Tony Cutillo
As a small breeze gently whips through the freshly cut fairway on Hole 8 to the lightly churning waters playing a seawater soliloquy at Hole 13, the stage is set for The Masters. This is a stage that will gain its superstar performer back in Tiger Woods. This week will truly be his comeback; the commanding presence of that self-sure walk at The Masters has returned.
Whether you’re a fair-weather fan or a PGA Tour extremist, you know the history of Woods. You also know what he means to the world of golf. Any person in the world who realizes that golf is indeed played on grass and outdoors has heard that Woods is ready to compete in a tournament he has won four times.
We are all aware of the history and missteps along the way, but now he is back and favored to be in the running come Sunday at 2:00 P.M. EST. The days of TMZ headlines and revolving trips to the rehab room are over. The one golfer that dominated the world for so many is back with a newfound focus and confidence we haven’t seen in some time.
Woods showed up this week in Augusta in golf attire, a golf bag and officially entered the tournament. That’s something he hasn’t done since 2015. He returned to that Masters after missing the 2014 event. He shot 5-under and made the cut but was 13 shots behind eventual champion Jordan Speith. Even Tiger himself will probably admit he came back too soon.
Woods continued to struggle with his back for the next two and a half years, undergoing microdisectomy surgeries to remove fragments from a disc. As the procedures continued to mount, the withdrawals from numerous tournaments seemed to follow.
In a last-ditch effort to be fully aligned, he underwent surgery to remove the disc and re-elevating the collapsed disc space to normal levels. He has been on record as saying he feels like a new man. This isn’t the first time he has said this after a surgery, but this time is different.
He has tied his words to his play and has finished strong in his last three tournaments, all fueled by the Honda Classic. On that day, the old images of Woods were on the verge of recreation and the fans were flocking all over the world to get a glimpse. Social media was on a revolving Woods relay on unprecedented levels.
This year’s Masters has a different feel to it, a feel that is being fueled by Woods himself. Not only will the rising stars of the PGA be on full display, but another group, the 40-and-older club, will be doing its best to keep them at bay. In 81 years, The Masters has only been won six times by someone 40 or older. Could a Tiger be lurking, looking for this trend to change? Will Sunday be full of roaring crowds and images of Mr. Woods chasing a ball into the hole? I have a feeling that Sundays are on the cusp of once again becoming a holiday in the spring!
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