career given where and what he has been through over the past couple of years. The atmosphere was electrifying, as it always is when Tiger is involved. Many say that Tiger moves the needle in the sport of golf, but in reality, he is the needle – say what you want, but golf gets a lot more interesting when the Big Cat is involved.
With Tiger’s game in good shape, golf fans everywhere are already looking forward to next year’s major championships – with this finish, Tiger is already the betting favourite to win at Augusta National and capture his 15th Major Championship. However, the 2018 Ryder Cup in Paris, France, is this coming weekend and Tiger, along with his American teammates, will need to be sharp if they hope to win their first Ryder Cup victory on European soil since 1993. In the meantime, rewatch Tiger’s final round of the TOUR Championship and his 80th PGA TOUR victory below.
Source: PGA Tour
