WS Chronicle

Tiger Woods finished second at the PGA Championship earlier this month, two shots behind the winner Brooks Koepka.  It was refreshing to see Woods fight back on Saturday and Sunday to finish only two strokes behind the winner.

Many people thought that Woods could never return to this level of play following all of the turmoil that has surrounded his life in recent years.  From his extramarital affairs, injuries to his back and knees and his battle with prescription drugs, finishing second in a major championship is a big hurdle for Woods to overcome.

Woods has not won a major in 10 years, so to see him compete at such a high level was a good sight for his fans.  Even the Tiger haters had to tip their hat to what they witnessed throughout the four-day event from Woods.

“I am just very pleased at what I’ve done so far and now to be a part of the Ryder Cup conversation, going from where I’ve come to now in the last year, it’s been pretty cool,” said Woods in an interview following the tournament.

With such a strong finish at the PGA Championship, Woods probably cemented his place on the Ryder Cup team as a captain’s pick. 

I predicted earlier this year that Woods still had a little bit left in the tank.  I know he will never return to the form he showed in his late 20s or early 30s, but I knew he had something.  I did not know it would happen this quickly, though.

Woods currently sits at 14 major titles, four behind the Golden Bear, Jack Nicklaus. Woods is still relatively young at age 42, so eclipsing Jack’s record may still be probable. 

Woods has stated on a number of occasions that getting to the magic number of 19 majors was a goal of his.  Barring injury, I’m not saying that Woods can get five more majors, but it’s not beyond the realm of possibility.

I have always been the type of fan that roots for the underdog.  While Woods has dominated golf in the past, over the last decade he has been somewhat irrelevant in the sport.  So I am happy to see the man overcome so much to get here.

I know the PGA tour is happy to see Woods return.  They had their highest ratings when he was at his best.  To see him return to form, so to speak, has to be a sight for sore eyes.  It is amazing that no one has been able to grab the reigns of the sport while Woods was down. 

Truth be told, I am just an average golf fan.  As Tiger continues his rise back to the top, so will my interest in the sport.  He is just an intriguing character at this stage in his career and I want to see how it all unfolds.  I just hope he stays healthy enough to win a few more majors and comes close to the Golden Bear.