Yesterday marked a very important day for the game of golf.  Tiger Woods has finally won again.  Down by 1 stroke on 17, Tiger poured in a birdie putt to tie it with Zach Johnson.  Then on 18, Tiger stood over his 6 foot birdie putt to win, and the rest was history.  It was great to see that Tiger roar again, and massive fist pump, that for many would result in a torn or pulled muscle.  This victory at the Chevron World Challenge, might be the highlight that everyone will see, but it was not the underlying significance behind the day.  For some, they would think it’s no big deal or don’t care at all.  For me though, and my other golf enthusiasts, we do care and know that this was a big day for the game we love….for several reasons.

That wasn’t just the day that Tiger broke his 749 day drought of not winning a tour event, which dates back to November 15^th, 2009 at the Australian Masters.  That wasn’t just the day that Tiger moved from being ranked 52^nd in the world to 21^st.  That wasn’t just his 83 worldwide win, or first win in 26 tournaments.  Yesterday was the day that fans, tour players, media, scientists, teachers, lawyers, and dogs all said to each other or themselves…..”Is Tiger back?”  So if it was up to me to declare an answer to this question, I would have to go with….it sure looks like it.

After watching his play last week at the Presidents Cup, and then witnessing his obvious success this weekend at the Chevron World Challenge, Tiger looks like he has figured his game out.  His putting has improved, he is making solid contact with the golf ball, his swing looks balanced, and the one thing other tour players hate to see….his confidence seems to be back. 

Players would admit that they love when Tiger is on top of his game, because it is the competition that drives them, and if they beat Tiger when he is at his best, it says a lot about their game.  To be the best you have to beat the best, right?  Deep down though, I think some have enjoyed the past two years where Tiger wasn’t the dominant figure in golf.  It has allowed players such as Luke Donald, Martin Kaymer, and Lee Westwood to spend some time as the #1 ranked golfer in the world.  But then again, it would have meant more if Tiger was #2 behind them.

Tiger has changed the game of golf over the last decade, and in these last two years without him the game has taken a real hit.  As I mentioned earlier there are several reasons why this victory marked an important day for golf, and one of them is the competition will be a lot better on the tour.  The resurgence in Tiger’s game will result in the rest of the tour having to shift their games into another gear.  With the hopes of seeing him back in contention week after week in 2012 the game is only going to benefit, and I think the players will embrace the challenge.

Another major reason, and one of the biggest impacts will be TV ratings.  It has been said time and time again, any tournament where Tiger is not in contention come Sunday does not get the greatest ratings.  There are not a lot of people who enjoy watching golf on TV, as they think it is boring.  I’m am not one of them, but I will say if Tiger is wearing his Sunday red and is on top of the leaderboard people tend to tune in…..even those “golf is boring” people.

Ticket sales and attendance for tournaments in which Tiger enters will also likely increase.

There have been several movements recently with the younger golfers following such players as Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler, and now Tiger can be added back into the mix.

Then there is the “will Tiger break Jack’s 18 major championship record.”  The past two years, people close to the game argued this point day and night, so will their opinions change now?  Is it too early to start this discussion?  I guess the jury is out and we will see.

With all that said, I was very happy/relieved to see Tiger win and put an end to this rocky and stressful two years.  The game needs him back and I think he is headed in the right direction.  I believe it was Mark Rolfing that asked Tiger after the win to describe his emotion, “Joy?  Relief?  Satisfaction?”  Woods responded with, “It just feels awesome whatever it is.”  The anticipation for 2012 is already high, and it should be an exciting year for Tiger and the game of golf.

Tee it Up!! 

*Sidenote…. I wish they would use the camera view they used on Tiger and Zach’s approach shots on 18 more often.