Posted at 7:00 a.m.
Happy with a spring
PHOTO MIKE SEGAR, REUTERS
Tiger Woods in training last Tuesday
The rumor had been circulating for a few weeks. Rumors gathered momentum last week. On Tuesday, Tiger Woods put an end to the ordeal of all golf lovers. The five-time green jacket champion will compete in the 86and edition of the Masters Tournament.
Few athletes have had such a huge impact on their sport as Tiger Woods. He attracts crowds by the thousands, his escapades outside the field are immediately forgiven him and he has changed the way of practicing his sport.
All the experts agree: If golf is what it is today, it’s thanks to a Californian of African-American and Asian descent who cultivated an insatiable desire to win.
His return to competition was greatly desired, because when Tiger goes, everything goes.
The Masters Tournament is a tradition like no other. The azaleas, the freshly watered lawn, the green and white parasols which open at the same time as the sun rises between the trees which trace the paths. Nothing compares to it.
The yellow pennants shaken by the breeze, the Hogan Bridge, the crowd of 16andthe Sunday red.
Happy with a spring, which warms our nostalgic hearts.
The unlikely return
Tiger Woods scared the whole sports world on February 23, 2021. Driving at double the recommended speed in a bend, he lost control of his car in a relatively tight curve on a road in California.
His car rolled over before coming to a stop. A total loss. Woods came very close to losing his life.
PHOTO MARCIO JOSE SANCHEZ, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
Tiger Woods scared the sporting world on February 23, 2021 when he was involved in a road accident.
On the operating table, his right leg was in a sorry state: open fractures of the tibia and fibula and the bones in his foot and ankle were also damaged due to the violence of the impact.
Doctors raised the possibility of amputating his leg. Eventually, Woods underwent lengthy leg and ankle surgery. Doctors had to install a rod and many screws in his leg to hold everything in place.
Sad to have missed another winter, Woods could not help but take his troubles patiently.
Where it all began
This is why seeing him return, all smiles, to the course of Augusta National, to play the most important golf tournament in the world, only 13 months after his accident, is almost a miracle.
Woods somehow comes home. It was this tournament that brought him into the world in 1997. It was on this course that he proved why he was the best golfer of his generation five times rather than once. It was on this pitch that he struck the imagination by winning in 2019. It is on this course that he will prove why he is probably the greatest player in the history of his sport by starting Thursday.
Tiger Woods holds 36 Masters Tournament records. From his first triumph in 1997, he wrote a page of history. He is still to this day the youngest golfer to have donned the green jacket at 21 years, 3 months and 14 days. He was also the one who won the tournament by the largest margin, that is to say 12 moves. Then, he handed over a record score of 18 under par. Brand that was equaled by Jordan Spieth in 2015 and beaten by Dustin Johnson in 2020 (-20).
PHOTO AMY SANCETTA, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
Tiger Woods is the youngest golfer to have donned the green jacket given to the winner of the Masters Tournament. He achieved the feat at 21 years, 3 months and 14 days, in 1997.
Among his most impressive records at Augusta National are his 16 rounds without playing over par between the third round in 2007 and the second round in 2011. The equivalent of four tournaments. He’s withstood the cut and made weekend rounds in each of his 21 appearances since 1997. He also has the lowest scoring average in tournament history at 70.87.
In 23 tournament appearances, he has 5 wins, 12 top 5 and 14 top 10.
For the majority of golf enthusiasts, the Masters Tournament and Tiger Woods are intimately linked. One does not go without the other. As if the rest didn’t matter.
As if we only lived in spring.
Players speak
As usual, the players arrived in waves at the Augusta club. However, the majority of players did so earlier than expected this year. It should also be noted that with the enthusiasm around the Tiger, it is almost as if the tournament had already started.
Most top players on the tour grew up looking up to Woods. Veterans have learned to rub shoulders with him over the years. This is why the response of the players surrounding the possible participation of the great champion was unanimous.
On March 30, Rory McIlroy confirmed it: “For golf, for the Masters, for everyone, to see Tiger play would be phenomenal. He’s done so much for our sport, it’s always special every time he’s there. It would be great if he could participate. »
After training with him earlier in the week, Billy Horschel was amazed by the Tiger’s outfit: “He looks like the Tiger we saw before the accident in terms of his momentum and his speed. »
In a press conference on Monday, Bryson DeChambeau admitted to being relieved to see him train: “The simple fact that he is here before the tournament is a comeback in itself. We greeted each other from afar on the course. It’s nice to see him in a good state of mind. […] He wants to win and he is here for that. It can never be counted as beaten. When he came out of the main chalet, we could hear the crowd screaming from afar and it was very special. »
PHOTO MIKE BLAKE, REUTERS
Tiger Woods and Fred Couples in training last Monday
1992 champion Fred Couples is a regular partner for Woods in the days leading up to the tournament. The veteran was of course very happy to see one of his good friends again: “As a friend, to see his pace, I find it really very impressive. We wrote to each other every day. […] This ground is brutal to walk on and with what he has been through, I hope he can play well. It’s no surprise considering he’s the greatest player in history. […] I watched it today and it was phenomenal. »
A considerable impact
In addition to fans and other players, television networks will also be extremely happy to see Tiger Woods playing the Masters Tournament. He transformed golf by his approach, his methods, his way of playing, the way of selling the sport, and the visibility of golf has greatly benefited from it.
When the winner of 15 Grand Slams competes in a tournament, the benefits are significant.
According to a 2018 article in the magazine Sports Illustratedproduced with the help of sportsmediawatch.com, the average television audience increases dramatically when Woods plays in a tournament and does well.
The Masters Tournament has averaged 7.7 million viewers since 1995. When Woods won the tournament, the average jumped to 15.6 million.
The average number of fans gathered in front of their television for the US Open is 4 million. He averaged 12.2 million when Woods won the tournament.
At the British Open, 3 million viewers are waiting for you. They were 7 million when the Tiger triumphed.
Then, at the PGA Championship, the audience averages 3.8 million in normal times. He almost tripled when Woods played the last round.
Its impact and the repercussions of its mere presence are colossal. The statistics of this 86and edition should go into the record books.
An unlikely return. A great champion more alive than ever. An unprecedented enthusiasm. Smiles at will. A tradition like no other.
Might as well enjoy it, because spring doesn’t last long.