Well, the impossible has become possible! TIGER WOODS HAS WON A MAJOR! (AGAIN)

April 14, 2019 will go down in the history books in the world of sports, as 43-Year-Old Eldrick Tont “Tiger” Woods, has won The Master’s Tournament.

Tiger is widely considered of the greatest golfers of all time, but a series of personal issues and health issues, mainly back surgeries and spinal fusion procedures, have kept him from being the dominant golfer he once was. Many people believed he would never play golf again, let alone win a major. According to Hall of Fame Golfer Sir Nick Faldo, Tiger approached him two years ago at the “Master’s Champion’s Dinner” and said, “I’m Done.”

Since that infamous sentence, Tiger has been readily surging up leaderboards, and getting into contention. He was in contention at the final day at the last two majors in 2018, the British Open and the PGA Championship, but he fell to Francesco Molinari and Brooks Koepka respectively.

Last September, Tiger won his first tournament, The Tour Championship for his victory in five years.

Tiger was tied for second place at 11-Under Par (-11), with Tony Finau, trailing by two strokes to the reigning Open Champion of The Year, Francesco Molinari, who was 13-Under Par. (-13), heading into the final round.

Due to strong storms predicted to roll through the area, the chairmen of Augusta National Golf Course, where the tournament is played, decided to move the tee times up to Sunday Morning, as opposed to the usual Sunday Afternoon, to try and have a Sunday Finish.

*Trivia: The last time the Masters was played on a Monday was in 1983 when golfing legend Seve Ballesteros won his second green jacket.

It was an up-and-down round for Tiger, who at one point, was 2-Over-Par to go to -9 and was trailing by three strokes. But a couple of mistakes by Finau and Molinari opened the door for Tiger to come within striking distance. On the 15^th Hole, Tiger moved into sole possession of first place, a position he would not let up.

Even though Tiger never relinquished the lead, drama was still unfolding, as multiple golfers, were one or two strokes behind Tiger.

It all came down to the 18^th hole. Tiger needed no more than a bogey-five to win the title, due to Brooks Koepka, missing a birdie putt that would have put him within one. Tiger ended up bogeying the hole and claiming his fifth green jacket.

The patrons (the crowd) erupted in loud TIGER! TIGER! TIGER! chants as he celebrated his victory. He hugged his mother, his daughter and his girlfriend, and when he got to his son Charlie, he gave him a big hug, reminiscent of the hug he received from his late father Earl, when he won his first Masters in 1997

Tiger Woods, is no stranger to major tournaments, winning 15 of them in his legendary career. His last career major victory came in 2008 at Torrey Pines to win the US Open, which went to an astonishing 19-Hole Playoff against Rocco Mediate. The record for major tournament victories is 18, held by “Golden Bear” Jack Nicklaus

This is Tiger’s fifth green jacket, with previous wins in 1997, 2001, 2002, 2005. That moves Tiger up to second all-time in major victories, with Jack Nicklaus having won six green jackets. With this win, Tiger now has 81 career victories, one shy of Sam Snead’s 82.

After the win, Tiger jokingly, tugged on the green jacket and told reporters, “I’m excited about show and tell at school.”

The Masters Tournament first began in 1934 and has since became a “tradition unlike any other.” Played every first full week of April, the Masters Tournament is one of the world’s most famous tournaments. Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta Georgia hosts the tournament every year. The tournament has been won by the likes of Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Ben Crenshaw, Tom Watson, Bubba Watson, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, and Arnold Palmer.  The Masters is the first PGA Tour’s first Major Tournament of the Year, followed by the PGA Championship, The US Open and the British Open, (commonly referred to as “The Open.”)

For winning the tournament, winners receive a “green jacket,” a green sportscoat with the Masters logo patched on the breast. Winning the tournament also gives the winner, lifetime membership to the course, as a membership to Augusta National is one of the hardest ones to receive. The reigning champion, on the Tuesday before the next Masters has the privilege to select the menu for the “Champion’s Dinner,” where all the previous winners get together and welcome in the newest winner to the “Champion’s Club” , or in Tiger’s case, welcome back a familiar face.

It is customary that the previous winner puts the jacket on the new winner. As in the case of Sir Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods, who have won back-to-back, the chairman of Augusta National puts it on the winner.

Fun Fact: The Green Jacket can only be removed from the clubhouse by a current and first-time winner, it must be returned the tournament the following year, but can be worn whenever on the premises of Augusta National.

After this victory, I expect Tiger to take a week or two off as he prepares for the next major tournaments of 2019.

The next two majors, The PGA Championship, and The US Open, are at courses where Tiger has won before. He won the 2002 US Open at Bethpage, where the PGA Championship will play on May 16-19. He also won the 2000 US Open at Pebble Beach, where this year’s US Open will play on June 13-16. These will be great chances for him to add his to Major victories to try and top Nicklaus’s career of 18 major titles.

For Tiger, this is a vindication that he still has some roar in his swing, vindication that he can contend at tournaments, contend at majors, and most importantly win at majors. This win isn’t just for Tiger, its for his fans that week after week, travels with him, hole to hole, to see him dominate just like he did in the early 2000s.

Buckle in folks, a familiar face has reemerged, and his name is TIGER.