ATLANTA — Wearing shades, his black Nike hat on backwards and a black tank top that revealed massive arms, Tiger Woods, carrying his Sunday red in one hand, strolled to the clubhouse at East Lake Golf Club for the final round of The Tour Championship.
It was a picture of confidence, an intimidating one at that, an image of a man who was in total control and knew what lie ahead.
Six hours later, and after a wardrobe change, Woods was posing with the championship hardware, a portrait that seemed impossible 18 months ago.
With a two-shot victory in the season finale, a win reminiscent of so many from his best days of yesteryear, Woods capped a comeback for the ages and completed his climb out of an abyss of physical agony, mental anguish and spiritual loss. The 14-time major champion also continued his remarkable climb up the official world rankings, all the way to No. 13 after starting his comeback ranked No. 1,199th.
“I had a hard time not crying coming up the last hole,” said Woods, who finished second in the FedExCup and won a $3 million bonus. “At the beginning of the year, this was a tall order. But as the year progressed I put pieces together again and I knew I could do it again.
“I just can’t believe I pulled this off after the season I’ve gone through,” said Woods, who started to tear up. “I had some not so easy couple of years, but I worked my way back. It’s hard to believe I won The Tour Championship.”
More: Tiger Tracker: Tiger Woods cruises to first win in five years
Woods wasn’t the only winner at East Lake. Despite finishing in a tie for fourth, world No. 1 Justin Rose finished No. 1 in the FedExCup and won the $10 million bonus. Knowing he needed to make birdie on the 72nd hole, Rose produced a titanic drive, then knocked a 7-iron onto the green and two-putted from 30 feet for the title, or $333,333.33 a foot.
But this day belonged to Woods and his legion of fans who have been hoping it would come for some time. Even Woods was among those who didn’t know if this day would come, his body punished enough to require four surgeries to his left knee and four surgeries to his back.
Seventeen months removed from fusion surgery to his spine, and 16 months after he hit rock bottom and the world saw the alarming mug shot following his arrest for suspicion of DUI, Woods was a picture of health and joy after PGA Tour victory No. 80 and his first since 2013, or in 1,876 days.
After starting his latest comeback with tempered expectations and doubts about how long he could play, how often he could play and how well he could play, Woods steadily pieced together his swing and game.
First there were baby steps to make sure his body was whole. Then small strides with his swing. Then confidence boosters and moral victories one tournament at a time, a few moments in contention, too.
A key moment came in February after Woods missed the cut in the Genesis Open. It was then that Woods realized he was healthy enough to add a tournament to his schedule instead of subtracting, which he feared he’d have to do at the start of the year. At the time, Woods knew if he stayed healthy, he’d put together a swing that would work at the highest level in golf.
With each passing month, Woods tinkered with his equipment to coincide with his swing. Later in the year, he used three different putter models in three consecutive starts.
And before the FedExCup Playoffs began, Woods changed the shaft and loft of his driver, losing a tad of distance but gaining accuracy and assurance. With a tie for fourth in the BMW Championship in his last start, Woods arrived here with all aspects of his game on point and a look about him that said he knew this would be the week.
After opening with a 65 to grab a share of the lead and then a 68 to maintain it, Woods assumed command with a Saturday blitz in which he birdied six of his first seven holes.
Armed with a three-shot lead after 54 holes, Woods became the Woods of old, keeping his pursuers at bay with a conservative approach that was still lethal as other scrambled to make birdies. After making birdie on the first to stretch his lead, Woods aimed for fairways and the middle of the greens and two-putted the field into submission.
Woods pumped his lead to five but it was down to two after consecutive bogeys on holes 15 and 16. But he parred in and strolled to victory with thousands of fans walking behind him on the 18th fairway. After his final stroke, a tap-in for par, he raised his hands in the air, then hugged his caddie, Joe LaCava, his girlfriend, Erica Herman, and his playing partner, Rory McIlroy.
Woods finished at 11 under with a 71. Billy Horschel, the 2014 FedExCup champion, shot 66 to finish second. Dustin Johnson (67) was in third, and Rose (73), Hideki Matsuyama (65) and Webb Simpson (67) tied for fourth.
Just as it was back in his heyday, Woods with the 54-hole lead is money and extremely hard to catch. With this win, he is now 54-4 when he holds at least a share of the 54-hole lead, and 24-for-24 when that lead is at least three shots.
For this week, Tiger Woods was Tiger Woods again, the best player on the planet who knew he was the best player on the planet.
And now the golf world awaits his encore next season.
“It’s a miracle what he’s done this year,” Paul Azinger said. “This wasn’t some ceremonial walk into the sunset. This guy’s got game, some serious game. I’m shocked. There’s no way he’s doing what he’s doing. He’s a living, breathing, walking medical miracle. To be doing what he’s doing at the highest level in golf, it’s truly amazing.”
And in a series of tweets, Jack Nicklaus, his record 18 majors a benchmark Woods has been pursuing his entire career, congratulated Woods.
“I never dreamed @TigerWoods could come back and swing the way he has, after surgery," Nicklaus tweeted. "I think you could argue he’s swinging better than he has ever in his life. He has played fantastically!
“I think throughout this year some of @TigerWoods’ issues were between his ears, as he had to remember how to win again. Tiger has been close, almost there. You knew he was going to win soon, and this week he did it.”
Phil Mickelson said Woods’ latest victory wasn’t a shock to him either.
“He’s played such good golf all year that it’s just not surprising,” Mickelson said. “It was just a matter of time before he won."
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