Hear me ROAR! Tiger's Baaaack!

What a putt. What a tournament. What a beginning to the 2009 PGA Tour season!

No more than 30 minutes ago, Tiger Woods drained a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole at Bay Hills to defeat Sean O'Hair by 1 shot and cap off an incredible comeback, not only today but for the year. Woods came into the day five strokes back of O'Hair, (7-under compared to 2-under) and if Tiger were to win, it would tie his largest comeback ever in his career. As many of you may be aware of, Tiger had reconstructive surgery on his left knee, his plant knee, after winning the U.S. Open in 2008 and this was his third tournament since returning, just his second stroke play event.

I turned the golf tournament in time to watch Tiger tee off on hole number 1, part of the final group with the aforementioned O'Hair and Iowan Zach Johnson. The scene was being set by Tiger early on, after making birdies on 2 and 3 and a bogey by O'Hair cut the lead from 5 shots to 2 in just three holes. The lead would then fluctuate between one and two for the rest of the front nine and the beginning of the back nine, that was when Tiger turned on his magic.

It began on hole 14 where Tiger made an incredible up-and-down from the bunker, sinking a 15-foot putt that seemed to move both ways. Woods followed that up with a 25-foot birdie putt on 15, tying him with O'Hair at 5-under par with three holes remaining. The air was thick with tension, you could cut it with a butter knife. You knew once Tiger got it back to even with the leader that he had the ability and the prowess to put it into overdrive and run over those puny PGA players.

On hole 16, Tiger hit his drive into the thick rough and O'Hair hit a bomb down the middle, putting the advantage into O'Hair's hands due to the lake surrounding the front edge of the green. Before Tiger could lay up, O'Hair made the mistake of the tournament, misjudging the headwind blowing into his face, dropping his ball on the edge of the bank and watching what seemed like his tournament chances go kerplunk and sink to the bottom of the lake. Tiger had 101-yards to try to hit his third shot and save par and hit his approach to three feet - a shot you knew Tiger was going to hit, it's almost become surreal. He tapped in for par while O'Hair tapped in for bogey and Woods took a one shot advantage into the final two holes.

But, Tiger reopened the door for O'Hair by burying his tee shot on the par 3 hole into the front bunker, settling for a bogey while O'Hair two-putted for par. And so the story was set, Tiger Woods and Sean O'Hair were tied at 4-under going into 18. Here is how Tiger won this same tournament last year, tied on the final hole with a birdie putt to win (start at about 1:15):




So with the stage set, Tiger and Sean each hit drives down thw fairway and after O'Hair put his shot on the green about 35-feet away, Tiger stepped up and hit a high, cutting 8-iron that spun back on the green to about 20-feet. After O'Hair left his putt short, the pencil was on the paper, ready to write a conclusion to this storybook comeback. With the world watching as the sun disappeared behind the houses, Woods stepped up and hit a beautiful putt that rolled...and rolled...and...gone.

The crowd erupted, Tiger exploded, his caddy clenched his fists and with that putt golf is back. The PGA Tour struggled mightily last season after losing Tiger for the year with his knee surgery. It seemed to lose the excitement and thrill that Tiger Woods brought to the table. But now, just 3 weeks away from the Masters at Augusta, Tiger has single-handedly recaptured the flame that was lighting the path for golf's success. He has brought back in the crowd lost when he went away. Just look at the reaction Tiger Woods making the putt last year and the energy and enthusiam he brings to the table every single tournament. Him throwing the hat, the crowd rising up with cheers, it all adds up to an event that everyone has to watch.

Tiger is back and just in the nick of time. Congratulations Mr. Woods, you have been missed.

These videos give me goosebumps everytime.