A Second Chance for Tiger

As the dust settles and the fog clears on Tiger Woods golf career, we see him emerge on top once again.  He secured his 3rd tournament win of the 2013 season on Monday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. This is the latest milestone for his career comeback from the scandals in his personal life in late 2009 and subsequent injuries that plagued his golf game. Although he has returned to number one in the world, has he found a place in the hearts and minds of fans once again?

Tiger Woods was the most dominating player upon the leak of his extra material affairs in late 2009. The turmoil of his personal life followed him into his golf game, forcing him to take a leave of absence December 2009 to April 2010.  Woods was not able to recover from the scandal, he lost his form and was plagued with injuries, ultimately losing his number one rank in October 2010. Many thought his best days were in the past. He was losing endorsement deals and his imagine was more than slightly tarnished. 

A player who was once referred to as the worlds most remarkable athlete, Woods had fallen to a low #58 rank in the fall of 2011. There is no doubt this was due in part to his personal struggles. Woods marriage had ended in divorce in light of the scandal and he under went therapy to help him change. Through all of this Wood struggled to regain his golf game over the past 3 years and his inconsistent performance had kept him low in the rankings, he had performed no where near the skill level he had pre-scandal, until now.  

Emerging back on top, with a recovering imagine during the early 2013 season shows promise that our most remarkable athlete has returned; a feat most critics doubted would ever happen for Tiger Woods. Woods is playing  more strategically, decisively and confidently, then he has in the past 3 years, which is translating to wins for this seasoned golfer. He has worked hard to regain his confidence. Woods still is working hard on his career goal of beating Jack Nicklaus' championship record, which he is only 4 wins short from beating. 

A month out from arriving in Augusta for the Masters and Tiger Woods remains the man that everyone will strive to beat. 

Whether Woods has regained the hearts and minds of the fans may be debatable but the skill and performance he brings to the game is undeniable. If you can separate the athlete from the man, who wouldn't admire him? After all, he is an American icon and although he suffered a fall from grace that seemed irrecoverable, Tiger Woods has claimed his second chance for greatness once again.