For most of the first two days of the Arnold Palmer Bayhill Invitational in Orlando, perennial winner Tiger Woods lay low in the grass, lurking just behind the leaders, like, well, a tiger. Five strokes back on Thursday, even more behind on Friday, then lunging forward to close ground on Philly area native Sean O’Hair to make it to the final group on Sunday.
Through the first nine in the final round, O’Hair held his ground before the back nine turned into a back and forth battle (kind of like Nova and Pitt on Saturday night) with the outcome hanging on the final holes.
286 days since his one-legged win at last year’s U.S. Open, Woods made the magic happen on 18 with a 16-foot birdie putt that edged out young O’Hair, and led to one of golf’s favorite post-tourney events, a face-to-face moment with the host, the great Arnold Palmer.
As dusk took over, O’Hair missed a tough putt to force a playoff. Tiger lined it up, and sent it towards the hole with camera flashes reflecting off his club, the water, and any other reflective surface in the area of the green. As the putt fell, Tiger made his trademark lunge and fist pump, as if exorcising the demons of his rehab, and the questions of doubters. His caddie, the outspoken Stevie Williams crushed his boss that said loud and clear, “He’s back, baby!!!” Big Steve might have given Little Tiger a chiropractic adjustment from the force of the grip, and the way he actually lifted Woods off his feet. And the golf world sighed in collective relief, even before the runners up had a chance to lick wound one.
With so much focus on the world’s greatest golfer this week, it is easy to forget that the TV ratings and public attention to the game has dipped during the last 286 days. So the networks, the tournament officials, and the sponsors all exhaled, as they began packing their things to head to Augusta, and The Masters. Woods will probably win that one, too...again…for green jacket #5!