Sportswriter Dan Jenkins once said that the only things that could stop Tiger Woods from breaking Jack Nicklaus’s record of 18 major championships were an injury or a bad marriage.
Well, it looks like even those things won’t stop him now.
After Tiger Woods’s victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational Monday, his third win in four starts on the PGA Tour this year and sixth in his last 20 going back to last year, Tiger surpassed Rory McIlroy to become No. 1 in the Official World Golf Rankings for the first time since the fall of 2010, the year after his marriage fell apart when his multiple infidelities came to light.
His return to the top serves as a message to athletes everywhere: no matter how hard you fall (even if you knocked yourself down), you can get back up.
After his scandal, Tiger was no longer looked at as the best player on the planet, but as another type of player. Tiger went two calendar years without a win anywhere, and dropped to No. 58 in the world, his lowest mark since 1996 when he turned pro.
And while Tiger dealt with injuries to his ACL and achilles, and changing his swing at the same time, Rory McIlroy won two majors to become the new top-ranked player. People were starting to call him the next Tiger.
Not so fast, Tiger says. He is back to No. 1, a spot he has held for the majority of his career. And while he still is four majors short of the all-time record, he appears primed to take the first major of the year at the Masters in three weeks.
As I watched the 18th hole at a local course today, a lady came by and asked me if he was still ahead. I said he was up by three and had it in the bag, and she scoffed and walked out the door. I guess some people will never be able to look past the mistakes Tiger made in his previous marriage and will only see him as a symbol of unfaithfulness.
But to climb back to No. 1 after everything he went through, even if it was self-inflicted, is something every athlete should admire and remember when life knocks them down.
Tiger didn’t blame anyone or make excuses. He took his lumps, kept working while everyone doubted him, and now he’s back to where he used to be.
You can call him any name in the book for what he did to his ex-wife, but the man is still a role model to golfers and athletes everywhere. Hard work leads to results.
Like it or not, Tiger Woods is back.