Perhaps the smartest conclusion would be to avoid drawing any from the Hero World Challenge. A year ago, after equalling tournament winner Hideki Matsuyama for number of birdies over four rounds, Tiger Woods departed the tournament supposedly on the verge of a great renaissance.
Woods spoke positively about the future, just as the wave of expectation surrounding him rose once more. By the start of February, Woods cut a stricken figure as he limped from the Dubai Desert Classic whilst unable to counteract back spasms beyond 18 holes. It would be easy to infer that Woods’s lowest ebb, a driving under the influence charge that occurred in May, somehow triggered the upturn in personal and professional fortunes that has subsequently transpired. Even that requires context; Woods today leaps inside the top 670 in the world. He has been No1 for a record 683 cumulative weeks.
Related: Tiger Woods follows Rickie Fowler’s final-round 61 with 2018 majors pledge
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