Sunday’s 18th hole at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta at the 2018 Tour Championship was an incredible sight to behold.
It wasn’t simply the thousands of fans in the stands and along the sides of the fairway cheering for the champion coming down the fairway. This time, they actually broke through the ropes and came running DOWN the fairway to get a closer look at the winner.
Tiger Woods.
It was at times emotional and other times a bit scary to watch. Tiger’s fans were just as happy as he was in breaking a five year winning drought. The excitement surrounding the PGA Tour’s biggest star return to the winner’s circle was incredible to behold Sunday.
Tiger was literally surrounded by thousands of adoring fans on his final walk up the fairway toward the final green. Local officials were relieved that nothing other than an expression of support came from the crowd’s mad dash to surround their hero’s march to victory.
It has happened in golf a few times before but not very often. I can remember Arnold Palmer marching through the galleries up to the 18th hole at The Masters in Augusta. Same for Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson at the final hole of the Open Championship, too.
Tiger’s victory at the Tour Championship on Sunday marked a miraculous exclamation point on his 2018 surprising return to golf’s upper echelon. The number of physical injuries (back and knee surgeries) added to the weight of self-inflicted mental anguish (an embarrassing and messy divorce along with a 2017 citation for driving while under the influence prescription pain killers) has turned golf’s most arrogant personality into a more sympathetic and, dare I say, likable personality in 2018.
At the PGA’s season finale, the golf world received a much needed shot of adrenaline with Woods’ two stroke victory Sunday.
NBC isn’t complaining. Television ratings for the final round were up an astounding 206% from last year’s finale with a 5.21 overnight score.
The “Tiger Effect” is a proven winner for televised golf. Just in time for this weekend’s Ryder Cup in France, too!
Golf’s newest Pied Piper has returned. For the PGA Tour and NBC’s Ryder Cup coverage, it couldn’t have come at a better time.