Woods Wins, Passes Nicklaus
Maybe it was the fact that since no one thought he’d ever be back to true Tiger form, it was the lack of pressure that helped Tiger Woods at the AT&T National Congressional tournament on Sunday. Maybe it was the fact that he’s just starting to come back to the Tiger we’ve known of past, even with a few recent disappointments on the golf course. Maybe it was just the fact that he again wore red, his winning color. Whatever the cause of it, Tiger Woods was back on the course yesterday in his fullest form that we haven’t seen in nearly three years.
Woods was at the top of his form, a form that he’s been striving to achieve ever since the SUV/golf club incident; and he came out determined to show us that he was back. Scoring par or under the first 15, this was Tiger’s day. And it was Tiger’s tournament to lose. He went head to head with Bo Van Pelt for most of the course, when the day really came to its climax on the back nine. When Tiger’s first bogey came on 16, it was nearly a godsend given the circumstances; and with Van Pelt right behind. Unfortunately for Van Pelt, it wouldn’t have mattered if Tiger had double-bogeyed on the 16, as Van Pelt bogeyed on every hole thereafter. Tiger finished the day with two under 69 and Van Pelt finished even par at 71.
“What an incredible week,” Tiger said after the tournament. “I remember there was a time when people were saying I could never win again.” But, after passing Jack Nicklaus and taking the number two spot for most PGA wins of all-time, those voices are certainly at least beginning to be quieted, if not silenced altogether. For that to happen, we all know that Tiger still needs to win a major. Or at least eight more, to equal Sam Snead who holds the number 1 spot.
There’s one person that thinks Tiger deserves the respect he’s spent the last decade or so building up, even with a few tumultuous years in between — and that’s Bo Van Pelt. “I think he’s the only guy to win three tournaments on tour this year…on three different golf courses,” Tiger’s opponent said after the match. “And he was leading the U.S. Open after two days. So I’d say that he’s playing the best golf in the world right now.”
The crowd on Sunday was especially loud, but that may have had more to do with the fact that Saturday was a “no spectators” day rather than the fact that Tiger seemed to be back in fine form. Due to a heat storm that ravaged the Atlantic coast, including Maryland where the Congressional Country Club is located, much electricity was lost, trees were blown down, and debris littered the fairways. Organizers and clean-up crews worked all day Saturday amidst the tournament and although there was still some work to be done, spectators were allowed back in for the final day yesterday.
“The staff, the maintenance crew and everybody. Yesterday was a very difficult situation. They worked their tails off to get it done,” Tiger said. “Everybody, thank you for being patient with us.”
Categorized in: Golf