Tiger Woods once again occupied the world number one rank for the first time since October 2010 after a closing round of two-under 70 and rejoiced the PGA Tour’s Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill on Monday.
The 37-year-old Golf champion replaced Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy above the rankings with his eighth Bay Hill course victory. He has symbolised his magnificent return after a stunning fall from personal and professional grace.
Woods disclosed that he plays well here. He has earned prize money of $1.08 million after a closing round of two-under 70. He added that it is simple as it gets. It is a result of patience and hard work.
It took another day, but Woods out witted his fellow American Rickie Fowler down the stretch, winning the $6.2 million occasion by only two strokes. In total, Woods has won 14 majors in his entire career and had previously spent a record 623 weeks on the peak of the world. He has maintained his achievement for almost three years after sustaining injuries and infamous scandal. He fell to his lowest rank on 11th November 2011 when he stumbled to 58th in the world.
In 2009, a US tabloid aired claims that he had had an affair with a nightclub manageress. This is where his anguish started. After two days, he crashed his car near his home which left him a bit wounded. Even his marriage was in jeopardy. In December 2009, Woods disclosed two statements admitting to continuous marital infidelity and declared that he would like to take break from golf. He added later that he had undergone a therapy to assist him to change his conduct.
He came back to golf at the 2010 Masters in April but his marriage ended. He was divorced with former model Elin Nordegren which was granted in August. His career had greatly suffered during the disturbance and his return to the apex took three years. Woods disclosed that he was dating US ski star Lindsey Vonn last week while this weekend's tournament seems to have substantiated his return to the game.
Woods claimed that the first step in the process was getting healthy. Once he got there, then his game turned. He has won six times on the tour the last couple years and that's not bad. Woods also won his 77th PGA Tour victory-his 99th professional victory in his final tune-up event for the next month’s Masters.
The Monday game was followed by a relentless thunder storm on Sunday which deferred the fourth round. The storm blew across the Bay Hill Club & Lodge with squalling winds breaking down trees and television towers.
Woods and his co-player Fowler commenced on the third hole Monday. He had immediately set the tone with birdies on a pair of par-fives. He ended on 18 with a bogey but it was sufficient to reach 13-under 275, giving him the victory and pushing him the Number One spot for the first time since October 2010. He disclosed that he is getting back to winning golf tournaments and won few golf tournaments in the last two years so subsequently he moved up.
Runner-up Justin Rose fired a two-under 70 to end up at 11-under while fell down the stretch, ending up with a one-over 73 as he plunged to a four-way tie for third at eight-under 280. Fowler ended up along with Keegan Bradley (71), Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (72), Mark Wilson (71). Woods, who has won six times in his last 20 matches, attributed his recent success to learning how to cope up with his family life with golf.
Woods narrated that it was a lot easier to work on the match and make all those changes when he was younger. Family responsibilities changes things and trying to find the time to do it tests ones time-management skills. He had to work differently in which he was doing it in short bursts. At the end, he would not trade it. His two children are the most crucial thing in his life.
Woods’ statistics shows that, he has now won 51 times in 55 tries when holding the lead entering the final round and is five wins shy of matching Sam Snead's all-time record on the PGA Tour. He and Snead are the two players to win the same tournament eight times with Snead doing it at the Greater Greensboro Open.
