OB SPORTS GOLF & LEISURE
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SUMMER 2018
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obsports.com
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TOUR REPORT
TIGER
TRACKS
When last we left Tiger Woods in late
January, he was rubbing two sticks to-
gether to forge some sparks on his way
to a tie for 23rd at the Farmers event at
Torrey Pines in San Diego.
Six weeks later, he had built a bonfire.
With apologies to Patrick Reed – and
perhaps to a slew of other winners –
Tiger has been the story of the year on
the PGA Tour. Think about it. He began
the year ranked 656th in the world. No
one was certain if he'd ever play again,
let alone contend and win. As of late
June, he's catapulted to Number 79.
He's 58th in the FedEx Cup standings
and 37th in Ryder Cup points.
Every cloud of doubt was obliterated
on March 11, when Woods was staring
down a birdie putt at the 72nd hole in
Tampa that would earn him a playoff at
the Valspar Championship at Innis-
brook's major-worthy Copperhead
course. It didn't drop, but the in-
escapable conclusion was that Tiger was
back. Not all the way, but back.
Want proof? NBC's final-round rat-
ings for the Valspar jumped 190 percent
from the previous year. Its overnight
rating was the highest for a non-major
in five years – since Tiger captured the
2013 Players Championship. Whether
you're a Tiger fan or not, it was electri-
fying to have him back in the mix.
A tie for fifth the previous week at
Bay Hill and a 12th-place finish at the
Honda the week after cemented his re-
turn to not only relevance, but promi-
nence. Perhaps foolishly, he was briefly
the betting favorite at the Masters,
where he posted a disappointing, if cer-
tainly respectable T32. A T11 at The
Players, where he actually drove the
ball and struck it as well as he had in
years was bittersweet, due to the wedge
he dunked at the island green 71st hole.
Bottom line: When he breaks through
with an inevitable victory, it will com-
plete one of sport's greatest comebacks.
Grade: A
The golf season has produced a resurgent Tiger Woods, a puzzling Rickie Fowler, and a year tinged with what-ifs for Rory McIlroy.
>>>
Tiger
and
Rory
courtesy
TaylorMade;
Rickie
courtesy
of
Cobra
Golf.
