Tiger Woods: Why Win at Memorial Means More Than Any Other This Season
It's not just that Tiger Woods won the 2012 Memorial Tournament. It's how he won it.
Yes, Woods won a high-profile tournament. I know you don't believe me, but I have proof (via NBC Sports):
"Tiger Woods wins the Memorial, tying Jack Nicklaus for 2nd all-time with 73 PGA Tour victories. golfchannel.com/news/golftalkc… #golfchannel
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) June 3, 2012"
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Woods' win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational back in March was certainly impressive, but this win is far more important.
Why? Because it was classic Tiger Woods.
Eldrick, in his class Sunday red, started the day four strokes off the lead and was down two strokes with four holes to play. The pressure was insurmountable. The 2012 Woods would have hit one into the water and kicked his club around in a fit of a rage.
But this wasn't the 2012 Tiger Woods. It was more like the 2005 or 2006 Tiger Woods.
He birdied three of the final four holes, including this one at No. 16:
Classic. Tiger.
Not only was that shot truly amazing and easily one of the best I've ever seen, but it came with the fist pump and emotion that we used to expect from Tiger.
I'll admit it. After Woods' win at the Arnold Palmer, I was less than convinced. Well, no, that's not true. I was convinced, but it was that Tiger would suffer another setback.
But now, after seeing Woods play with emotion and passion en route to a win at a tournament where the world's top golfers were playing, I'm ready to dub him the favorite for the U.S. Open.
Woods tied for third in birdies, he tied for 14th in driving accuracy and he was first in greens hit in regulation.
It wasn't an all-out dominating performance for Woods, but it was an all-out dominating Sunday performance.
And that's what's important.
Because the Tiger Woods we used to know and count on was unbeatable when he was wearing his red shirt.
Today, for the first time in years, he once again played that part. And for the first time in years, classic Tiger is back.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
