WATCH: At 43, Tiger roars back

 

 

PARIS, France – Tiger Woods snatched plenty of golfing headlines in 2018 with his remarkable comeback after years in the wilderness. 

Woods claimed his first tournament victory since 2013 in front of raucous galleries at the Tour Championship, before ending his year with 4 straight Ryder Cup losses and a defeat by Phil Mickelson in their $9 million match in Las Vegas.

But nothing can take away from the impact the 14-time major winner made on his return after over 4 years spent battling injuries.

Woods – who turns 43 years old on December 30 – led on the back nine in the 4th round of the British Open at Carnoustie, and also produced a thrilling charge at the USPGA Championship before ending his title drought in the final individual event of the campaign.

As ever, the former world No. 1 will be bullish about his chances of edging closer to Jack Nicklaus’ all-time record of 18 major titles in 2019, but Woods has still not lifted one of golf’s biggest prizes for a decade.

A rise from outside the top 1,000 in the rankings to world No. 13 in less than a year was stunning, though, and Woods will have a chance to put on another show as he likely doubles up as captain and player at next year’s Presidents Cup in Melbourne. 

Here’s a factfile on Tiger Woods: 

Born: December 30, 1975

Birthplace: Cypress, California, USA

Height: 6-feet-1 (1.85m) 

Turned Professional: 1996 

Career US PGA Tour wins: 80 

Major titles – 14 (Masters: 1997, 2001, 2002, 2005; US Open 2000, 2002, 2008; British Open 2000, 2005, 2006; PGA Championship 1999, 2000, 2006, 2007)

PGA Tour Player of the Year: 11 (1997, 1999-2003, 2005-2007, 2009, 2013) 

PGA Tour Money Leader: 10 (1997, 1999-2002, 2005-2007, 2009, 2013) 

Highest World Ranking: 1 (record 683 weeks) 

Tiger Woods career timeline: 

August 1996: Turns pro after an outstanding amateur career and is named as the PGA Rookie of the Year.

April 1997: Wins the first of 14 majors at the Masters, becoming at 21 the youngest-ever winner at Augusta National. Two months later he takes the world number one spot for the first time.

June 2000: Wins US Open at Pebble Beach by a record 15 strokes and then becomes the the fifth player in history to complete the career Grand Slam by winning the British Open by 8 strokes at St Andrews.

April 2001: Wins his second Masters title and completes the “Tiger Slam” as the first golfer to be reigning champion of all 4 majors simultaneously.

April 2002: Successfully defends his Masters crown and in June he goes on to win his second US Open at Bethpage Black. That makes him the youngest golfer in history to win 7 majors.

September 2004: After failing to win another major in 2003 and 2004 Vijay Singh replaces him as world No. 1 after a record run of 264 weeks on top.

April 2005: Woods emerges from “slump” to win a fourth Masters, defeating Chris DiMarco in a playoff. He then wins a second British Open by 5 strokes at St Andrews. With his 10th major title he joins Jack Nicklaus in being the only players to win all 4 major tournaments at least twice.

May 2006: His father and guiding force Earl dies at 74, but the following month Woods wins his third British Open and 11th major at Hoylake

June 2008: Two months after knee surgery wins the US Open for his 14th, and to date, last major at Torrey Pines, defeating Rocco Mediate in a sudden death playoff. He promptly announces that he needs more knee surgery and takes the rest of the season off.

February 2009: Nine months later he returns to action, but in November of that year a car accident outside his Florida home unearths a series of infidelities that wrecks his marriage. Takes an “indefinite break from professional golf” to get his life back together.

April 2010: Returns to action at the Masters where he finishes fourth but the injuries mount over the course of the year and his ranking starts to tumble.

March 2013: Woods regains his form in 2012 and the following year his eighth win in the Arnold Palmer Invitational sees him regain the world No. 1 spot.

March 2014: After a slow start to 2014, Woods injures himself during the Honda Classic and he subsequently skips the Masters for the first time to undergo back surgery. Loses world No. 1 spot to Adam Scott in May.

February 2015: Struggles to get his season going and after pulling out injured from a tournament at Torrey Pines says he will take another break from competition.

September/October 2015: Woods has microdiscectomy to remove spinal disc fragement pinching a nerve, with follow-up procedure to relieve lingering discomfort.

February 2017: Back spasms prompt Woods to withdraw from second round of Dubai Desert Classic, cutting short his return from a 16-month injury layoff.

April 2017: After missing the Masters, Woods announces he had yet another surgery to alleviate pain in his back and leg.

May 2017: Woods arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in Jupiter, Florida.

January 2018: Woods makes his return to the PGA Tour with a shared 23rd place finish at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torry Pines, California.

April 2018: Woods finishes tied for 32nd at the Masters, the first Major appearance of his comeback.

June 2018: Woods suffers a setback after missing the cut at the US Open at Shinnecock Hills after posting a 78 followed by a 72.

July 2018: Woods bounces back from his US Open Championship disappointment with a top-10 placing at the British Open, finishing tied for sixth.

August 2018: Woods announces his return to Major contention with a second place finish, just two back from winner Brooks Koepka.

September 2018: Woods is named in the US Ryder Cup team. He follows with victory at the Tour Championship in Atlanta. – Rappler.com