Penton: Woods authors amazing comeback story
By Bruce Penton
He’s already clearly in the lead for golf’s Comeback of the Year award. Now Tiger Woods is hunting even bigger game.
After nearly demolishing his right leg in a February, 2021 car crash in California, Woods’ career as a professional golfer appeared to finally be over. ‘Finally,’ because after numerous scandals, surgeries and advancing age, the car crash and the severe injuries it caused would have been career-ending to most.
Not to Woods, however. With his right leg held together by metal rods, screws and pins, the 46-year-old winner of 15 major championships was hitting balls nine months later, competing in a casual father-and-son tournament within 10 months, and then shocking the golf world by playing in the Masters this past April, 14 months after nearly killing himself with risky and dangerous driving.
That he made the cut at the Masters was astonishing, considering what led up to it. That he completed all four rounds was further testament to his competitive nature. That he made the cut four weeks later at the PGA Championship led many to suggest that the Greatest Golfer of All Time (G.O.A.T.) might be able to come all the way back and continue his march toward Jack Nicklaus’s record of 18 major tournament victories.
This week, the season’s third major, the U.S. Open, is being played in Massachusetts and Woods has filed an entry to take part. ‘Filing an entry’ and ‘actually playing’ are two different things and Woods may or may not decide he can can handle the leg pain and discomfort to walk 36 (or 72) holes and actually challenge for the Open title. He wasn’t able to handle the pain at the PGA, making the 36-hole cut but withdrawing after 54 holes following a limping-filled third-round 79.
Nicklaus won his final major, the 1986 Masters, at the age of 46. Woods is chronologically the same age, but far older in terms of physicality. Winning a major is almost certainly impossible this year (he’s announced he will play in the Open Championship at St. Andrews, Scotland, in July), but merely competing, and making the cut, makes him an obvious winner of Comeback Player of the Year.
Whether Woods will ever again walk pain-free or without a limp remains to be seen, but what is certain is that he still has the skills to manoeuvre the golf ball better than almost anyone in the world. Golf fans everywhere are captivated by Woods’ comeback efforts and it won’t be long before he finally drives off into the sunset (at a safe speed, we hope). While the car crash and leg injuries weren’t enough to finish Woods’ career, advancing age eventually will. Sports fans should enjoy what’s left of this amazing athlete’s career while he’s still able to offer glimpses of it.
• RJ Currie of sportsdeke.com “Scientists at MIT claimed to have successfully removed painful memories from the minds of mice. Their next big challenge: Toronto Maple Leafs fans.”
• Steve Simmons of Sunmedia, on Germany’s Leon Drsaitl having no hockey countrymen to emulate growing up: “There were no neighbourhood role models to follow. Unless you think you’re going to become the next Uwe Krupp.”
• Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times: “Border-hugging Aroostook Valley Country Club is a golf anomaly, with its parking lot and pro shop in the U.S. (Maine) and its course and clubhouse in Canada (New Brunswick). Wouldn’t that make it a two-country club?”
• CBC Manitoba reporter Bartley Kives: “The sources of Manitoba weather misery face each other in the NHL western final. Colorado Low vs. Alberta Clippers.”
• Golf writer Geoff Shackleford, on the surprising announcement that Dustin Johnson was playing in the Saudi Arabian LIV Tour opening event: “Guess the wedding was more expensive than we thought!”
• Bob Molinaro of pilotonline.com (Hampton, Va.): “The Stanley Cup conference finals have just begun, with the NHL title round potentially dragging into the final hours of June. Doesn’t that make hockey players the Boys of Summer?”
• Columnist Norman Chad, on Twitter: “In the darkness of Red Rock Casino lanes last night, I believe my un-storied bowling career came to an end. I have been a 140 bowler over two centuries -- last night I bowled 120 and 93. NINETY-THREE. Unlike Tiger Woods, I know when it’s time to hang up my rental bowling shoes.”
• Headline at theonion.com: “Babe Ruth Comparisons Grow After Hammered Shohei Ohtani Eats 53 Hot Dogs”
• Dwight Perry again: “The Phillies have fired manager Joe Girardi after a 22-29 start. Or as they call it anyplace but Philadelphia, commuting his sentence.”
• Tim Hunter of Everett’s KRKO Radio, feeling proud after doing 100 pullups in a day: “But I was told that pants don’t count.”
Care to comment? Email brucepenton2003@yahoo.