OPINION: The sporting world came to a standstill on Monday morning, when golfing great Tiger Woods made a gallant run at the PGA Championship.
Ultimately, the 42-year-old came up just short, with fellow American Brooks Koepka proving unflappable, despite Woods' late run.
Koepka is a worthy champion and magnificent golfer, but no doubt the story of the day is that Tiger Woods is officially back.
- Ryan Fox on 'spine-tingling' Tiger-mania at PGA Championship
- Woods falls short, as Brooks Koepka wins PGA Championship
A decade-long title drought, an extra marital affair and seemingly more injuries than under-par golf rounds had left many - almost all - predicting the end of the American's hold on the sport.
While that was most definitely a fair assumption at the time, the cream generally rises (back) to the top and that's where an injury-free Tiger Woods belongs – the top.
It's just a matter of time before Eldrick Tont Woods adds to incredible tally of 14 'Major' championship wins.
Woods moves the needle like no other, as I am sure the CBS and Golf Channel ratings will indicate on Tuesday.
Even at Newshub HQ, we had an entire newsroom focused on what Woods was doing, including a 6pm news director wanting to steal the story - and lead the bulletin with it - if Woods prevailed.
Fact: If Woods wins a Major in 2019, it will be the biggest sporting story of the year.
Hell, it might be the biggest sporting story of the decade, outside of Lance Armstrong's fall from grace.
Woods may not be the best human on the planet, certainly not the best husband, but he is the prime example of why I love sport.
Despite been told by medical experts he would never play again, despite all the experts claiming he couldn't complete, let alone score two top-six finishes in back-to-back Majors, Woods has powered through adversity and appears to be on the verge of one of the greatest sporting achievements of all time.
Golf is arguably the most competitive sport on the planet. It wouldn't be asinine to suggest that at least 50 players arrived in Missouri with visions of grandeur, holding a legitimate chance at winning.
This could be the greatest talent pool in the history of the sport.
Names like Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Adam Scott, Zach Johnson (the real one), Sergio Garcia and Rory McIlroy, to name a few, prove that winning a golf tournament may have never been as difficult.
I classify myself as a sporting tragic, but golf isn't anywhere near the top of my viewing list. If the man in the red polo is within four shots of the lead on the final day, I'm all-in.
We are all bearing witness to one of the greatest comeback stories in the history of sport - a comeback story that will dominate news feeds around the world, when (not if) Woods gets over the line at a Major.
And when that happens, I get the feeling we will see more than one addition to his current 14 titles.
Tiger Woods is back baby and golf just became fun again.
Newshub.
